The bra story...

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
I didn't want to hijack the housewifery thread, and I've had a few questions about what on earth I was doing, trying to dry a bra in the microwave.

Sometimes, when I was running short of...um...personal laundry, I would hand wash something in the sink, toss it in the microwave to dry, and then get dressed for work.

This worked fairly well with those little cotton bras that you pull on, that don't have any...um...infrastructure.

So, one morning, in a tearing hurry, I threw a freshly washed bra into the microwave, completely forgetting that this one did have...um...infrastructure. Specifically, metal underwire and metal hooks at the back.

I heard a sparking noise, and then looked over to see that the bra had burst into flames inside the microwave.

I yanked the power cord, put out the fire, and then tried the aforementioned vinegar-coffee-vinegar thingy to clean up the resulting mess of charred bra-bits and melted elastic.

The vanilla-cinammon thing worked to get the horrible charred elastic smell out of my apartment.

Since then, I have always made sure to have enough personal laundry ready the night before.

Trinity
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
OK, Trinity, you have me beat. I dried shoes in the oven once. No worry, I put it on like 150 degrees.

And forgot them overnight.

Nasty foot stink plus burnt plastic and fabric. EWWW.
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
Golly Step! I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one out there with unorthodox approaches to laundry. AND a short attention span... :tongue:
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
Ever tried to dry something by ironing it?

NOT the world's best idea.

Yup, done that too. What started out as a cute little baby-doll t-shirt ended up more like a misshapen muu muu. Melted the trousers (didn't realize they were made of miracle fabric until I'd already planted the iron on them).

This is why I have an iron with a teflon sole plate. You can remove just about any manner of burnt-on clothing residue from teflon.
 

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
I have tried to dry things in the micro, but they never dry = they only get hot. How can a micro actually dry anything?

I have used my conventional oven to dry things, for instance, a pair of exh's socks a million years ago, and it worked fairly well.
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
I have tried to dry things in the micro, but they never dry = they only get hot. How can a micro actually dry anything?

I think it's because there is a point where the item gets sufficiently hot for all the water in it to evaporate. I further think that this is shortly before the item's flashpoint. I did occasionally notice a very mild burnt smell when I dried my laundry. Once I had the flaming bra incident, I didn't really experiment any further with this, so I'm not 100% sure.

There is information available about "dangerous things you can try in your microwave", but I hesitate to provide any further details because it's not exactly stuff that people should be trying and I don't want to encourage the spread. From a scientific standpoint though, I'd be interested to find out exactly where the border lies between getting something dry and setting it on fire.
 

mstang67chic

Going Green
From a scientific standpoint though, I'd be interested to find out exactly where the border lies between getting something dry and setting it on fire.

I would bet the farm that this is how the show Mythbutsters came about! LOL

*eyes my old microwave and difficult child's clothes*
 

slsh

member since 1999
Didn't you guys know that this is exactly what hair dryers were made for???? :rofl: Lingerie, panty hose, blouses... you name it, I've dried it with- my trusty hair dryer.
 

Lothlorien

Active Member
*wiping tears from my eyes* OMGosh! I'm snorting with laughter. Seriously....thank the powers that be I wasn't drinking my coffee when I read this.
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
I have clipped clothing onto the oscillating fan to dry!! That really works - and fast! Looks funny going back and forth, but it works.

That reminds me of a delightful scene from the movie Uncle Buck starring John Candy. He's staying at his sister's place to look after the children and cannot figure out how to work the clothes dryer. At one point, he has an oscillating fan, a hair dryer and a ceiling fan going at once, all laden with clothes, while cheesy game-show music plays in the background.

I'll see if I can find it on YouTube.
 

maxeygirls

New Member
Didn't you guys know that this is exactly what hair dryers were made for???? :rofl: Lingerie, panty hose, blouses... you name it, I've dried it with- my trusty hair dryer.


I do that quite often, works wonders when used on jeans but one time I made a huge mistake. Don't blow dry jeans with metal decorations then put them on immediately. The line of little red marks on my leg went away a few days later...
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
I don't iron usually. I know how. Actually did a pleated skirt a couple days ago, but that's another story.

I think (not sure, haven't looked in literally years) I gave my hair dryer to Onyxx.

I canNOT stand wet clothes. I don't think it's Sensory Integration Disorder (SID), I think it's a quirk. I love playing in rain storms, but as soon as I am done - DRY PLEASE. I'm not even fond of wet swim suits. Unless I am submerged.

All my clothes fit perfectly - I don't buy them unless they are comfortable. So while they may not be very tight, I'm good.

Hmm, maybe it IS mild Sensory Integration Disorder (SID)... 'Cause wet clothes ain't comfy.
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
O come on!

Yes, it's cold and wet--but they dry super-fast, wrinle-free and fit perfectly. So worth it!

It's not the coldness or the wetness specifically, but how they interact with my Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) that's the problem.

For example: I have painfully dry skin, and I'm supposed to put on lotion every day. But the lotion is cold and wet and icky, which (conversely) causes me to feel a horrible burning sensation, which makes me jump around and flap wildly for the 10-or-so minutes it takes for the lotion to absorb into my skin.

I'm okay in the shower as long as I stay under the water, but if the water starts to dry on me, I get the most horrible creepy sensation that makes me want to crawl out of my skin and turn myself inside out.

Can NOT put on damp clothes. Just can't do it.
 
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