Scrapbook Saturday: The Mysterious Inner-Workings of the Dryer

My darling love gave me a beautiful ring a few weeks ago.  Not expensive, but with its pink stone and silver setting, very "me". I love it.



Pay no attention to the mess, please.

 Shortly after receiving this ring, I was doing laundry.  As I went to remove the lint filter, the trap door on top of the filter casing fell back at the exact moment that I pulled outward with some zest, and the door edge caught my ring and the pink stone was dislodged and fell down the lint filter chute.

I cried. 

My darling love came down and pulled the lint filter out s-l-o-w-l-y and found the gem.  He put it back in my ring because he's just that fabulous guy who can do anything.

A few weeks went by.  On Wednesday, silly fool that I am, I was doing laundry again.  I have been very careful since this happened, but apparently my brain turned off.  It happened again!

I didn't cry this time.  Now I'm really mad at myself.

I spent over 4 hours Thursday in pursuit of this little gem (I tried my darling love's tactic right away, of course, but it didn't result in me finding it).

I pulled the back off of the dryer and also pulled out the housing or chute the lint filter goes down into:

I pulled up the top and loosened the drum to check all the cracks:

I pulled off the front and found a bunch of cash, but no little pink gem:

You wouldn't believe how much lint and dirt is in the back and bottom of your dryer, and also just laying in the bottom of the vent hose thingy that goes outside.

I saved all my dirt so I can sift through it again.  Here's everything I cleaned up, swept up, and vacuumed up from inside, in front of, behind, underneath and beside my dryer:

Now you know what I'll be doing today.

I can confirm that there is no place in the dryer where socks get to.  I have seen every nook and cranny in the dryer, and there are no secret sock places!



I'm curious about what you have lost in the dryer.  Post in the comments and let me know, and wish me success in finding my lost pink gemstone!