Washing Pillow Case & Sheets advice

[aeg03]

I need some advice please with regards to my Zanussi Flexi Dose ZWG7160P washing machine.

Everytime I wash sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers. The items come out with marks all over them. I have never had this issue with my previous AEG machine but this Zanussi seems to leave marks even if I put just the bedding in on its own or with other items. I have tried liquid detergent and gone back to powder, used more powder, less powder but the same result. Washing is done at 60 degrees. It looks like the dirt is repositioning back onto the items. Clothes are fine its just happening on the bedding. I'd like to point out that everything is heavily creased when I unload the machine so could this possibly the cause? Pics are below.

Thanks.

 

[aeg03]

Pic 2 - The stains were not on the items until they were washed.

 

[aeg03]

Pic 3 Stains like this are scattered across the cover

 

[launderess]

Looks like either some type of mould or grease, cannot tell from the pictures.

 

[mrboilwash]

Hard to tell from the pictures, but you can check for greasy deposits by ironing the spot. If the stains melt into the fabric (getting bigger) then you know it cannot be mold or lint.
My guess is you need to use a lot more detergent. I would rewash the sheets using the "heavy soil" dosing!
By any chance, do you use ointments or Vaseline or moisturizers for your skin? A maitenance wash at 95° before rewashing might be a good idea, or if the sheets can take it boil them with LOTS of detergent.
If it is mold (what I don`t believe) use a powder with oxygen bleach.

 

[aeg03]

mrboilwash,

I always use extra powder in the wash and do 60 degrees for bedding so I don't think detergent is the issue. I have never had a problem like this with the previous machines Ive had so its a mystery. The machine is less than a year old and the interior is clean but an answer to your question, I do use vaseline and body cream etc but the little one doesn't and her bed sheets came out like this too.

I will have to experiment a little more to see why this is happening. Thanks for your help.

 

[haxisfan]

@ aeg03

I was wondering... when did it start happening? If you can recall when you first experienced this scenario and probably associate that particular period of time with something else that you might have been starting to do or some new product you started to use.

On the lines of what 'mrboilwash' was saying, although you little sis doesn't use those afore-mentioned products, any residue can still be easily transferred from your garments to hers during the wash.

Have you done any maintenance wash recently? A couple of months ago, I used a cap (about 35ml) of milton in the washer and i set it on its longest programme on cold. It smelled of bleach afterwards, only until the first wash... but now it smells fresh all the time (until next time). I feel this will be my maintenance wash from now on ;-)

 

[zanussi_lover]

@ aeg03

Are you sure it hasn't got anything to do with the drum lifter filter, in the drum, as this machine doesn't have a regular fluff filter on the exterior of the washer, but you can only access the filter in the drum, via the blue trap door on one of the lifters.

Perhaps this has something to do with it?

 

[aeg03]

Haxisfan, I'm afraid it has been the same from day one. I have washed the sheets separately, together, with other stuff, without other stuff, with powder, liquid, Vanish etc etc but it still happens. Items come out very creased if the drum is filled halfway or full. The marks are within the creases. It still happens if I load just a sheet, duvet cover and pillow case.

Zanussilover, yes I would have done all that stuff. The drum filter is spotless (the machine is only 7 months old, I still do 90 degree maintenance washes) I just can't for the life of me, figure out why this is happening. I have noticed the Indesit I had for a month before this machine used more water for the main wash and rinses & it never happened. Could it be because the Zanussi hardly has any water in the drum? I don't have a clue

 

[foraloysius]

How is your detergent drawer looking? Any dirt in there or under it?

 

[haxisfan]

@ aeg03

M8y in all honesty I wouldn't personally put up with that. If you're saying that it's been doing that since day 1, it means to me only 1 thing: the appliance is not fit for the purpose: it should clean laundry at best... rather than causing alien blemishes on it!

This is maybe due to a congenital anomaly with your particular machine (this sounds human... well!). If I were you... I should hurry back to the shop I purchased it from and demand a replacement/repair... you have evidence to prove the results of this dubious performance.

Good luck... and let us know how it goes.

PS: I feel strongly in saying that this CANNOT be caused by low water level... if (only 'IF') the latter was to be blamed for poor wash performance, it certainly wouldn't trigger the appearance of odd stains here and there.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Is it

Staining from poor rinsing or it appears the marks are in creases and lines on the fabrics - its not the clothing catching on the rubber door seal when spinning do you think??

