# Death By Washing Machine! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 8, 2001, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-washing-machine/53703 "2001-02-08T22:53:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-washing-machine/53703/1 "2001-02-08T22:53:39Z")
- - - So I’m doing the laundry, and I go to put he stuff in the washer, and there’s a bunch of warnings about using both the washer and the dryer. One goes something like “Do not attempt to dry clothing items which have flammable liquids,blah,blah,fire hazard,blah,blah, gasoline, kerosene, , _incuding cooking oils_.” - The fact that Crisco will burn I already knew. I wouldn’t have thought that it would explode in a dryer though, especially after it’s been through the washer first, but I suppose Goober and Luella out in Dogpatch might for some reason skip that step, since the warning didn’t mention it. I have to admit I have never heard of this. How often does this happen? How often do people blow up their clothes dryers with cooking oil? - MC ---
**Author:** ![likearock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a4c791/32.png) [@likearock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/likearock)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-washing-machine/53703/2 "2001-02-08T23:14:03Z")
That warning is a tag put on by lawyers. After washing there does remain an amount of cooking oil, that can catch fire. The real danger is in the use of solevents (ie. mineral spirits, gasoline, etc.), which will vaporize, and especially in gas powered dryers, EXPLODE. ---
**Author:** ![Arjuna34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Arjuna34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arjuna34)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-washing-machine/53703/3 "2001-02-08T23:20:22Z")
I could see Goober and Luella accidently spilling an entire bottle of cooking oil on a shirt, then deciding to just throw it in the dryer to dry it out- after all, oil’s not dirty, so no need to wash it first, right?? :rolleyes: They’d probably decide to throw in a load of the ubiquitous “oily rags” at the same time, just to fill out the load 😉 Arjuna34 ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-washing-machine/53703/4 "2001-02-09T02:28:05Z")
IIRC this guy tryed to shove 2 loads in a washing machine. Since it didn’t fit, he stood on top and stomped it down to fit - accidently hitting the start button AND getting his feet stuck. He dies when the washer started the spin cycle which just tossed him around. Don’t knoww if it is true, but I thought this is what this thread was about. Also that safty switch that prevents the spin cycle if the lid is open is frequently bypassed if it breaks - so it is possible 😉 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-washing-machine/53703/5 "2001-02-09T02:33:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by k2dave \* > \*\*IIRC this guy tryed to shove 2 loads in a washing machine. Since it didn’t fit, he stood on top and stomped it down to fit - accidently hitting the start button AND getting his feet stuck. He dies when the washer started the spin cycle which just tossed him around. > > Don’t know if it is true, but I thought this is what this thread was about. > > Also that safty switch that prevents the spin cycle if the lid is open is frequently bypassed if it breaks - so it is possible 😉 \*\* No no… the full story is that Bigfoot came in humming 'Ode to Joy" and saved him before the spin cycle began. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-washing-machine/53703/6 "2001-02-09T03:04:39Z")
Indeed, thank god for Sasquatch. That poor man was about to become Agitated. 😛 Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![dragonlady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@dragonlady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragonlady)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-washing-machine/53703/7 "2001-02-09T04:21:19Z")
I actually saw a death certificate that listed the cause of death as “fell into automatic washing machine while intoxicated and drowned”. How embarrassing! ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-washing-machine/53703/8 "2001-02-09T09:49:41Z")
“And the Welsh nomination for this years Darwin award is…” [http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/wales/newsid\_1097000/1097737.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/wales/newsid_1097000/1097737.stm) ---
**Author:** ![activgurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@activgurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/activgurl)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-by-washing-machine/53703/9 "2001-02-09T09:56:53Z")
Actually, oils are a greater hazard than ordinarily believed. The local agriculture agent in my area publishes a weekly column in the paper. One column dealt with the fact that his wife had washed the kitchen dishrags in the laundry. The cooking oils did not wash out completely. They were thrown into the dryer, without problem. Once they had been removed into a basket, however, the family noticed an odd smell in the house. As the dishrags sat wadded up in the basket, the heat built up & melted the side out of the basket. He stated he could feel the heat as he carried it out of the house.