Jerry-riggin' the washing machine

I took today off and planned to clean the house, do some laundry, and get some crafting done. After having a leisurely morning and watching Ellen, I went to change the first load of laundry that I had thrown in after waking up. Imagine my surprise when I open the lid and it's full of water! I messed around with it for a bit, but couldn't figure out how to fix it. That put a damper to the day as I spent the next few hours talking to friends and researching online possible ways to fix it. Peter and I bought our washer and dryer about 5 years ago for $50 and at the time they were 7 or 8 years old so they definitely have paid off. We just aren't in the market to buy new ones, ya know? When Peter and I got home, we worked on the machine together and found that the lid switch is bad. We tried looking online for where to buy a new one and the Sears (select stores) sells them so we were going to head to get one, but it was too late. So I thought of an article I read earlier where someone used a zip-tie to fix their lid switch. We figured it was worth a shot and we could always go buy the $35 part if it didn't work. Well, so far so good! It drained the tub and finished out the cycle. We'll keep our fingers crossed and see how long it lasts...