The Scary Washing Machine

Posted by Miss Cellania in Funny, Home & Garden on June 20, 2009 at 5:57 am


Someone gave Mike Whittaker and his wife an old washing machine, saying it was “a bit noisey”. That turned out to be an understatement.


As the last bit of water was pumped out and it clicked into gear I immediately knew there was something strange a foot. The rumble was too low, almost subaudible but it had a clatter in it’s note that said ‘You’re going to regret living with me’. And it was right.
The temperature started to drop in the room, white frosty steam started appearing in my breath, the light bulbs dimmed, flickering as they dulled, and then it hit. Full force, completely out of no-where like a freight train roaring through an empty station at full speed in the night, while you stand at the platform clutching at your belongings as the wind roars and the scraping heavy steel monster goes hurtling past in front of you at 100mph. The difference though between a freight train and the washing machine is that in a matter of seconds the train has passed and you are back sitting in silence with your beating heart. With the washing machine it’s relentless. You have nowhere to hide, the sound will find you and bash on your skull with an aluminium frypan and snatch the words away from your mouth as you yell out for help.
I got used to sitting outside on my doorstep a lot that year. It was a concrete house and the walls were thick. Outside you could still hear the machine smashing away inside like a rock drill and but least it took away the frypan on the head element.

Whittaker also describes the time the washing machine vibrated so badly that a porthole portal to another dimension opened above it. He put the washing machine up for sale on the New Zealand auction site TradeMe with a reserve of $1. After intense bidding and over 800,000 views, the machine sold for $5,160. The retail chain that bought it may take it on tour. Link to website. Link to news story. -via Digg


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COMMENT

11 comments to "The Scary Washing Machine"

  1. ted
    June 20th, 2009 at 7:06 am

    noisey?

    Come on.

  2. ted
    June 20th, 2009 at 7:07 am

    Porthole?

    Come on...

  3. Miss Cellania
    June 20th, 2009 at 7:08 am

    I first typed "noisy" then I realized I was quoting, so I changed it to the way the quoted source spelled it.

  4. Amanda Fukinthebutt
    June 20th, 2009 at 10:12 am

    Is the another dimension a ship? Otherwise it might have been a portal.

  5. whitcwa
    June 20th, 2009 at 10:33 am

    "something strange was a foot" I've got two of them.

    No-where and nowhere in the same paragraph? Is this British english? I noticed the aluminium. Cast iron or steel would prevent any screaming for help.

  6. Kalel
    June 20th, 2009 at 11:51 am

    I once had a wash machine that would chase after me until it was straining against its hoses like a mad pit bull on a chain.

  7. Skipweasel
    June 20th, 2009 at 11:55 am

    We lived very near Heathrow a few years ago. Because the house was so small we kept the washing machine outdoors in a hutch. When the bearings died you could hear it even over Concorde passing overhead.
    I resolved never to buy another Indesit - when I took it apart to replace the bearings I found the plastic drum was glued shut so it had to be thrown away.

  8. strangepork
    June 20th, 2009 at 1:15 pm

    I would live to hear an experimental/noise album based on this beast!

  9. DaveL
    June 20th, 2009 at 5:06 pm

    Vacuum cleaners are far scarier...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrB01AVlWEU

  10. Andrea-Ja
    June 21st, 2009 at 4:00 pm

    You can even follow MikeW on Facebook now, with updates on the charity money made from the t-shirts.

  11. Benno
    June 21st, 2009 at 10:37 pm

    Sounds like they left the transport bolts in place. I bought a new front loader and when we tried it the first time it "walked" about three feet before it shut itself down (spin cycle) It made a hellish noise too! I was doubly scared because I thought that I'd bought a dud machine. I then read the manual and found the transport bolts that secure the drum mechanism while the machine is being shipped. Took them out and presto! One excellent machine.


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