Random Red Spots On Clothes
Hi All,
When I wash my clothes in my washing maching, there are sometimes some red marks (looks a bit like dried blood) but more likely to be rust I guess, left on some of the lighter clothing. These marks are not easy to remove - and I seem to be writing off a lot of light shirts and t-shirts. Has anyone seen this problem before, and if so what is the best way of curing it.
Any help would be gratefully appreciated.
Kind regards,
Akkers
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.
Red rust-like spots on clothes after washing
- The problem
- Light-coloured clothes were intermittently coming out of the washing machine with small red-brown marks resembling dried blood or rust. The marks were difficult to remove and were ruining shirts and T-shirts.
- Likely cause
- The accepted reply pointed to possible colour damage from copper in the water, which can produce red marks. Other posts suggested rust-related contamination, but these were general opinions and not confirmed for this machine.
- What fixed it
- The accepted advice was to follow the washing/marking guidance covering fabric stains and specifically check for copper in the water as a cause of red marks. No confirmed repair to the washing machine itself was documented in the thread.
- Checks to try
- Reviewed stain/mark guidance for laundry still dirty or marked after washing
- Checked information on colour damage caused by copper in the water
- Considered rust-coloured marks as a possible source
4 Answers
Try this section Washing (laundry) is still dirty or has marks on it after washing . It may or may not be the actual cause of your problem, but there is a section on colour damage due to copper in the water, which can produce red marks, on the "fabric stains / spots menu.
Also check this out - rust coloured marks on washing
Need Professional Help or Spare Parts?
I just discovered the same issue and my Kenmore machine is only 16 months old. There are small chips in the finish of the washing machine drum leaving raw metal underneath - it has rusted. This is where the rust marks are coming from.
The cost to replace - $250 for the drum and another $250 for the labour cost.
The machine was $500 when I purchased it - so certainly not paying that price for a new drum.
I am SO unimpressed with Sears and Kenmore right now.
I have spoken with people today - and did a lot of research online - the best fix (and much cheaper) is to purchase an Enamel repair kit (like you use on sinks and bathtubs) and apply to the rusty spots.
That will be my job this weekend!
Shelley
Ontario Canada
In the UK, I don't know of any washing machine that uses enamal any more because of this exact same problem. All drums are stainless steel and tubs are plastic or stainless.
Need Professional Help or Spare Parts?
In the US we have a product called iron out. I put it in the water before putting my whites in and it prevents the rust spots. Yes you wash the clothes in the iron out. It is only needed for whites because dyed clothes do not receive the rust stain and iron out would ruin them anyway.
I'm not so sure about the rusty washer drum theory though. My theory is that it is the hard water deposits on the edges of the drum holes that are actually rusting, not the drum itself. When the washer spins it presses the clothes into those holes and exposes them to the rusting hard water deposits.
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