Brisbane radio host’s close call: Robin Bailey’s dryer mishap nearly ends in house explosion

A major Brisbane radio personality has shared a potentially devastating incident where her routine laundry chore put safety of her entire household at risk, and nearly blew up her home.

Beware what you put into a tumble dryer.

Brisbane radio host Robin Bailey has revealed that she nearly blew up her own house, sharing with listeners and her co-host Kip Wightman the near-miss incident that could have had catastrophic consequences for her and her family.

During their breakfast radio show, Bailey explained the events leading up to her nerve-racking discovery. In her usual morning routine, Bailey set a load of laundry to wash overnight and turned on her clothes dryer early on Wednesday morning as she prepared to head to work.

But what she hadn’t realised was that a Ventolin inhaler – a prescription medication fitted with a pressurised aerosol canister – had been left in the pocket of her running shorts and was now being subjected to the high heat of the dryer.

Robin Bailey reveals she nearly blew up her own house while on-air. Photo: Instagram @kiis973bne

Bailey recognised the grave risk, explaining that the combination of the canister under pressure and the heat from the dryer had the potential to cause a massive explosion.

“That’s a little canister, with pressure … Add heat, [and] kaboom,” she said.

“It’s like putting metal in the microwave.”

Highlighting the potential severity of the situation, Bailey noted that her boarder, a 23-year-old named Blake, was staying in the room next to the laundry at the time.

Also on the property were Bailey’s sons, 23-year-old Finn and 21-year-old, Lewin.

“The laundry is next door to Blake who lives with us – Finn is out in the granny flat so he’d probably be okay, Lew, my 21-year-old was downstairs.” Bailey added.

Attempting to offer some support, Wightman shared his own brush with disaster, admitting he once stored a camp stove fitted with a gas canister inside his oven.

97.3’s Robin Bailey and Kip Wightman Wednesday 13th September 2023 Picture David Clark

Forgetting about it, he later preheated the oven to 180 degrees.

“I got it out before it blew up … The plastic on the outside was melting but the can didn’t explode,” Wightman said.

The pair laughed off their mistakes, but the seriousness of their actions was not lost on them, with Bailey poignantly stating, “It’s a miracle we’re all alive.”