Rust Stains on Whites

[kb0nes]

I was talking to a buddy of mine last night and he has reported recently starting to see rust stains on freshly laundered dress shirts. He didn't catch them until they were hung up after drying. The washer is a Whirlpool direct drive (WTW5700SW0) and the dryer is an older Whirlpool (LE5780XKW0).

The dryer was professionally serviced about a year ago to replace massively destroyed rear drum rollers. Washer has never been touched. Both have been in a townhouse and seen fairly light duty.

I'd suspect the dryer, but I haven't seen the spots. He suspects the washer but to me that seems more remote.

Any likely causes come to mind?

Phil

 

[foraloysius]

Could be the water contains rust or the tank of the water heater is rusty.

 

[whirlcool]

I would think more of the washer as a culprit rather than the dryer.
If you can't see any rust spots in the dryer drum, then it's probably not the dryer.
There is a product called Iron Out that will remove the rust stains from the shirts. Available at most hardware stores.

 

[teknikleespekng]

May be something else...

Are they actual rust stains? When the felt glides in my dryer wear out, I get marks on my wash that look like rust but are from the clothing getting caught between the drum and the worn felt (which is now a lovely shade of orange). Those marks come out easily even after drying. Just a bit of cool water and detergent gets the marks out.

Do you know if they replaced the felt when they did the rollers?

 

[combo52]

Rust Stains

I would most likely guess the rear drum seal on the dryer. You can take a folded scrap of white cloth folded over a blunt knife and drag it through the rear drum seam between the seal and the baulk head and see if you get a similar colored stain, as Allen mentioned you will have to use a rust removing product to remove this stain from clothing. If this is the cause the dryer drum should be removed and the seal replaced and the edge of the bulkhead repainted with a good spray paint.

 

Things that contribute to this type of problem are use of fabric softener sheets, too much fabric softener in washer coupled with too little detergent and cold water washing, poor rinsing of clothing and possibly a clogged or restricted vent system on the dryer.

 

[tomturbomatic]

If bleach was used in the machine in the past or even now and the clothes developed the rust stains in little circles or half circles, it could be rusting in the drain holes of the washer tub that's staining the laundry. WP had some problems with that and if you take the load out as soon as it is finished, you don't get the rusting, but the thin porcelain in the holes and the steel edge so close to the fabrics can allow that to happen, but if it's not in this circular pattern, it is probably the dryer.