Why You Should Be Checking Your Pants Pockets Before Doing A Load Of Laundry

Arguments could persist from dawn to dusk over who's responsible for emptying clothes pockets before they hit the spin cycle. Is it up to the person wearing the clothes or the one washing them? Whichever side you choose, the fact is the tiny treasures hidden in those pockets can pose a real risk to your washer and dryer. And, no, it's not the unsightly scene of shredded wet paper left clinging to every thread of fabric after a rogue receipt goes round.

When small items, especially those made of metal, start clanging around a washer, it only takes one wrong hit to damage the drum or even the washer door itself. As for the dryer, there's a risk of foreign objects melting or even worse, combusting, inside the intense heat. Repairing either appliance often isn't cheap and replacing one — or both — could really set you back. Save your wallet by checking, and maybe even double-checking, each pocket before dropping clothes in for a soak.

It doesn't take too many guesses to land on two of the more common items to be left behind in a pants pocket: coins and keys. Coincidentally, that pair is also what'll cause some of the worst damage to your washer. Such an appliance hits pretty high speeds when it hits the spin part of its cycle. Now, picture a small metal object being flung about at that same speed. If you have a glass door on your washer, it could get cracked. There's also the possibility of puncturing the washing drum or clogging up the drain pipe, both of which may result in a flooded laundry room.

Your clothes can be affected by metal objects, too. The jagged edges of keys, for example, can attack your favorite sweater, and a rusted coin can leech its stain onto the pastel shirt you adore. Other forgotten items, like candy, pens, or lip balm, will also create stains. Even after you remove the object, its remnants may still be seen on other articles of clothing until you give the machine a proper deep clean.

Dryers can suffer the same damaged fate that befalls a washer when metal is left inside it. Keys, coins, and other small items are just really good at finding their way to the important parts of the machine. Lip balm and candy don't stand a chance against the high heat, either, so if the washer hasn't made a melted puddle of it, the dryer will surely do its best to accomplish the feat.

Perhaps the worst sweet treat to be left in a pocket, though, is gum. When a piece of gum gets loose in a dryer, it can mimic a spider, spinning a sticky web all over the interior, including the vent and lint trap. It'll be on your clothes, too. We've all faced the struggle of removing gum from the bottom of a shoe, so you can imagine how difficult it is to pry it loose from buttons and zippers.

Parents need to be especially diligent with their pocket-checking. Kids are notorious for slipping their favorite toy into a pocket for later enjoyment. Unfortunately, the same materials that often make up toys — rubber and plastic — also pose a fire risk in the dryer.