Residues on Laundry after the wash-
notice that there is a white substance on my dark garments
at the end of the wash cycle. Is it lint or is it something
substance you describe on the clothes is a type of residue.
Residue appears as white streaks on clothing and can
resemble lint. Over time, residue can make your clothes feel
rough and the colors may become dull.
There are several causes of residue.
There have been many changes in
detergents, especially since phosphates have been
eliminated. Phosphates were once used to soften the water.
In some newer detergents, the ingredients used as
substitutes for the phosphates do not do a good job of
softening hard water. These ingredients tend to react with
the minerals in the water to form a white residue.
Generally, most types of
detergents will perform effectively in water that is soft
(0-3 grains per gallon)or even moderately hard (4-9 grains).
When using hard water (10 grains and above),
a high-quality GRANULAR
detergent containing aluminosilicates is recommended.
Changing to a low-suds detergent may be helpful. Some brand
names include Tide HE, Wisk HE, Fab and Ultra Ajax.
Remember, visible suds in the wash water is NOT and
indication of cleaning power.
Incorrect Amount of Detergent-
Detergent is necessary to
suspend lint and soil in the water, away from the clothes
during the wash cycle. If the clothes are heavily soiled and
the water is hard, use slightly more detergent. When the
water is very hard (Hello, Austin), it may be necessary to
add one-half cup of a packaged water conditioner, such as
Calgon or Spring Rain along with the detergent. Likewise, it
may be necessary to install a mechanical water softener for
In a top-loading washer,
the detergent needs to go into the tub before the load for
better dissolving and activation of the ingredients. Placing
the detergent in the dispenser of a front-load washer
provides for better dissolving and activation of ingredients.
Cold Water Washing-
When a cold water wash is
selected, washing results can be compromised. Granular
detergents donít dissolve if the temperature is too cold and
a detergent residue may be left on the wash load. The
effectiveness of the detergent greatly diminishes as well,
because detergents need a
minimum water temperature of 65įF
to activate the ingredients.
Soil removal and suspension can be very poor
if water is too cold. Most detergent manufacturers list the
temperature recommendations on the label of the detergent
there are too many items in the wash tub, the soil and lint
cannot be rinsed away, and will instead be re-deposited on
the fabrics. Once the washer has filled with water, the
clothes need to have room to circulate in the washtub so
that detergent & suds do not get trapped in the folds of the
fabric. In a top-load washer, place the clothes loosely in
the washtub to the top
row of holes. A front-loader can be loaded full,
but not packed tightly.
A chemical reaction between
liquid softener, detergent and suds may sometimes create a
white deposit on clothes. It is important to dilute the
fabric softener with warm water in the dispenser cup. Be
sure to wipe up any spilled detergent from around the
softener dispenser before adding the softener. If residue
persists it may be
necessary to change to a low-sudsing or H.E. detergent and
switch to dryer-added sheets instead of fabric softener.