My Wife Destroyed Our Dryer

I was taught that the Washer checks pockets and gets to keep what is found (money, ipods, etc...)

This is a tough one, I think it's more of a fair ask to check pockets individually before clothes go into the dirty wash basket because then everyone is responsible for themselves (except children, they never remember) BUT I think everyone is guilty of leaving stuff accidentally in their pockets. My solution is to not check everyones pockets, purely because it's a pain, but a shake clothes and if I detect a jingle, feel odd weight or spot a bulging pocket that could be concealing a tissue, then I check that pocket.

Eh it comes down to, if you know she doesn't check then it doesn't matter on policy. Either you take over the laundry or you empty your pockets.

I always check the pockets before putting laundry in machine/dryer. One day I found $80 in hubbys pants, if he had emptied his pockets he would have had it but he didnt so it was mine ;)

I have 3 kids. I completely agree with you 'Daddy F' .. it's crazy not to check pockets when loading the washer. From 5-35 we ALL do it at sometime or another. I check pockets JUST to keep this from happening, or melted crayon to end up on everything else. Not checking pockets is equal to not giving a crap enough to separate whites & colors. What happens when you don't pay attention and throw in something colored with your whites..? Basic laundry skills 101 folks. Takes 2 seconds per article to shake while tossing 'em in.

For your dryer story: We had a cat that would catch gophers (or snakes) and leave the un-eaten parts by the kitchen door. My brother (4 or 5 at the time) would stash these treasures into the pockets of his jeans. After the first time, my mother would no longer stick her hands into his pockets, but rather turn them out over the toilet ... not always to a good end! :-)

As the one the does the laundry in my household I DO check pockets before anything that has pockets goes into the washer. Yes it would be nice if pockets were emptied before they went into the washer but lets get real people... most of the time they don't. I'm with you on this Daddy Fishkins!

Its YOUR pockets. U clean them out. I agree with her. I find it hard to believe u couldnt feel those huge nails.

Sorry dude, I'm with your wife on this one.

I actually check at the hamper and washer haha... I guess it's my own paranoia. Plus, I don't own the washer and dryer so I'd rather keep them in as best condition as possible. Anyway, a friend of mine has been trying to get her husband and kids to check pockets of clothes before throwing them in their dirty clothes piles. She does, however, also check the pockets before throwing clothes into the washer, and every time, she finds stuff in their pockets - cash, hair ties, pens, lip gloss.. you name it. So she made a rule: anything she finds in pockets is hers - the classic "finders-keeprs" rule. Husband loses cash, kids lose their stuff, and she has a washer and dryer (and clothes) in good condition, and sometimes extra money haha.. Something like this could be a win-win for both of you. Just figured I'd throw that out there for you... just a story to share. Good luck with the dryer!

You are wrong and she is right!!!

My husband was furious with me when I washed his wallet. I told him, just as my Mama would tell me, " You are big enough, old enough and ugly enough to check your own pockets."

haha you hit a hot button issue! sorry, with your wife here. you check for the kids but any grown up should check their own before they take off their clothes. its just a habit. of course the laundry person can do double duty and double ck but that's extra

I used to be like your wife. Too busy to check pockets and didn't really have time to obsess over whether or not there is something in there that will get ruined. However, I like nice clean laundry and sometimes my children and fiancée will leave crayons, Chapstick, and paper in their pockets that causes my clothes to get ruined. So in the interest of self-clothes preservation I now check pockets. But I dont feel like it's my responsibility as the laundress to do so.

In our house each person is responsible for checking their own pockets before they put their clothes in the hamper/basket. The person doing the laundry re-checks the pockets of the kids laundry because they are not always great at it even though they are teenagers. We have washed electronics and gum before :( We also have a toilet seat rule that EVERYONE puts the seat and lid down EVERY TIME so that we don't have to have an argument over guys vs girls having to change something. Everyone has to at least lift the lid when they go in. Seat up/seat down problem solved!

I haven't been following for very long but if I understand correctly, aren't you a stay at home dad? I don't mean to offend but I don't understand why she is doing laundry in the first place. I'm currently a stay at home mom and I handle the house duties and children on my own but when I go back to work my husband and I share the duties (with the only exception being that the poor guy doesn't know how to fry an egg... or even boil noodles, for that matter). As far as your wife goes, my take is that you should pick your battles wisely in order to maintain a long and happy marriage. This is not a fight worth having. Get into a good habit of checking your own pockets. Team efforts work great to make life easier on her. Apologize and maybe do something extra special to make up for blasting her on your blog :-D

Check your own effing pockets. End of story. And buy her flowers for blaming her. :)

If your the stay at home dad aren't you doing the laundry? I mean that is something that would be included in being the stay at home parents. Also she is right. Your old enough to check them on your own. I mean you leave your wallet in your pockets right? So you take that out you so why not take it all out. Also everything in the dryer was most likely from you. So because of lack of taking your items out of your pants your item broke the dryer =)

This is sooooo interesting! Grown people getting jacked up about someone else's pocket-checking habits! I can say that I do most of the laundry and I never check and things have been ruined and I have bitched at my husband. I can honestly say that he never bitches back and only when I read your entry did I see the other perspective. Yeah its a pain in the ass to check everything but should only add a few extra seconds and if it will save my favorite shirt it does seem worth it, cuz here's what, I'm human and I have forgotten a chapstick or two in my time. So...the goal is to check before you remove but double-check at the washer. I may even make a few bucks!

