If it isn't broke don't wash it!

[alan_m]

The curtains in a little used room look a bit dirty as they have been hanging behind the window for around 10 years. They could do with a wash.

Some of the plastic hooks snap when removing the curtain from the metal track. No problem, spares are available on Ebay for this discontinued model of track.

Curtain doesn't survive a gentle machine wash - the fibres have probably been degraded by sunlight and after the wash parts of the material seems to have the strength of tissue paper.

New curtain purchased.

On attempting to hang the new curtain one of the plastic fixings holding the metal track to the wall snaps. On further investigation another two of the fixings are brittle and easily snapped.

Again, spares are available on Ebay.

Curtain now up but the 3rd party spares are just that fraction smaller than the originals and were a PITA to attach to the rail.

A quick wash of the curtains has probably taken 3 hours and cost the best part of £70.

[Brian Gaff]

Been there I'm afraid. It is interesting to note that a pro job Swish installation with an aluminium track had the fixings all snap but an el cheapo plastic one from Woollies which predated it had no such issues at all. I suppose it is all down to the choice of plastic and how well it was manufactured. Brian

[tabbypurr]

You missed the best bit. I once washed velvet curtains only to discover som eone had made them from craft velvet. That means ALL the pile falls off whe n wet. It clogged the pipework. Now, the full range of chemicals had no eff ect on the synthetic pile, and rodding was also useless. The rod went effor tlessly through the plug of muck, which instantly resealed itself as the ro d withdrew. Time after time. The only solution was to take the pipework apa rt section by section.

Yes, you'll have guessed it, it was all solvent welded. And of course it wa s buried behind a whole range of different stuff, much attached permanently , the rest just totally awkward to move & reassemble.

Can we put what you wrote on wiki?

NT

[bert]

In article , alan_m writes

That's why I never wash my Land Rover Defender.

[Cursitor Doom]

I've heard it said that a wipe over with an oily rag keeps a Landy as shiny as new. Is that the secret, Bert?

[dennis]

You fill the sheep dip with WD40 and drive through it weekly. You need the optional snorkel to do it properly.

[bert]

I tell the car-wash blokes at Sainsburys it's self cleaning.

[bert]

Waxoil. Fill the dip with Waxoil

[dennis]

Do you think an old defender would get through a sheep dip full of waxoil?

[bert]

Maybe, maybe not. But it wouldn't fall apart with rust:-)

[Bob Eager]

*Waxoyl. Lovely stuff.

[Chris J Dixon]

My most frustrating plumbing encounter was a couple of houses (and about 40 years) ago, but still memorable. I replaced a pair of pillar taps for the inset kitchen sink, which were mounted in holes drilled in the worktop.

When I bought them I was also sold a pair of adaptors.

The initial problem was that the thread on the new taps was too short to project right through the worktop. As the pre-formed worktop turned out to have ply on top of chipboard, I simply (!) chipped away the lower chipboard layer from beneath, to produce a counterbore. This was not fun, but achieved the objective.

Then all I had to do was manage to get all the joints leak free, the taps pointing in the right direction and firmly secured. This took quite a few attempts, with much to-ing and fro-ing to the stop taps.

It was only when I next washed up, with kitchen bowl in place, that I realised I had never actually considered the projection of the spout, relative to the mounting hole. The nice tight jet of water was aimed straight at the edge of the bowl, and I was drenched.

Pragmatism ruled - I just pared off the rim of the bowl, and all was well. A similar mod was done to any replacement.

Chris

[Huge]

Smells nice, gives you soft hands.

[tabbypurr]

someone had made them from craft velvet. That means ALL the pile falls off when wet. It clogged the pipework. Now, the full range of chemicals had no effect on the synthetic pile, and rodding was also useless. The rod went ef fortlessly through the plug of muck, which instantly resealed itself as the rod withdrew. Time after time. The only solution was to take the pipework apart section by section.

was buried behind a whole range of different stuff, much attached permanen tly, the rest just totally awkward to move & reassemble.

Lol! DIY was so much harder then.

NT