I've Solved the Mystery...

...of where all of the socks disappear to in the laundry!!  They were eaten by my washing machine!!!

Okay, you're probably asking what in the world I am talking about.  Here's a bit of back-story...

Recently one of my friends asked on Facebook what kind of washing machines everyone has, as she is looking to buy a new one.  I told her that I loved my old top-load washer and now I have a front-load washer at the new house and I hate it.  Several other friends chimed in that they too don't like their front loaders and one of the main reasons was the mold potential. 

When we moved into our new house last week, we noticed that there was a definite smell lurking in the laundry room.  I figured it was because the previous owners had moved out and shut the machine before they left, causing it to get a musty funk.  I bought some of the new Tide Washing Machine Cleaner and it helped quite a bit, but there was still a smell.  Thankfully the dryer managed to get the smell off our clothes, so I wasn't too worried about it.

Then tonight I was in the laundry room getting a few loads done and I decided to investigate the stink.  Sure enough there was some mold starting to form on the door...no biggie, I took a scrubbie sponge and off it came.  Case closed?  Not so much.  I went one step further and decided to check the seal on the inside of the washer...and what did I discover??  The answer to a timeless question...where do missing socks go??

Upon looking inside the seal, I found them...five nasty soaking wet socks, left by the previous owner.  I know they have been there for a while since the wife moved out months ago with the children and the husband was lingering until the house sold.  So, these nasty, stinky socks had been stuck inside the washer for Goodness knows how long! (They clearly belonged to the wife and boys)

I'm not sure if this will get rid of the linger smell, but so far it already smells better.  Next week I plan to use another dose of cleaner to see if that helps.  Until then, I now know to keep the door open and check often for missing clothing.  Who knows what I'll find if I go snooping around the dryer!!

Cheers!
Sharon