Mumsnetters share their stories of the most disastrous things to end up in the wash by mistake with Cushelle

[LucyBMumsnet]

This sponsored discussion is now closed. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories below.

We've all experienced that sinking feeling when you open the washing machine door and realise all is not as it should be, which is why Cushelle have created new Facial Tissues - designed to not fall apart in the wash. Beyond just a rogue tissue, Cushelle want to know - what's accidentally made it into your machine and ruined the whole load?

Here’s what Cushelle has to say: “Cushelle, the irresistibly cushiony soft toilet tissue brand, has launched facial tissues for colds, hay fever and messy kids! Cushelle Facial Tissues are soft, strong and also washing machine resistant, meaning they won’t break up in the wash if accidentally left in a pocket.”

Have you realised a phone or wallet was inside the machine when it was too late because of unemptied pockets? Or maybe you’ve followed cliche and accidentally washed a new red shirt along with the whites, leaving you embracing a new found love for pink? Whether it was some spare change, a felt tip pen, or your monthly train ticket that ended up in your wash, Cushelle want to hear your stories below.

All who share their stories on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky MNer will win a £300 voucher for a store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

money, ipod....important school letters

My little one placed the dogs plastic bowl, full of dog food into the washing machine when I wasn't looking and not realizing this, I turned the washing machine on needless to say both me and the dog were not very happy

The thermostat... I was taking it downstairs on top of the basket of washing, but between the top and the bottom of the house I somehow managed to forget it was there and stuck it in the machine. Caught it spinning around a few minutes later. Unsurprisingly it didn't work after that!

My wedding dress. Yes I washed a wedding dress.

I couldn't find one of my little boys shoes anymore, searched everywhere! I went out and bought new shoes. We got back home and I take the washing out the machine.....and there's the shoe

My cordless landline telephone.
I left it by the radiator and lo and behold a few days later I tried it and it worked.
It was gleaming as well. It was an old scruffy phone. As it was a set of two phones I considered putting the other one in the wash too.
Having decided that was tempting fate I didn't do it. It was a very hard decision though

My H did this, and I'm still cross with him about it 13 years later. Was more stupidity, rather than accidental. He washed our daughter's new white beautiful appliqued snowscene jumper from Monsoon (a gift) with a black velvet party skirt that she had worn with it. On a normal wash programme. They were both completely ruined, and I had to buy a new jumper so the person who gave the gift wouldn't know.

We always check the washer and tumble drier to make sure there's no cat in it - that's my nightmare.

Well, we (and I mean I) managed to wash my other half's passport. He'd just come back from a work trip and hadn't emptied out all of his pockets. Turns out his passport was in his back pocket - one he never usually uses!

Not a big problem, right? Well...we needed his passport to register for our marriage licence the same day we realised his passport had gone through the wash. Luckily, they accepted it soaking-wet (I think they took pity on us!) though he was out of luck for his next work trip the following week, as the passport office refused to do a rush or same day replacement for him as it was just a business trip not a real emergency.

At least he's learnt to empty out his pockets now!

D SiL washed her Cat.

It involved a load of towels sitting in the machine ready to be put on. So Cosy.

Less said about the outcome the better.

I had so many mishaps when washing family laundry starting with tissues left in pockets of black trousers. Can you imagine what was left on black fabric even after wash and wash again?
But the worst was when I washed my daughter's dressing gown with one of caramel chocolate bar. This stuck all over and was so difficult to get rid off. I am a lot more careful now and thoroughly checking pockets if they are empty.

About quarter of a pack of Happy Families cards. After peeling them apart and drying them out, we could still play, but it was very easy to work out who had the White family!

Spent cartridges from clay pigeon shooting and various stones in my sons pocket- I thought the machine was about to explode!

Coronavirus updates:

• Germany: 12 new cases, 50 so far today, 129 total
• Israel: 3 new cases today, 10 total
• Iceland: 1 new case, 2 new cases so far today, 3 total t.co/eUoE2b20hL

I once found a sopping wet and dirty teddy lying on the pavement. Thinking some poor child would be missing teddy I decided to take it home and put it on a wash before advertising it as found.
Turns out the teddy had a hole in it and the foam or whatever it was stuffed with completely clogged up the filter on the machine meaning the water would not pump out.
I had to unclog the filter which sent water and stuffing gushing everywhere , soaking me and two under fives in the process. The (totally unstuffed) bloody teddy went in the bin !

cashmere jumper. shrunk to fit a small two year old.

My husbands passport just before he was due to go on a business trip! I washed and tumbledried it... it was a bit roughed up around the edges but looked ok. I was so worried it wouldn't be accepted now they all have chips in them. Luckily he had no problems!

not the idea of course, but someone way upthread expressed concerns about flushing these.

don't. Unless something is sold as toilet roll it is not flushable. This product seems to be designed not to come apart even in water so is going to be in landfill a long, long time.

but it is MN and we don't care.

A couple of white tissues in with the school uniform (on Sunday night ). which covered the black school trousers, and blue sweatshirts in a peppering of white. - packing tape wrapped around my hand seemed to remove it once dried - but it took an age

When I was much much younger and we'd only just moved in together, I threw my husband's jeans in the wash without checking the pockets. Only found out when I took them out. I'd ruined not only his bank card and a couple of notes, but also all of his work passes and permits, each of which cost about £15 to replace. That was a very expensive mistake!

Phone in a dressing gown pocket! Ouch!

Less expensive but annoying: fluffy jumpers shedding over everything else you’ve washed.

A red blanket died all my DSs bibs pink.

Several!! Including packet of chewing gums, paper often (always have a list or 10 on the go), tissues, and a whole load of wool/cashmere items shrunk once as I hadn't been paying attention to the cycle selection - still miss a certain cardigan to this day.

Concert tickets, the morning of the gig!

A beautiful cashmere jumper that came out teddy bear size

I've washed a nappy, that was unpleasant. I've also changed the colours of many important and expensive things and put a lovely cashmere jumper in the normal washing. The worst is tissues though, all the time there are tissues. No matter how often I bleat at the whole family (and check) there's always a stray tissue to make my heart sink.

Got a new washing machine. the first load of washing went on. Most of a hoodie went into the wash, but not the cord round the neck. That sat stuck in the door and hanging outside. Sadly, for the new washing machine with its extraordinary spin cycle, the hoodie cord clung onto the seal whilst the hoodie went round and round at top speed. A miserable moment when we returned to the machine to discover a trickle of water dribbling from the bottom of the door and a nice gouge out of the bottom of the seal.