Losing small items in the washing machine is, unfortunately, a common problem for many people. Smaller objects can get lodged inside pockets, be masked by larger items, or simply get stuck somewhere they don’t belong. Luckily, there are some measures you can take to make it easier to find your clothes and other belongings when this happens. Read on to learn more about how to find lost items in the washing machine and keep them from getting lost again.
How To Find Lost Items In Washing Machine
1. Check the pockets
The first thing you should try is checking the pockets of any items that were washed. If you have a pocket-less pair of pants, then you’ll probably want to check the pockets of anything else that was washed with it. Most clothes today are made with some kind of fabric that allows water to flow through. That means even if an item doesn’t have a pocket, there could be an area where water could pool and hide an object trapped inside.
2. Check the lint trap
If you’ve already checked all the pockets and your article still hasn’t been found, then it’s time to start looking outside of your clothes. The most obvious place to start is with the lint trap in your washing machine. If something small like a button or earring gets caught in the filter and can’t fall out when you open up your washer, it may be possible for it to slide down into one of the holes in your lint trap.
3. Search for loose buttons, zippers, or snaps
Now that we know about checking around the lint trap, let’s talk about other places where small items can get stuck in a washing machine. One common problem is losing buttons from clothing when they become loose during washing. These buttons can get caught on something and end up getting washed away before they can be found again. Zippers and snaps are also potential problems because they’re so small and difficult to see among other clothing items while they’re soaking in the washer.
4. Check your dryer lint trap
The last place to check is the lint trap on your dryer. If you’ve already checked the one in your washing machine and can’t find anything, then it’s possible that whatever you’re looking for made it through the wash cycle and got stuck in your dryer. This is especially likely if you’re using a top-loading washing machine because small objects can get caught in between the door and the drum itself.
5. Use magnets or a metal detector
This last tip is only for people who have a top-loading washing machine. Because this type of washer has a gap between its drum and its door, it’s possible for small objects to get stuck there and not be able to fall out when you open up the washer. One way to check this area is by sticking a magnet inside your washing machine while it’s running. If you find that something sticks to it, then you know there’s something metal inside of there that could be causing problems with how water flows through and drains out of your machine. You could also use a metal detector instead of a magnet if you have one handy, though most people don’t have these lying around their house!
Check The Lint Rap
- The first thing you should do is check the lint trap inside the washing machine. If you have a top-loading machine, this will be easy; if not, you may need to reach inside the opening of your washing machine.
- If you find an object lodged in the lint trap, remove it by hand and place it on a towel or some other safe surface.
- If you can’t see any objects lodged in the lint trap, check inside your washer for any lost items using a flashlight or another bright light source.
- If you can’t see anything lodged in your washing machine, check around its exterior for any items that may have fallen off while it was running. You may be able to find them right away or they may get stuck somewhere else in your home before you spot them.
- If nothing is stuck anywhere in the vicinity of your washing machine, then examine all of your clothing carefully for missing items and check pockets for small items that may have fallen out during the wash cycle.
- Once you’ve completed this step and are confident that nothing is still missing from your laundry load, put everything away so that it doesn’t get lost again!
Shake Your Clothes Out Before Washing
- Before you toss anything into the washing machine, be sure to shake it out. You might have some loose change or other small items in your pockets that could get lost if you don’t take this step.
- Do the same for other items as well, such as jackets, sweaters, and blankets. These can sometimes have zippers or buttons that open to reveal small pockets inside where things can get stuck.
- Check the pockets of any pants or skirts you’re washing as well. Smaller objects can sometimes be lodged in these pockets and aren’t always easy to spot until they’re already in the washer.
- When you take your sheets out of the dryer, check them thoroughly to make sure nothing got stuck while they were being washed and dried. This is especially important if you’re drying anything with a zipper on it—small jewelry pieces and other objects can easily get caught up in this zipper and become impossible to find without taking the time to check for them after drying is complete.
- After your towels are washed and dried, be sure to give them a thorough shaking. This is especially important if you’re washing anything with a zipper on it since small objects can get stuck in the zipper of these items and go unnoticed until they’re already in the dryer.
- Check the pockets of any coats or jackets you wash as well. Smaller items can sometimes get lodged in these pockets, where they can hide from detection until it’s too late to save them from being washed away by the machine.
- Before washing any blankets or other bedding items (such as pillows), make sure to shake each item thoroughly to make sure nothing is caught inside them. This is especially important if you have pets that like to hide their toys under blankets—small objects can easily become lost when they’re covered up by larger ones like this, so it’s always a good idea to take a few minutes before tossing anything into the washer to check for smaller items that might be hiding inside larger ones.
Conclusion
Examining your washing machine and its contents before you put a load in can help to prevent items from getting lost. Similarly, keeping an eye out for lost items once a load is washing can help to minimize the damage if something does get lost. You can reduce the likelihood of items getting lost in your washing machine by shaking clothes out before putting them in, keeping like items together in a laundry bag, and keeping smaller items in a pocket. A flashlight and bleach dispenser can also be helpful if you are trying to find something in a particularly dark or confined space.
