I wanted to take a moment to urge you to remind your readers of the importance of having a fire extinguisher in their home, and to NEVER leave the house with an appliance of any sort running.

Earlier this week on my day off, I was on my second load of laundry when, from the kitchen, I heard an odd noise from the laundry room. When I went into the hallway I could see flames under the washing machine! I went directly to the garage steps, where we keep a large fire extinguisher, grabbed the phone on my way back to the laundry closet, and called 911 while emptying the extinguisher under the machine (after unplugging it!).

Grabbing the pets, I went to the garage, turned off the main breaker (important!), tossed the cat and dog in the car and pulled across the road to the neighbors so they would be safe. Thankfully when the fire department arrived there was only a very stinky somewhat smokey house and a big mess of fire extinguisher gunk and spilled laundry soap, no real damage! The motor on my machine had locked up, overheated, and caught fire! We have all been taught to be cautious of our dryers, but I never dreamed of the washer having such a malfunction. I will never leave my washer running while out of the house or sleeping again. I hate to think what could have happened if I had been outdoors or in the shower.

Please, please, please, keep a fire extinguisher in your home at all times, know how to use it, never leave large appliances running, and have your washer and dryer serviced and cleaned regularly.

Feeling VERY blessed,
Missouri Mom

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FlyLady here: A few years ago our home was hit by lightning. Robert emptied our basement extinguisher on the area where the smoke was coming from. We had a plan, I called 911, Michele got the dogs to the car as I got the cats out of the house.

We keep a fire extinguisher on each floor, in our kitchen and under our kitchen sink. Each year on the anniversary of our fire, we check the expiration date on our extinguishers. If they need replacing I get them ordered immediately.

Our extinguishers and a plan helped to save our home, our critters and our lives. Do you have a plan? Go read the directions for how to use your extinguisher.

When was the last time you cleaned the lint from your dryer vent. We never expect a washer to catch on fire but a dryer causes many fires each year. We can help you protect your family with our routines and Dryer Link Kit.

Do you have a Dryer Lint Kit story to share? We’d love to hear it! Send it to us at FlyLady@FlyLady.net with “Dryer Lint Kit” in the subject line. Your story could be next!