Sorry, Dude. Gotta side with the wife on this one. I'll check my little kids' pockets, but somewhere around the age of 10 and up, they're on their own. That goes for socks, too. Big kids and adults put a dime in a jar for every sock left inside out (I'm a big contributor to this fund. When I get done with my workout, I just rip my clothes off and get in the shower soon as I can. I'm notorious for leaving my socks inside out). Then we use that money to get ice cream cones on a summer night or a rainy-day Redbox rental. It takes about five to ten seconds for my husband to remove all the crap he has to bring to work with him (flashlight, pocket knife, keys, pens, phone, Bluetooth, wallet...). Five seconds (1 pizza box, 2 pizza box...) And boom, he's done. But for me to go through EVERYONE'S pockets of every pant, short, and/or shirt takes obnoxiously longer. For every load. It really is your responsibility.

Got to take the wife's side on this one :)

I check pockets in the laundry room and I still end up washing things! (Car keys, swipe passes, bank cards..) Husband usually checks his pockets before tossing his laundry in the hampers but people forget these things. It sucks that your dryer is busted :( I personally would more than likely, react the same way your wife did (seeing as I am the most hard headed person my husband has ever met) but I would say it was a 50/50 split on the matter...you didn't check the pockets, she didn't check the pockets, no one checked the pockets, no one is totally blame I suppose (makes things a wee bit easier too...wife wise anyways) :) Good luck!

Dude - you just compared yourself to a 4 year old. And your excuse is that you worked hard all day and are tired and forgot. Well what do you think is going on while someone does the job of washing your clothes? You think maybe she's tired and doesn't want to add a step in the never ending cycle of doing the laundry? Call her hard headed and stubborn, but don't be offended if you are called lazy and thoughtless.

Shouldn't have to check another grown adults pockets. As for the kids, sure.. But come on! Saying you will hang a clothes line to try to teach her seems a bit disrespectful!

Nope, totally the wearer's responsibility. We washer women will not be held responsible for the washed iphones, ipods, wallets, business cards and screws. NOPE..... (hangs head) I'll show myself out.

I think this has more to do with deflecting blame. She can't remember to check the pockets, cant make it a priority--whatever-- and ultimately can't deal with the responsibility for that so it's all EVERYONE ELSE'S fault. Classic deflection....

Sorry to say, your wife didn't break it, you did. Anyone over the age of about 7 should be able to check their pockets before throwing their dirty laundry in the hamper. I don't check pockets (unless I hear a rattle), and I don't turn clothes right-side out. I shouldn't have to.

I do the Laundry and if I the wife remembers to check her own pockets before throwing things in the wash....then I should say anyone over the age of 6 can as well. If you have pockets get a old ash try and put it near where you most change your clothes put the contents of your pockets in that ashtray. No excuses, it takes more time for one person to check all pockets than it wld take the individual wearing the item to check & empty their pockets. If you the male were asked to fix let's say a light fixture in a closet and the person didn't clean things up for you so you could attend to said fixture, instead you had to waste 30 min. Clearing a pathway to get to the light fixture you wouldn't be happy!! #SheIsRight!!!!

I agree with your wife and you are just herd headed for leaving the checking of your pockets up to her. Now if she checked your pockets checking to see if you were having an affair or got any numbers she would be wrong. This only tells me that your wife trusts you...and part of that trust is thinking you are grown enough to remove things from your pockets that do not belong. I bet she keeps the money you leave though. She is not that hard headed...lol!

I agree with you fishkins, and heres why. Im an electrician. Screws staples drill bits and other electrical related items end up in my pockets. My wife has put countless holes in everuones clothes due to not checking pockets. She even washed one of my paychecks. Yes I went an entire week broke because someone couldnt check pockets. You want to know the funny part? My wife has washed several things from her own pockets. It is the person doing the laundry who is responsible because they were the last person to deal with the clothes. When I do laundry, I check pockets because my mom even taught me this simple rule. Laundry isnt hard to do, check the damn pockets

learn how to do the wash yourself - my husband helps with the laundry all the time. You are never to old to learn. Then you have control and you can always be right. It's a man thing I am sure.

I agree with your wife. Check clothes and stick them in the pile then. 9 times out of 10 small man won't go rooting through the dirty clothes

I never check pockets anymore, I would think at 50 years old my husband can check his own pockets. I do check the kids pockets though, usually for change they find around the house. I've been right in every argument for the last 26 1/2 years, and the sooner my husband realizes this our marriage will improve by leaps and bounds:)