Petrol wash goes with a bang

New trousers - and a new kitchen - are now on the man's shopping list

Most people's laundry disasters amount to no more than dying everything pink with a rogue red sock.

But a Russian man created a spectacular explosion as he tried to remove a stubborn stain from his trousers using an untested method.

The Moscow resident poured a litre of petrol into his washing machine, believing it would dissolve and remove a paint stain, Itar-Tass news agency reported.

But his spark of ingenuity backfired in dramatic fashion.

When he switched the machine onto its wash cycle, he sparked a large explosion as the petrol fumes ignited, the agency said.

The blast wrecked his kitchen and demolished two internal walls of his flat.

Fright and embarrassment

Moscow police confirmed there had been an explosion in a south-eastern Moscow apartment, but would not comment on the cause.

The man's name has not been released.

He escaped injury in the blast as he happened to have moved away from the machine.

He suffered no more than fright and embarrassment - and is believed to be in need of a new pair of trousers and a new kitchen.

Petrol or kerosene is widely used as a solvent to remove stains in the former Soviet Union.