Solved

Washer leaving grey marks on sheets

DRdrtyeddy
Asked about 10 years ago 7,853 views
1

Hi,

Recently, our washing machine has started causing our white sheets to have some grey marks on when they come out of the machine. They are like thin grey lines in creases, almost like something has left a residue. Maybe oil from the machine somewhere? Can the sheets get behind any seals anywhere, perhaps?

It only happens with our sheets, we've never noticed it with a normal clothes wash. We have used the Miele maintenance wash powder on a very hot cycle recently, and given the whole insides a good scrub down, to try and clear any problems, but still getting them.

Anyone had anything similar, or got any idea what it could be?

Solution Summary

AI-generated from this discussion

This thread was marked as solved. Here's a summary of the problem and the fix, generated from the discussion below.

Grey marks on sheets likely from contamination on the door seal

The problem
The washing machine was leaving thin grey lines or residue marks in the creases of white sheets after washing. The issue had not been noticed on normal clothes washes. A very hot maintenance wash with Miele cleaning powder and a general internal clean had already been tried, but the marks remained.
Likely cause
The strongest supported diagnosis is a build-up of grime, grease and limescale on the underside/lip of the door seal, transferring onto larger items such as sheets. This was suggested as the likely source rather than oil from elsewhere in the machine.
What fixed it
Check and thoroughly clean underneath the lip of the door seal, where gunk can collect. The discussion states this contamination is commonly linked to long-term low detergent use, frequent liquid detergent use, and/or mainly low-temperature washing. The exact repair beyond cleaning was not separately confirmed.
Checks to try
  • Maintenance wash with Miele powder on a very hot cycle was tried
  • Inside of machine was scrubbed down
  • Check underneath the lip/underside of the door seal for gunk build-up
Cause identifiedGenerated 6 Aug 2026 · AI summaries can make mistakes — read the full thread below.
Was this summary helpful?

2 Answers

Accepted Answer
1
WH
WhitegoodshelpVerified Engineer
Answered about 10 years ago

The grey marks are likely to be from the door seal. My washing machine started doing the same but I managed to clean a lot of gunk and gunge of the underside of the seal. Check underneath the lip of the door seal. It's caused by a build up of limescale and grime and grease, usually when not enough detergent has been used for years - or when mostly liquid detergent and/or low temperature washes have been used.

Read all these articles carefully to see if any help as they are all related to the issue -

White streaks on laundry after washing

Grease marks on clothes after washing

Washing not getting clean in washing machine

Whitegoods Help — appliance repair expert and forum host.
0
TE
tecbuzz
Answered over 9 years ago

Awesome, good thinking, yes the door seal Watkins!

Your Answer

Sign in to share your expertise and post an answer.

NAC Repair

Need an engineer?

NAC Repair

Rather leave it to a pro? Book a fully qualified engineer to diagnose and repair your appliance.

  • Vetted, fully qualified engineers
  • Nationwide UK coverage
  • Fast, fixed-price appointments
Spares4Appliances

Need a spare part?

Spares4Appliances

Fix it yourself for less. Get genuine replacement parts for your appliance delivered to your door.

  • Genuine, manufacturer-approved parts
  • Fast next-day UK delivery
  • Secure checkout & easy returns