Loose bra wire in washing machine

[AllYourBase]

A bone or wire from my partners bra has come loose in the washing machine and is somewhere in the workings, making a slight grating noise as the unit operates.
I know how expensive repair men can be, but am not daft myself and would have a go if it were a simple job.

Can anyone point me in the direction of a simple guide to where to look for something loose like this in a washing machine and how to remove it without having to dismantle the machine too much?

[alan47]

Hi, a common problem. Which I've said to the wife...can you not take the wire out before you put them into the washing machine. Its certainly easier to take the wire out of the bra than take it out the washing machine.

The wire will have gone through the holes in the drum, first check its not visible in one of the holes if not, its went into the outer drum and is stuck. When the inner drum is turning its catching it. I would leave it a couple of weeks, it may dislodge itself or break up. If your not happy to leave it, you'll have to take the front off, detach the door seal and try to get between the two drums to remove the item. Your decision!

Is there wire in bras for the same reason theres elastic in underpants...to stop things falling out! I wonder?

[acw]

The wire is there to keep us looking pert!  And mostly they can't be removed.  However, allyourbase I don't want to start a domestic, but it's actually better for bras if they're washed by hand as this avoids the cups getting all mishapen.  Perhaps now's not the BEST time to tell your other half, but it might be of interest to her! *blushes*

 

Not a direct answer to the question, but it may help in the long run!  Have fun with your toys boys! :-)

[ICEMANSAV]

If you take the top cover off the machine, then rotate the drum by hand " note power should be off". Checking around the whole drum to see if it is protruding anywhere and catching the mountings. The most likely places would be as alan47 has said sticking through a hole, or wedged at the bottom of the machine catching the drum. Alos disconnect and drain water before doing it.

[londondave]

feel for the wire along the drum holes or it will snag on other clothing and shred it. You can get tights/stockings bags for washing machines so use one too for bras

[acw]

Is this like that sketch in the Fast Show where the woman may as well be mute because all the men ignore her!?  I know I don't know how to fix a washing machine, but I believe I gave a useful answer about avoiding the problem in future.  And anyway, those bags are made of netting mesh - if a bra wire was going to do damage, that bag wouldn't help. 

[ICEMANSAV]

You did give a good answer just not one that can solve the problem that has occured now rather than preventing it in the future! So that will have gone noticed :-) now go and fetch me a cuppa acw whilst I fix this machine!

[acw]

ICEMAN it would be a pleasure, only the silly man who made my chain made it a bit too short and I can't reach the kettle as I'm stuck by the oven!  Thank goodness I have a laptop (hubby lets me have it so I can order the shopping online - saves time for more domestic chores). 

 

:-D :-p :-)

[alan47]

hello again, but as said before, this is a woman thing. Sometimes common sense doesnt come into it. As the ICEMANSAV says...fetch a cuppa hen!  Maybe the guy that fitted the chain gave you too much leash. I'm talking to you acw.

[AllYourBase]

Thanks everyone. On Alan47's advice I took a torch and a finger to each hole and eventually found the wire protruding a small amount from one of them. One pair of long nose pliers later and problem solved. No need for Mr hotpoint at nearly �100!

I'm just like Chandler from friends - Bras scare me!

[Wispy68]

If you don't want to buy one of those net laundry bags, you could put the bras in a pillow case and tie it with an elastic band. No escape for the nasty wires!

[davehorne]

I just paid the local store to repair my washing machine and it was my wife's bra wire that was the culprit.

At least over here, the water is heated by an element. To gain access to the space under the drum (in my front loading machine) the heating element was removed.

If you look at the back of unit, you'll see several wires coming from the (in my case) the bottom of the drum. The guy removed the bolts fastening the element to the drum and also had to remove a rubber grommet. The actual opening (in my case) was about three inches wide and a half inch high.

This would seem to be the easiest way to enter that area. The actual 'repair' took less than five minutes ... and cost me � 40. Had I known how easy this was, I would have done it myself. I also did not know what the source of the noise was.

The advice given to me - place the bras in a bag when washing. Lesson learned.

[Tess4]

Hello and many thanks for the very helpful suggestions - I'm a natural DIY-er despite the female hormones, but this one had me stumped. My machine was making sounds similar to a food mixer grinding up ballbearings so I didn't dare use it any more. But when I hunted in the drum, there was the offending bra wire sticking out of a hole and I got it out even without pliers.
ACW, hope your chain isn't rubbing too much and pertness still pertains.