Wash Problems

PROBLEMS	POSSIBLE CAUSES and SOLUTIONS
Creasing	• Overloading the washer or dryer.

•Choose a Permanent Press or Delicate cycle as these cycles have been designed to minimize creasing.

•Try selecting a slower spin speed.

•Do not leave wet clothes to sit in the washer or laundry basket.

Poor soil	•	Not enough detergent for load size or amount of soil.
removal	•	White clothes are better washed separately. Separate light and heavily
	•
		soiled items, as clothes can pick up soil from dirty wash water.
	•	Select the wash temperature according to soil type. For example, blood
		and mud are better washed in cold water, while oily soils wash better in
		warmer water.
	•	Cold water wash too cold.
	•	Overloading the washer.
	•	Loads made up of articles of varying sizes will wash better (eg full loads
		of sheets may not wash as well).
	•	Hard water requires more detergent than soft water.

Linting	•	Wash lint givers eg towels, flannelette sheets, separately from lint collectors
		eg synthetic fabrics.
	•	Overloading the washer.
	•	Not enough detergent to hold the lint in suspension.
	•	Overdrying in a dryer can cause a build-up of static electricity in
		synthetic fabrics and cause them to attract lint.

Residue	•	Overloading the washer.
detergent	•	Try using less detergent.
	•	Some detergents need to be pre-dissolved, check the detergent instructions.
	•	Cold ambient temperatures, cold washes or short agitation times may
		not let the detergent dissolve properly. Try pre-dissolving the detergent.

Black marks	•	A build-up caused by the interaction of fabric softener and detergent can
on clothes		flake off and mark clothes. (Refer to Scrud page 20)
	• Insufficient detergent, for the amount of soil on the clothes, can result in
		black marks on clothes. (Refer to Detergent page 20)

Dye transfer • Wash and dry non-colorfast clothes separately.

•Non colorfast clothes left sitting in a washer or laundry basket can transfer dye to other clothes.

Tangling	•	Washing with too much water (ie underloading) can cause the clothes to
		tangle around one another.
	•	Do not load the washer by wrapping clothes around the agitator.