Oh yeah, I've been there. I think I periodically (as in once every 6 months) wash a screw down the drain when cleaning machines. I've done the hunt for screws on the floor too. A couple of hints:
- They go way further than you think they can.
- You can look directly at them 5 times and not see them, especially the tiny ones
- With the help of furry 4 legged friend, they can travel even further.
- If you have a magnet, any kind of magnet but the stronger the better, wave it around the floor and see if it "sees" something you don't (I can't tell you how many times that's worked for me)
- I have been known to "root around" in the vacuum cleaner canister with the magnet, you never know.
- Sometimes they don't hit the floor... ledges, bookcases, chairs, under the machine, under that big stack of paper or fabric... I don't know -how- it happens, I just know I've found things in the weirdest places. My new setup is actually worse for hiding screws than my old one. So much for progress.
I've also started keeping all parts in a plastic "tub", one of the so called disposables that Ziplock and Glad make or on a magnetic dish (like the ones I have in the garage for working on vehicles, but smaller). That way when I or the cats knock it over, I have a fighting chance of finding all the parts.
I think the reason we went so in depth for this one is because it took so long for Alyce's machine to give up fighting.