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HELP! My washer is destroying my clothes!

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gamma68

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I've about had it with my washer. It's been leaving small rust-colored stains on my clothes. :eek2:

I have no explanation for this, so I'm hoping someone here can suggest a solution to the problem.

The washer is a front-loading Whirlpool Duet, 4.0 cu. ft. It's about 5 years old.

I've always used liquid HE detergent (per manufacturer's recommendations) and always wash my clothes in cold water.

For about the past year, I've occasionally noticed a small streak-like rust-colored spot on one or two white or medium-colored garments. At first, I thought my dryer was to blame. But the small stains were on items that I didn't place in the dryer. There hasn't been anything loose in the washer like a crayon or other item that would leave such a stain.

I've been wiping down the rubber seal that wraps around the door. I've also cleaned out the detergent receptacle and used an Affresh tablet (per manufactuers recommendations) to clean the washer interior. I've wiped the interior all over with a white rag trying to determine the source of the rust-colored staining, but have found nothing. It's all clean stainless steel inside.

The staining doesn't occur after every wash, but it's becoming more common lately. And the stains DON'T come out with an application of Oxy-Clean.

Today was the last straw. One of the cuffs on an OCBD is heavily stained (see pic). I just used a water/bleach solution to wipe down the rubber seal and am running the Affresh cleaning cycle with bleach now.

Any suggestions on how to solve this problem? I'm stumped as to the source of the stains. Any ideas on how to safely remove the stains from my clothes? I'd like to get this problem taken care of before one of my expensive Brooks Brothers shirts is ruined.

Thanks in advance.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Well, you could try a new washing machine. But that's an expensive gamble with no sure solution. My guess is, you have an issue with pipes, not the washing machine. Check this out: https://www.angieslist.com/articles/what-causes-rust-stains-laundry.htm

A long, long time ago, I had two small rust spots, much smaller than pictured here, magically appear on a BB OCBD, but that was just once. Still, it freaked me out. Never did figure out what it was, and, thank goodness, it did not persist. But OxyClean didn't get rid of it. Looks to be the same thing you've got going on here.

Here is what I would do if you're not keen on trying the pipe flushing pronto.

Get some cheap white cotton shirts from a thrift store and start experimenting. You say you always use cold water? Try using warm, or hot, on your experimental shirts. FWIW, I never use cold water--it's either warm, or if I'm washing whites, hot. It's just what works for me. Use different detergents. Try mixing it up every way that you can think of, and keep a ledger so you know how the process of elimination is going. I know--it's not a steady thing, it's sporadic--it only happens once in six launderings or so. You might have to run that washer 100 times, or even more, to get to the bottom of it. But I'm not sure what else to try.

If you can eliminate the washing machine as the issue, then flush your pipes. If you have a municipal water company, make a records request to see if there is anyone else in your area that has complained about this sort of thing. A long shot, to be sure, but it costs nothing to try and takes just a few minutes. Whatever you do, you should stop washing any clothes that you care about at home until you get this figured out. While home laundered and air dried shirts are far preferable to the commercial launderer, insurmountable stains are what they are. But you might try lemon juice. That is said to work on rust stains, especially if you don't let the garment dry first.
 
#5 ·
We have a Maytag 5000 Series w/Steam Washer and Dryer. The wife has named the washer Igor, due to it's propensity for wearing small holes in the fabric of our lighter weight garments, I suspect, while on the spin cycles. Do any of our other members, using front loader washers, experience this problem? As to the rust stains mentioned above, it most likely is the result of the water being run through your washer...are you using well water?
 
Discussion starter · #6 · (Edited)
eagle2250 said:
We have a Maytag 5000 Series w/Steam Washer and Dryer. The wife has named the washer Igor, due to it's propensity for wearing small holes in the fabric of our lighter weight garments, I suspect, while on the spin cycles. Do any of our other members, using front loader washers, experience this problem? As to the rust stains mentioned above, it most likely is the result of the water being run through your washer...are you using well water?
Click to expand...
No well water. Standard city water. No fabric softener.

For your issue, I'd suggest washing on a delicate cycle only.

EDIT: I wanted to add that whites do not come out tinted orange whatsoever, so I'm not sure if the stains are actually rust. But I can't imagine what else it could be.

Based on a Google search, it seems there are quite a few people who have this problem with this model washer. There doesn't seem to be a consensus on the source of the problem.
 
#7 ·
I had more of a brownish stain on some shirts from time to time, and I suspect it was from the affected area getting caught in between two metal parts in the dryer. I guess something similar could happen in the washer.
 
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#8 ·
Fraser Tartan said:
It's probably the water heater. They will eventually rust causing rust to appear in your hot water.
Click to expand...
I had also thought of that, but he says that he's using cold water.

It's almost certainly the pipes, especially if he lives in an older home with iron plumbing. As for putting shirts in the dryer, you should never do that. Leads to shrinkage and it's hard on fabric. If you are going to use a dryer, you might as well send your shirts out to be cleaned.
 
#9 ·
gamma68 said:
No well water. Standard city water. No fabric softener.

For your issue, I'd suggest washing on a delicate cycle only.

EDIT: I wanted to add that whites do not come out tinted orange whatsoever, so I'm not sure if the stains are actually rust. But I can't imagine what else it could be.

