Woodhaven Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Help!! My son (in response to my request for help) emptied the clothes washer into the dryer. I had thrown a large picnic table cloth into the washer, along with some other things, intending to let the table cloth air dry. But, my son didn't know better and he put in the dryer!! None of the towels had plastic melted on them, but the back of the dryer is covered in it. No one smelled it. Any suggestions how to save this dryer? HELP! We have been taking turns peeling some of it off, but it is slow going, and a lot of it just has to be scraped with a sharp knife. I NEED to use this dryer tonight and tomorrow. Of course, it doesn't look like I can use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 xylene?-- but it is flammable-- so clean it well afterwards with soap and water and let air dry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Will icing it help it crack off? IDK how to do that, exactly--hold a bag of ice up to a section, maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 have you tried googling how to get melted plastic off a drier drum? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 Would using a hair dryer to make it warm again help to get it off? Also if it didn't stick to the towels perhaps it won't come off on the clothes and you can still use the dryer. You could do a trial run on old rags. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jyhwkmama Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 You could get a scraping razor blade at the hardware store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 I wouldn't use anything flammable. Too dangerous if you don't get all the residue off. I would try using ice to make it brittle, then scraping with a razer blade tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodhaven Posted October 29, 2015 Author Share Posted October 29, 2015 Thanks for all the ideas! I went to my old friend Google, and learned that I should try running the dryer again until it heated up and then carefully try to pry any more off. We got a lot off, but there is still some firmly attached. We made certain all the holes are open, and then I ran it with a load of wet socks. The socks didn't get ruined (good news here!) and a lot of that stuff flaked off and was in the lint. I read that I could use a little nail polish on it, but I haven't tried that. I may just keep a close eye on it, while trying to scrape off a little more each time I use it. There were no bad smells, so I think that's good. I appreciate the help and ideas a lot!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted October 29, 2015 Share Posted October 29, 2015 I was able to get melted polyester off my stovetop with liquid Barkeeper's Friend (not the powder kind). That stuff is miracle-working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodhaven Posted November 3, 2015 Author Share Posted November 3, 2015 I wanted to update everyone who kindly offered suggestions to my call for help. We just got back from camping and I have a LOT of laundry. Fortunately, the dryer seems to be working fine. I put dark and less important stuff in it to dry first, and it worked fine. In face, lots of little bits of the plastic that was melted on have been coming off and end up in the lint catcher. It looks much better!! I'm going to continue to use it with confidence. Guess it wasn't as bad as I thought at first!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Thanks for the update. I was sort of curious how it worked out. I am glad that it is still working and you have been able to get some off. That is exactly the sort of thing I can imagine happening at my house, so I was really hoping you would get a happy ending Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.