Living in a warm climate seems to result in a year-round moult. Even when he gets groomed regularly. Well, as regularly as he tolerates.
The throws on his sofa get washed regularly. But inevitably I can't shake all the fur off, so some hairs end up in the washing machine, and then, some end up in the tumble dryer which produces the pleasant aroma of burning dog fur.
Winters may be warm - but they are also wet, and we don't have anywhere undercover to dry the washing, so the 30-year-old tumble dryer from my mother's house has come in surprisingly useful.
It was tumbling away merrily and pumping out the usual slightly acrid smell.
"What's that burning smell?" asked Partner, doing the usual interfering routine.
"It always smells like that. It's dog fur."
Mr Interfering was having none of it.
"It's burning, go and check it," he ordered, despite being nearer than me to the tumbly.
I walked in and smoke was pouring out of the front of the tumble dryer.
I opened the door in horror to stop it and ran out in case it went bang.
It didn't.
Mr Interfering amazingly restrained himself from a smug comment and merely said:
"We need a new one. That can go out tonight."
Some time later he had a flash of inspiration and went to investigate the tumbly.
He came out with a filter thing, rather clogged up with two years worth of dog fur and goodness knows how many years of dust.
If my mother had ever cleaned out the filter I am sure she forgot as she grew older.
"Turn it on again," he ordered.
Why is it always me that has to deal with the dubious electrickery?
I turned it on.
No smoke. Still the left-over burning smell. I agreed to check it out the next day with some proper wet washing.
I did. It worked.
So - when your 30-year-old tumble dryer starts smoking - check out the filter. It could save you forking out for a new tumble dryer. Or maybe I am the only person who didn't even know that tumblies had filters.
6 comments:
I don't have a Tumbly, but I do have an old Hoover Spinner that was given to a friend as a wedding present in the 1950's, and that she passed onto me as a temporary measure when my washing machine died in the 80's. It is worth its weight in Iberdrola shares. A quick spin and washing is near dry enough to iron.
Shame on you for not knowing that Tumblies have filters. Just think of all the fluff and fur that you have wasted over the years; it could have been spun into yarn and woven into new dog blankets
ye gods! I cannot believe you didn't know about the filter!!!!!
As soon as I started to read this post I knew (smart arse me!) what the problem was, but YEARS...... dog fur and dust..........
I have had a tumblie since forever, mainly due to living somewhere wet half the year, and three kids.
so I have always known about cleaning the filter, also the newer ones have strict instructions on the front on a label, my newish one, actually says "please ensure the filter is cleaned every time you use the tumble drier".
Zen Dog is black fur, and each time I tumble dry his fleecy blankets I have enough in the filter to make another dog!!!!!
In the spring I leave it outside near the wheelie bins for the birds which are nesting nearby.
I am a kind soul, and also a Filter Expert. Call on me any time for advice! ;0DDDD
Letty ;0)))))
Lucky you didn't have a real fire. The smell of burning Pippa fur is bad enough. In the past I replaced several heating coils in our old dryer. Now we use natural gas and just worry about explosions. Ha Ha.
Remember the Maine/Remember the Filter
James ∆≈
Hello Katherine,
I just checked all your blogs -- and this seems to be the most recent. Since I've been missing anything about Pippa, I thought I'd check in with you to see what's going on.
The Barkalots miss you -- they sure do. New very large cruise ships are coming to our port and they were all excited thinking Pippa would be managing an exciting cruise.
I see you have other "fish to fry," so to speak -- so forgive me if this seems like an intrusion!
Joan (preempting Jake and Just Harry)
Pippadog,
This virtual world of ours can be very unsettling -- attachments come to feel real and then they disappear in a whiff of smoke (dryer fluff and fur?). For some reason, our Mom has always felt close to your misery mistress. We love you too -- but somehow under those doggie masks Mom often talks about she felt a connection -- and thus felt weird when you disappeared.
We hope you and mistress and master are all OK -- and that it's just too much of a virtual thing.
Wirey love,
Jake and Just Harry
jdeesez@aol.com
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