Based on a Google search, it seems there are quite a few people who have this problem with this model washer. There doesn't seem to be a consensus on the source of the problem.
Click to expand...
I suspect if you did a Google search on other models, you will find the same thing. That's likely why there is not a consensus on the source of the problem. Get thee to a plumb-ery.
 
#10 ·
Youthful Repp-robate said:
I had more of a brownish stain on some shirts from time to time, and I suspect it was from the affected area getting caught in between two metal parts in the dryer. I guess something similar could happen in the washer.
Click to expand...
Yes, same for me as well with my old dryer. Cuffs and occasionally collars would get caught in the felt strip in the dryer meant to support the drum. I thought they were burns but they can mostly be washed out with careful hand washing.
 
Discussion starter · #13 ·
I called Whirlpool, and (naturally) they have no information regarding such a problem for my model washer. A service technician is coming in a couple days to take a look at the machine.

On a whim, I also called my plumber. He said there may be some rust forming in an old galvanized pipe, but since the brownish-orange spotting doesn't affect all the clothes in every wash, he thought this theory was unlikely. He thinks it may be the washer.

I also followed the plumber's suggestion and ran the cold and hot water at the laundry tub sitting next to the washer. I have a clear bucket and checked it for rust-colored water. The water ran clear in both hot and cold.

Hopefully, the appliance service guy can find a rusting piece of metal somewhere that is loose and can be easily removed (per the Earl's suggestion). It would also be great if this service were relatively inexpensive. HA!
 
#14 ·
Rusting from the water supply, be it the heater or iron pipes, should cause all of the water to be rust colored. This would affect all clothes equally. Having spots of rust indicates limited areas of rust.

If you notice the stains after washing, then it is a washer problem. If you notice only after drying, then it is most likely a dryer problem. The only way I see it as a dryer problem is if the drum is very rusty and your wet clothes sit there for a long time, or there is rust in the rim and your sleeves get caught in there.

Going back to the washing machine, since I think it is easy to diagnose or eliminate the dryer; this is getting caused by areas of rust. I would think that either a particular part of the drum is rusty and the wet clothes staying in the same place during the spin cycle is allowing small sections to soak up that rust, or the edge of the drum is rusty and, much like dryer issues, the sleeves are getting caught at the edge.

If you have the room, run the corner of a wet white cloth up behind the rim of the washer and dryer and see if you pick up any rust.

NOTE: I'd bet a lot of money that it is rust. But that stain is in a location where I have had rubber stains on shirts from drum seals and I have seen gaskets (but not drum seals) that same rusty color.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Odd situation. I'm practically a Bob Vila after renovating three homes.

Modern washers have very few metal parts in the water delivery system, by design, so that rust is not accumulated or flushed into the wash. Lots of Stainless Steel and porcelain coated parts like drums to avoid any rusting situation.

My gut instinct is that it's not a rust issue, but a transmission seal leak. This is rare, but not uncommon. Modern washing machines have an actual transmission to transfer the electric drive to the drum efficiently and in degrees, and these transmissions are filled with grease. If a leak develops, there can be brown staining on clothes that looks like your picture as the grease leaks out of the transmission and "splotches" on your clothes.

The other possibility is obviously rust. Hard to believe it is machine rust, but it is possible. It can also be rust in pipes or in your water conditioning system if you have a water conditioning system. I lived in a sub development once that had rust issues in the water ever few years when they cleaned and purged the water tower.

Keep us posted. You will probably help someone else when they have this problem.

Thanks. Good luck.

EDIT:
Just thought of one more possibility as long as we are throwing darts at the problem. A five year old washer may not be draining 100 percent. If you washer is not totally flushing all of the water out on the very last spin, you have old water sitting somewhere in the washer. Perhaps in the drum, sump, lines, whatever. This water can get fairly nasty sitting in there in contact with metal. It can rust and gunk up. Try this. Before you run another load, run a load EMPTY to flush any old residual water out of the washer. THEN wash your clothes. If the problem goes away, you know that you have an issue with the washer not draining all water totally from the last load.
 
#16 ·
When my wife and I purchased a new home in 2002 we bought brand new front loaded washer and dryer. After about 5 years the washer started leaving stains on the clothes, rust and then also an oily stain. Our repairman (not affiliated with any manufacturer) who is very reputable told us that the front loaded washers have a useful life of approximately 5 years after which the drum assembly has to be replaced at a cost of about $600. Luckily for us, the new house we were in at that time has an old top loaded that they left behind. It has worked beautifully ever since. Sorry, but it is probably the washer.
 
Discussion starter · #17 ·
JPM said:
When my wife and I purchased a new home in 2002 we bought brand new front loaded washer and dryer. After about 5 years the washer started leaving stains on the clothes, rust and then also an oily stain. Our repairman (not affiliated with any manufacturer) who is very reputable told us that the front loaded washers have a useful life of approximately 5 years after which the drum assembly has to be replaced at a cost of about $600. Luckily for us, the new house we were in at that time has an old top loaded that they left behind. It has worked beautifully ever since. Sorry, but it is probably the washer.
Click to expand...
A five-year lifespan for such an expensive appliance is unacceptable. But before I jump the gun, I'll see what the appliance service guy says.
 
#19 ·
"The average lifespan of a washer, whether it is a top-loader or a front-loader, is about 14 years. This is determined by calculating seven loads of washing per week, or doing one load per day."

I'm voting for something localized.
 
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gamma68
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