Stop mold in front-loading clothes washer with this gasket drying fan

thingiverse

Mold in the clothes washer drum gasket stinks up the laundry room and your clothes. This is particularly a problem in front-loading clothes washers because the drum gaskets at the front door collect a lot of water and can stay wet for days. After searching for an after-market gasket drying kit, I created a simple adapter to attach blower hoses to a surprisingly high-powered 12v computer centrifugal blower (it claims to move about 40 CFM). You will need the following items to make this gasket drying device: A 12v centrifugal fan https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CSNEO2G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 A 12v, one-amp power supply https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0180ASJF4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 A cpap six-foot hose (part #RE-1002356) https://www.medicaleshop.com/respironics-hose-for-cpap-72-x-22mm-each.html Two 1/2-inch CPVC tee fittings https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-1-2-in-CPVC-CTS-Slip-x-Slip-x-Slip-Tee-C4711HD12/100348012 A short segment of one-half-inch CPVC water pipe https://www.homedepot.com/p/Charlotte-Pipe-1-2-in-x-2-ft-CPVC-Water-Supply-Pipe-CTS-12005-0200/203019249 To construct the device: Insert the printed blower-to-hose adapter into the exit opening on the centrifugal fan. Glue two inches or so of CPVC pipe into the middle hole of each CPVC tee fitting. Cut the six-foot cpap hose in half. Push the unattached ends of the CPVC pipe inside the cut ends of the cpap supply hose—it will be a nice snug fit. Finally, push the original attachment ends of the supply hose over the two nipples of the blower-to-hose adapter you printed. To use: Insert the tee assemblies at the distal end of the hoses inside the drum gasket at roughly nine and three o'clock—they will be snug enough to stay where you put them. Turn on the blower for an hour or so, stopping when the gasket is completely dry. This has been a very satisfactory fix for the mold problem with our LG front-loader over the past couple of years. I see no reason the solution I have outlined in this posting wouldn't also be useful with other manufacturers' clothes washers.