OK, I think of myself as a rather clean person. I keep my home clean, and I am nearly obsessive-compulsive about keeping my clothes clean.
Recently, I noticed that I could remove the cap to the fabric softener dispenser on my washing machine. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that I was horrified at what I saw. I have been using this particular washing machine for about 4 years but didn't realize I could clean the dispenser. What I found was literally an inch of the most disgusting black, gooey gunk I've ever seen in my life. Residue from the fabric softener had accumulated and clung to the dispenser.
I had to take a steam blaster and an old case knife to remove the debris that had been left behind. The process took me about an hour.
The most distressing aspect is that I realized that the residue was going into the laundry every time I used the dispenser. I prefer liquid fabric softener over dryer sheets, but I'm not sure I'll ever use that fabric softener dispenser again!