Fast forward to today. There were probably at least 5 loads of laundry that went through our machine yesterday. Today I started early with the boys' sheets. I noticed that the washer was taking forever to get done and it kept switching over to pause and then finally just turning off and not draining or spinning. We've only had our washer/dryer set for 10 months so I called the appliance store and they were literally here in under 2 hours (go, them!). He figured out right away that the draining was the problem, and said it was probably the drain pump. Not an easy fix. He also said that sometimes kids' socks will get stuck in the pump's basket and once you pull that out it functions fine so we'll hope for that (although THAT'S not covered by warranty, sigh). He pulled it apart and there was something stuck in there...I'm guessing you can guess what it was...
Yes, a stupid Purex 3-in-1 sheet plugging it up! Aauuugh! He showed me where things can slip between the seal and the machine, right down into the pump and sure enough, those things are just thin enough to do just that. He said this isn't the first time he's seen one of those stuck, either, and it will probably cost us more than the $40.60 I "made".
SO! Do not use those if you have a front loader. He actually told me to just stick it in a mesh laundry bag with socks or something and then I'd still be able to use them all up so I don't have to just throw them away - brilliant! But I'd like to save you from a repair bill if you're thinking of using them.
= evil
