Time to Vent: Clothes smell like gas

Update: See my Smell is G-O-N-E gone! post for information on how I got the gas smell out of clothes!!!

Time to VentI feel like I’m in a never-ending battle against my home. First it was CHAOS (which isn’t over yet), not it’s just normal chaos! When I thought I couldn’t handle anymore, life has thrown another thing into my life of chaos! No, not as in my Baby Steps or the FlyLady’s CHAOS, but as in my life…

We have a gas dryer… I LOVE IT! But right now, not so much. On top of our remodel, now my 3-year-old dryer is on the fritz! When I last did laundry I noticed this AWFUL smell when I opened the dryer. My clothes smelled like gas… not the rotten egg natural gas smell, but petroleum gas!!

I took my clothes to the laundromat to re-wash and dry them. The Offspring had some clothes which needed washing, so I put her clothes in with mine… UGH! Now hers smell, too. My clothes needed soaking.

My washer is a front-loader so I can’t “soak” clothes. I wonderful neighbor Ma let me come over and use hers. Well, after soaking almost 1.5 hours, the smell wasn’t gone!!! UGH!!!

When we bought our dryer, we bought a five-year extended warranty… I am VERY GLAD I DID! I called the Home Depot Extended Protection Plan people they referred me to a local repair shop.

Well… the dude came yesterday… turns out this is a rare problem. This is only the SECOND time he’s seen this. It turns out that there are two parts that have to be replaced; the gas valve and igniter. The gas valve isn’t supposed to open except with the igniter is red hot… it’s opening before the igniter is hot enough to light the gas! So we’re smelling un-burnt gas!

The service guy said that he had to order parts… the soonest it will be fixed will be next Wednesday; worst case… THREE WEEKS! 😥 😥 😥

I really really really need a break from my life… any suggestions?
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