Dealing With That Pesky Washer Hose

So, the washing machine. It just does its thing, day in, day out, right? Until you actually have to mess with it. For me, that day came last week. The old hoses were starting to look a bit, well, let's just say I didn't trust them anymore. Didn't fancy coming home to a flooded laundry room, you know?

Figured I'd tackle changing them myself. First things first, and I can't stress this enough – TURN OFF THE WATER. Seriously. There are usually two taps, a hot and a cold, lurking behind the machine. I gave those a good clockwise crank until they wouldn't budge. You forget this step, and you're in for a world of watery regret. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt (and a very wet floor) a long, long time ago.

Next up, I grabbed an old bucket and a few towels. There's always some water left in those hoses, sneaky like. Placed the bucket right under where the hose connects to the back of the washer. Better safe than mopping, I always say.

Then it was time for the actual unscrewing part, starting with the end attached to the washer. I tried giving it a twist with my bare hands. Nope. Stuck fast. Those things can get really seized up over time, especially if you've got hard water. So, I reached for my trusty pair of channel lock pliers. You don't want to go crazy and crush anything, just enough grip to break it loose. Lefty-loosey, as the old saying goes. With a bit of a grunt, it finally budged.

A little stream of water came out, straight into the bucket. See? Always some left. Once it was loose, it spun off pretty easily by hand.

• Water off? Yep.
• Bucket in place? Check.
• Pliers for stubborn connections? Got 'em.

Okay, one end of the hose was free. Now for the other end, the one hooked up to the faucet on the wall. Same drill, really. Made sure a towel was handy. That connection can sometimes be even tougher to get off, especially if it's been on there for donkey's years. Luckily, this one decided to play nice and came off without too much of a fight. Just a few turns and it was free.

And that was basically it. Hose successfully removed. No major drama, no surprise showers. Just goes to show, a little prep and remembering the basics makes all the difference. It’s often these simple-sounding jobs that can go sideways if you're not careful. Now, as for getting the new hose on... well, that’s another story for another time, eh? For now, I was just happy to have the old one off without any fuss. Small wins!