Never understimate the power of a moldy washer...

I learned this weekend just how bad a washer can be once it gets mold in it. Or to clarify, just how bad a front loading washer can be. I'm not sure if top loading machines suffer from the same potential problem.

After struggling to clean my diapers in my front loading machine for 5 months I decided to scrap it and get a top loader. I tried every detergent and wash routine under the sun and came to the eventual conclusion that it was simply my washer's inability to clean properly. Now when I first brought the idea of replacing it up to Nathan he looked at me like I'd grown a second head. Replace our washer just so we can continue to use cloth diapers? I could tell it was on the tip of his tongue to tell me to go back to using disposables. But he held himself in check, knowing that I've developed a bit of a strange addiction (maybe obsession would be a better term) with cloth diapers. They have become a hobby for me. I love everything cloth diaper related. I find them cute and fun. Putting a cute color or print cloth diaper on one of my kids just makes my day and as any mom of two little ones can appreciate, I change diapers all day long. Go ahead and laugh at me for my cloth addiction, I'm fine with it. I know I'm a bit strange.

So we started looking around for washers on craigslist. Nathan became 100% on board with replacing the washer when it started having some serious issues - like freezing on me in the middle of a load and refusing to give me my clothes back. Then when I attempted to wash some 'muddy' clothes of Gabe's (i.e. really wet with a bit of mud on them) they came out of the washer still dingy and stinking of dirt. It was clearly not cleaning clothes properly anymore and we were afraid it was going to die on us any day. We found a 12 year old Kenmore 90s series on craigslist that had been completely updated by an older gentleman who fixies up washers and dryers as hobby. Inside the washer is almost brand new. I will be happy if it lasts us a few years until we can afford to buy a nicer washer. If it lasts longer than that, it would be a bonus!

So how does the title of my blog work into this? On Saturday we took our front-loading washer out and put it in the shed and then hooked up the Kenmore. I noticed immediately a major difference in the laundry room when I would walk in. I told Nathan that our laundry room smelled so amazing and then I realized why - it didn't 'smell' like anything. It simply smelled like clean clothes and water. I didn't know how badly our washer stunk of mold until it was gone. I kept the door open when not in use since we bought it like recommended and ran the 'clean washer' cycle once a month as well.

The biggest impact of this difference hit me yesterday. I told Nathan in the morning over the phone that I was so glad my cold was finally leaving. That I hadn't felt this amazing in so long I couldn't even remember. It wasn't until much later in the afternoon that I started to make the connection. We've been fighting the never ending cold from h-e double hockey sticks for over 2 months now. But long before the cold started, I haven't felt like 'myself' in so long I didn't even realize I wasn't feeling like myself (hmm hope that made sense...). I have told Nathan a few times that I thought I might be developing allergies. Sometimes I felt better, sometimes I was just downright miserable not being able to breathe properly out of my nose and feeling like my head was in a complete fog. I just became used to it, because in truth I have felt like this since before Gabe was born at least.

I didn't realize how good I could feel when my head isn't completely full. The only thing that has changed is that the washer is gone and my laundry room smells wonderful again. It was quite a revelation. I know I'm allergic to mold and I know there was mold in the rubber seal of the washer (I tried everything under the sun to remove it, even straight bleach...) but I didn't realize how bad the mold really was. The amount in the rubber seal is not enough to cause the kind of smell that was in the laundry room so I suspect the entire inside of the machine is full of the stuff. The washer is in our shed while we figure out what to do with it and in the meantime I am just enjoying being able to fully breathe & think clearly again.