Wash with Wally: Dealing with Dirty Quarters

By Wally Makowsky | Feb 15, 2010

I cleaned out my drain lines and to my surprise I had retrieved a five-gallon bucket full of coins. The only problem is that the bank won’t accept the coins unless I can clean off all of the crud that has accumulated on them. How can I get that off?

Sometimes it’s very difficult. A lot depends on how long the coins were in your drain line and how much deposit was on them.

You can start by going to a restaurant supply distributor and purchasing a gallon of a product that most restaurants use to remove the scale and lime that collects in their automatic dishwashers. Most suppliers call this product a “descaler” or a “delimer.” It’s an acid-based product, so be very careful to follow the safety instructions.

The cleaning process will require soaking the coins, agitating them and then rinsing them. You definitely have to soak them overnight. As for the agitating, it will depend on how many you have; one laundry owner I know had so many coins that he used a portable cement mixer.

Above all, the object is to get the solids off of the coins so that they can go through your bank’s coin counter. Therefore, don’t worry about any discoloration to the coins that may occur.

We have received some complaints about mold and mildew odors in the wash drums of our frontloaders, as well as in the soap dispensing areas. What is causing this problem and what can be done about it?

You either have standing water in your drain pipes or your vent pipes are clogged with lint or debris. My advice is to have your lines rodded out and your vent pipes rodded from the roof down. This will surely break up whatever is clogging your vents.

If the pitch of your drain pipes is correct, the water should flow freely, if it’s not clogged. The stale air should go up the vent pipes and not back into your washers or your soap dispensers.

After this drain-cleaning procedure is complete, use chlorine bleach to kill the mold and mildew. Put 10 ounces of chlorine bleach into each end washer and run a wash cycle with hot water; this will help to neutralize the odor after the rodding.

Can I use regular oven cleaner to clean my dryer baskets and drums?

No, I wouldn’t recommend that. Oven cleaners are made to clean mostly oil, grease and carbon stains, which are not the most common stains you will find in a dryer. Common dryer stains are scorch marks from overheated synthetic fabrics, as well as ink, crayon, rubber and adhesive stains.

One word of caution: Be careful what you use when cleaning your dryers. Some chemicals have very low flash points, and you could cause a fire or explosion. Gases can accumulate in your ductwork or may be captured in the lint around your dryers. Also, some chemicals are toxic and some are corrosive, especially when exposed to heat. My suggestion is to use a synthetic Brillo pad, a good all-purpose cleaner, a wire brush and/or a scraper.

I own a laundry in Jerusalem, Israel. And, recently, one of our customers returned a white shirt that apparently got a rust stain on it. After taking apart the machine, it seems that some metal shards were stopped by the water valve screen, rusted there, and apparently left spots on the shirt. I found no other explanation for it.

The brownish/tannish spots are about a half-inch in diameter. Do you have any ideas how to remove them?

It’s a pleasure to hear from our friends in Israel. Unfortunately, I’m not sure what’s available on the retail market in your country. In the United States, there is a product called Rust Stain Remover, which is made by Whink Products. It does a great job on rust stains.

Another option is to contact a laundry or drycleaning supplier – either one should carry an effective rust remover.

If that is not available to you, go to a hardware store or paint supply shop and ask if they have anything available that contains hydrofluoric acid, which is the active ingredient in rust removers. These types of stores often carry a variety of quality cleaning solutions.