Well, it’s a week since we returned from holidays and already the tan is fading and I’m hard at it in the studio. Of course it is school holidays here in Melbourne so my children have returned from their beach break only to have another two weeks off….ggggrrrr, bad planning on my part!!
Our holiday was very relaxing and a great time for family bonding. This little story I am going to share with you, while stressful for myself, provided great entertainment for my children and started our holiday off with a huge laugh. Yes, I am laughing now, just not at the time.
This story involves a front loading washing machine…..
And a bottle of Dynamo washing liquid……
I opened the double doors that hid the apartment laundry and to my surprise there was a new washing machine. Not only was it new but it was (OMG) ….. a front loader. Oh dear, I should have checked this out before I left to do the shopping. The old washing machine in the apartment was a top loader exactly the same as mine at home. I had purchased a bottle of washing liquid for a top loader.
Hhmmmmm……what to do? I know very little about front loaders except that you use a low sudsing detergent. Simple I think……I’ll just use a smaller amount of washing liquid. Done. Too easy. I leave the washing to go out onto the balcony to soak in my beautiful and peaceful ocean view. Not a care in the world because I am on holidays.
Yeah right……those of you who have a front loader washing machine know differently already. After awhile I wander inside to make a coffee and just happen to glance over in the direction of the hide in the cupboard laundry. What’s this I spy……BUBBLES!!!
Not just a few bubbles – oh no, I mean many, many bubbles, buckets load, too much for any washing machine.
I stop the washing machine, muttered several obscenities under my breath and tried in vain to open the door of the machine. It wouldn’t let me. OMG, what would I do. Now the kids are there making all their ‘oh no’ sounds too. Just what I need – an audience.
Frantically I search for an instruction manual and find one under the laundry trough. Of course the boldly printed warning on the front page about using the correct washing detergent is of no use to me now!! Yet there is hope. In the manual it explains how to empty the machine of water so I can open the door and remove the bubbles.
Here is the problem – obviously a man or some ‘stupid’ person who would never use a washing machine has designed it with the emergency water release valve placed one inch…yes, that is one inch off the floor. The manual instructed me to place a reciprocal underneath the valve and remove the cap so gravity would empty the machine. Oh HELLO……what will fit in the 1 inch space between the valve and the floor that is suitable for receiving a large quantity of water. Hhuummph….that was my dilemma. I found a small dish that could be slipped in under the valve which held about 200 ml of water and so started the long, laborious process of removing small quantities of water one dish at a time.
That done it was time to open the door and tackle the bubbles.
Here is one of those ‘How is it so’ questions that defies an answer: how come the amount of bubbles being removed from the tub appear to be twice the volume of the inside of the tub??? I don’t know either but I mulled this over in my mind while I tackled a very sudsy situation all while my hubby and kids shrieked with laughter.
A valuable lesson to be learnt here fellow domestic goddesses…..NEVER put ordinary washing liquid in a front loading washing machine – unless of course you need something to entertain the kids on a wet weather day. If you wanted the kids to help they would disappear in a flash but if you want to wallow in your own stupidity in private they are bound to hang around and humiliate you!!!!
That was pretty much the last load of washing I did while on holidays. Apart from a bit of hand washing I didn’t tackle the foaming beast again.
Hugs,
Kerryanne
Oh dear Kerryanne…that is so funny…I am sorry but it is and if only your family had taken a photo of you emptying the water too! They will remember that always of course as I remember going away on holidays in the caravan with my parents one year and my Mum threw away the plug to the sink, which was orange and she thought it was carrot. We then had to go through the rubbish bin, to find the rubbish bag with the plug in it and when we did we started a chant/song thing that I still remember that went’ that is not a piece of carrot..that is the plug…that is not a piece of carrot..that is the plug’ and will still sing it every now and again. You need a song to go with that story, let me work on it and I will get back to you! Oh dear I am so amused now, that will do me for the day, kiss noises Linda Lilly Cottage.
Hey Kerryanne! Well, now that I’ve picked myself up off the floor where I’ve been rolling around laughing … Thank you for sharing your bubble story!! I laughed so hard because I could picture the scene – it’s EXACTLY the sort of situation I can imagine finding myself in!! I’ve discovered (amidst MANY silly moments of my own!!) that it really is better in the end to laugh at yourself – otherwise you’d end up in jail for murdering the ‘helpful’ family members who are hurting themselves laughing at you!!! Hmmm, I now know what to send for your birthday this year – bubble bath! Tee! Hee! Hee! Have a wonderful, bubble-free day! Bear Hugs! KRIS (Tag Along Teddies)
Silly Sausage Kerryanne, mind you I did the same thing with my dishwasher, I thought I’d blown it up until I fished out the instruction booklet and sussed out how to fix it. My son recently did the same in his rented house with the dishwasher….there you go you’re not the only one, we’ll excuse you!!
Hi Kerryanne…
sorry for the disappearing act…been feeling a bit under the weather but am getting better now. Your holiday at the beach looked fantastic and I’m sure it was a blast for the girls and boy those bubbles you created, we could have had a Dynamo foam party!How are things with you.. i should seriously catch up with you through email…so much to share. Will pop you a mail soon.
Hugs, Adla
Oh and thank you for the tag… I’m sure there are more than 7 weird things about me…so this should be easy!
Oh Kerryanne, you are going to suffer hearing that story from your hubby and kids for the rest of your life.
Alison
Hi Kerryanne,
That is such a funny story, i’m glad you told it though because I too have never used a frontloader and I would never of even thought that it takes different washing liquid at least now I will know never to make that mistake.
Cheers Linda
Oh dear! On the bright side this could have had a lot less happy of an ending! Good that you can laugh at it now.
Karla
I’m sorry, I am bubbling over with laughter, so funny. A good lesson cos I would have done the same brilliant thing, just put less detergent in! Good reason not to wash while on holiday:) Rachael