I've got a bit of dilemma: I ran my gun cleaning rags through the wife's washing machine. Now, the washing machine smells like gun cleaning fluids. I don't think it smells all that bad, but the wife is livid and on the war path over the residual odor.

To eliminate the smell, we have:

1) Ran the washing machine through a couple of heavy duty cleaning cycles, empty, with the usual laundry detergent and bleach.
2) Did #1 with a couple of old blue jeans to improve the mechanical cleaning action.
3) Did #1 with baking soda and bleach.
4) Did #1 with dish washing liquid.
5) Ran the washer on the sanitize cycle.
6) Manually scrubbed the drum with concentrated citrus oil degreaser.

My thought is that some of the gun cleaning solvent penetrated into the rubber gaskets, and is now slowly outgassing, and things will eventually be fine.

In the mean time, anyone got any suggestions on how to get rid of the smell?

Dawn mixed with baking soda..This might take a few times. Use a few drops of Dawn

Geeez dude......

I know. I know.

I've done this in the past with different washing machines, and never had a problem. Not this time, though.

My wife recommends pouring a gallon of white vinegar, with some Dawn dish soap (maybe 1/4 cup), and run thru a wash cycle. Vinegar is her cure for almost anything! It may not work....but it may! memtb

Ditto . Vinegar and dawn

Tell your old lady it will be ok.

A few tsps of salt and a large bottle of Hoppe 9

I'd try spraying the drum down with a water/dish soap mix, wiping it down, and leaving the washer door open. Repeat this for a few days and see how it does.

Or tell her if she washes her panties in Hoppes #9 she might get lucky.

You done messed up A-Aron.

As with most women, just tell her she is over reacting and to just calm down and everything will be okay... I'm sure she will be calm as a kitten in no time.....

You have packed your things and made other living arrangements, right?

Try washing some loads w Fast Orange Laundry detergent.

LMAO!

A good stout mix of H4831 and Tannerite should clean things up..

Maybe 20 Mule Team Borax

A diamond necklace with matching earrings might be easier and cheaper.

After you buy her a new washing machine make sure to hook the old one up out in your garage or shed to avoid repeat occurrence.

WTF was a guy doing his own laundry for, in the first place?.....

Or just nab a few towels from the motel you'll be staying in for the next few days.

This thread just made my whole night..........

JB bore paste, gentle cycle.

Spray another room with Hoppes 9 - that'll take her mind of the washing machine

Trade for new wife, preferably one without a sense of smell.


Or use ballistol...when she gets a whiff of that you won't have any qualms about trading her.

All you guys that are so IN CHARGE in your castle will eventually learn: IF MOM AIN'T HAPPY, THEN NO ONE IS HAPPY

I did something similar ONCE using the oven

This would be my next attempt

Just saw this in the classifieds....I reckon he didn't follow this thread.

Wait, that's not how you guys clean your rifles?

Reminds me of this old ad....

Wash some jeans with a can of coke.

There's a product at the supermarket called "Affresh".

My son had a medical emergency a couple of years ago while he was 3 hours away in college. I had a load of towels in the washing machine that stayed in there for a week. It really stunk. The Affresh took care of it when the Clorox failed.


Dan

Borax and some of the odor eliminating soap for hunters or "It's a Miracle" pet deodorizer has worked for me. A mix of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide worked on the dog when he got skunked might work for solvents. Leave it open to air out and use some of that god awful Fabreeze and your wife might think Hoppes is preferable.

What happened to oxi clean ? Oh wait, he started making (his partner as the first guy died) the chit (flex seal) that lets you have a screen door on the Jon boat hull!

Crisis has passed. Two runs with a gallon of vinegar removed enough of the smell that Mrs. Shinbone has declared the washing machine “just barely useable”. Whew!

One cup Borax and one cup baking soda are all I ever use, to clean the machine and for a load of clothes. If your machine is front load, take out the bleach and fabric softener cup first. If you want to throw in some scent neutralizing hunter's body wash, it won't hurt. Gotta be careful with that stuff, she once asked, "What if I sprayed the inside of your gun safe with Windex?" Point well taken.

...but not forgotten.

Good to hear that “crisis averted”! I’ll pass on to the wife that “her” vinegar idea helped! For her vinegar is the answer from “hang nails to terminal brain cancer”! Hell......most of the time, she’s right! memtb

I thought this thread might start a bore cleaner and gun lube argument.

I think I would try a health dose of Simple Green and let it sit on the soak cycle for a while and then run another cycle after with baking soda.

Apple cider vinegar in water. My wifey would haves chewed me a new ass.