I have had a frigidaire front load washer for 10 months and about 2 weeks ago the washer started leaving small circular marks on the clothes. I had a tech come to the house to look at the machine. He said that the problem was that I had well water which is hard water. He said to use fabric softener to fix the problem. I started using fabric softener and I still am getting the marks on the clothes. All of my daughter's new summer clothes are ruined.What do I do now?
I have twice taken apart this front loader Frigidaire washer (also sold as Kenmore) to replace the rotted out aluminum spider arm supporting the spin-basket (which seems to universally fall apart within 5 years), and now I started observing the described black stain pattern on the clothes. As with the spider arm breakdown, this problem has nothing to do with water hardness, softeners, detergents, or dryers (I line-dry all my clothes), and everything to do with the poor quality design of this machine. I have not yet positively identified the cause of the black stains, but I suspect that the bearing seal is breaking down and in the process is releasing greasy particles that mix with the clothes and create the described black stain patterns. Unfortunately the repair would cost more than a new machine for most people, as the spider arm is probably just about gone by this stage. I am lucky to own another junk washer for spare parts and am able to fix it myself. For skilled do-it-yourself mechanics, it is possible to find a replacement seal and bearings on the internet, assuming the spider arm is new (over $200 part), or still in good shape.
I don't have a solution, but I have what sounds like the same problem. Grayish-brownish blotches, some are circles or sort of crescent-shaped, and some are longer marks. Not rust-colored at all. Nothing takes them out. Mostly on t-shirts and towels. Just one or two per load, sometimes none. Cleaned the whole inside of the washer, including the gasket. I put a filter on the water line. We have really soft water, so I don't use water softeners. I use very little detergent, so it doesn't seem to be any kind of build up. No dryer sheets either. I have a 6 year old Frigidaire GLTR1670ASO. To be honest, I think I will just get rid of mine and buy a top-loader. Our water bills didn't go down when I got this washer, so it doesn't seem worth it. It somehow makes me feel better that I found someone else who knows what it's like !
I have had this problem with not only this washer, but my prvious one as well. Both times these marks started to appear it was not long after that my water heater neede to be replaced because the heating rod in the water heater was corroded and the junk in the bottom of the water heater (if you don't flush out the tank every now and again) this gets stirred up, gets into the water and on your clothes. My first water tank was about 13 years old when this started to occur. The other only 2 years old, (piece of **** bradford white!). Anyway maybe read up on your water heater and flush out some of the sediment at the bottom of the tank.
Do you use Fabric softener sheets??If so, than look in the dryer foe one to be caught in there and as it makes contact with the clothes it will actually mark them.If you dont use them than take a long look inside of your washer ,look for something stuck in the tub or around the top clothes gaurd that sits above the edges of the tub.Also ,are you sure its not oil?Oil will leave a distinctive mark that is almost impossible to remove.Most likely it is a item stuck in the Dryer and not the washer.I'll be happy to guide you through this at any time .
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I have the same problem with my 6-year-old Frigidaire front loading washer. A few months ago it began leaving perfectly symmetrical rows of small, circular grayish grease-like deposits on random articles of clothing. Usually about 1 item per load would be damaged, but sometimes it would be none, sometimes it would be 2 or 3. Around the same time I began to notice that another type of stain would occasionally occur as well. The substance is the same (dark, greasy, impossible to remove) but the appearance was more like something that had been dragged under a moving vehicle (not perfect dots resembling the inside of the washer drum).
At any rate, I have tried absolutely every method of removing the stains, to no avail. I have examined, and cleaned, the interior of my washer (including the door gasket) many times and yet the problem persists to my dismay. I do not use fabric softener of any stripe (liquid or dryer sheets), but with two small children do laundry every day and rely on a washing machine to render my clothes cleaner than when I put them in rather than dirtier!
I'm pretty much at my wits end with my machine and was actually just doing some research in the hopes of making a better choice on my next washer when I came across this site. Obviously I would rather fix my existing machine than purchase a new one if a fix is possible. If anyone has any insight into this problem, please let me know. I have many photos of the specific damage if that would help with the diagnosis.
Thanks!!
i have the same issue with the washer leaving a grey residue (like fine powder) and ruining one item per load, leaving it looking like it was caught in the gasket and dragged during the load. initially i thought i was perhaps overfilling the machine, but this still happens with smaller loads.
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