Awwwwwwwwwwwww, GROSS OUT! Have you ever inspected the inside of your washing machine? If not, now you'll want to do one of two things: 1. Look and find out how disgusting it is in there. Detergent may clean your clothes, but it sure can leave behind a filmy, goopy residue. Unless that's not detergent that I saw. It could be liquid fabric softner from the previous owners, and that's just GROSS. It's gross in itself. (That brings up a whole other point which I'll share with you later.) It's bad enough when the grossness is generated by you, but it's like 100 times worse when it's someone else's nast (as in nastiness). 2. Just don't look too closely in there. You can look at the drum (where your clothes sit). But just don't move that thing around and definitely don't push the drum to the side and look at the lip. Now for the whole other point that I promised. We bought the house three years ago and asked for the appliances. We were young and dumb. And pretty much poor since we were buying our first house. Here's what I suggest to you. Make them take EVERYTHING. And here's why... you can buy your own brand new nice appliances. Stuff you chose for yourself. But also, and here's the sticking point. They have to take out their stuff and then guess what's there? Behind their appliances? You got it. NAST. Someone else's. Which is what? Yes! GROSSSSS. With any luck, they'll clean up behind themselves and then you'll have a clean start instead of always wondering what lurking. I said how long ago we bought the house because I remember cleaning the washing machine when we moved in. And thinking it was kind of dumb that we asked for the appliances. Ah, the things first-time homebuyers do. Well, whatever. We did it. Anyway, so I remember cleaning the machine before. But the fabric softner cup confounded me. How the hell do you clean that thing? We never use liquid fabric softner (and now we never, ever, EVER will). My cousin told me to put it in the dishwasher. But I'm thinking.... WITH MY DISHES? Uh. No. Plus, there's the issue of the piece that won't come out. It's all gunky. ICK. I guess I gave up. Which is why we're having this discussion right now. I have gagged about 50 times today. Because, and this is gross, but I'm just going to tell you. I took an old spoon, wrapped a wet shop towel around it and scooped out the gunk. It smelled SO BAD. GAG. Now I'm running the machine with a cycle of bleach water. Take that, nast! I'll triumph one way or another. Now, remember boys and girls, buy your own washing machine, dryer and refridgerator when you buy a home. Just trust me on this. And even though I don't prefer to use credit for this stuff, this would be a really good excuse to use it. I wish we had. But then, I wouldn't have this lovely story to share.