What programme where you using for the above washing??

 

[nrones]

How do they feel when you touch them?

Are they like small particles, where some of them can even be mooved?

Deffinatley looks to me like rubber that tore off during the spin cycle. Especially cause it's normal for sheets to make those problems.
Next time when you're washing, during the spin, take a look if they are "all in the drum" or there is a smallish part outside that goes on the rubber.

Dex

 

[aeg03]

Haxisfan,

I doubt the retailer will do anything and I don't expect them to after 7 months. All I can do is write to Electrolux but I will probably be wasting my time as they will say its something I'm doing. For the time being I will just have to rinse the sheets after they have been washed until I can look into getting something different. Interestingly the WHICH report gives my machine a poor rating for the wash cycle but the marks I have are not connected.

Chestermikeuk,

Its def not from door seal. It seems to be possibly from poor rinsing because of the stains are in the creases, when I remove the sheets agter the cycle has finish and 'open up' the sheets (because of the creases) and pop them back in for an extra rinse, the stains are removed then. The machine has two modes during cotton wash which it selects automatically. When the load is very absorbant, the wash time is extended and the 3 rinse water levels are a little higher than normal, the drum rhythm is slower than normal, if non absorbant, the water level is lower (cant be seen) and drum is normal speed.

nrones,

The stains can be removed if rubbed. They almost sink back into the fabric. Its like dirt repostion.

Its a mystery. I will just have to re rinse the sheets after washing until theres a time when I can consider perhaps changing the machine. Thank you all for your help.

 

[nrones]

RUBBER 100%

Those are signs of the rubber that can tear down onto clothes during re balancing, intermit. spin or final spin. After, say re-balancing, or interm spin, a low water level rinse comes, and doesn't remoove them, with tumbling they go "inside" so after opening up, they are there.

I am 100% sure it is that, because when I had Aqualtis it had such a strong rubber "triangle" on the top, and sheets would usually hit it during the spin, and make exactly the same as yours.

In order to proove it, next time, just for a test, put sheet only for single bad (so small ish load), and you'll see there probobly won't be any stains as they wouldn't "come out of the drum" and hit the rubber while spinning.

Dex

 

[superelectronic]

Try other cycles?

Have you tried all the 60C cycles? I've just had a look a manual for a similar machine and it seems you can get a hot wash on Synthetics and even the Easy Iron cycle.

 

If you're just using Cottons at 60C it may be worthwhile trying Synthetics or Easy Iron. Maybe these run with higher water levels in the rinse? I'd bet the Easy Iron cycle also employs some kind of cool-down by way of top-up with cold, giving a higher level. A different cycle might resolve the problem by being less hard on the fabric.

 

It's worth checking what kind of fabric your bedding is made of: if it's the standard polyester/cotton blend, the Cottons cycle is really too harsh for it. High wash temperatures and fast spins won't do fabrics any favours when it comes to creasing, especially any kind of synthetic fibre which, essentially, is a kind of plastic and susceptible to damage by excessive heat - look what happens if you use an excessively hot iron on polyester or acrylic, for example! Most machines now also rely on a post-wash spin as part of the rinse: if you do that to hot synthetic fabric it will inevitably spin creases in.

 

From experience, I can tell you that my poly/cotton work shirts will iron easily if washed at 40C; washing at 60C turns it into a major performance of dampening fabric plus using steam!

 

Even if your bed linen is 100% cotton, a less intense cycle will pay dividends in terms of providing a less crinkled and ragged result.

 

The marks you're experiencing are very odd but if they rinse out it's a good sign it's nothing too terrible - not grease from dodgy bearings, for example! Do you use fabric conditioner? That can occasionally cause scummy marks. Quite the mystery...

 

 

[chestermikeuk]

Thats

The issue, if you are using cottons programme instead of synthetics, those covers are poly cotton blends, need more water, less agitation and higher rinses...

sorted!!

 

[aeg03]

Chestermike, I've never had such issue with any of the other machines I've had before. Cotton 60 has always done the job before so I'm not convinced sorry. It just seems to be an issue with this machine.

Again, thanks for your advice. But I still feel that the machine should cope just well with the programme I'm using it on, especially if I mix the load.

 

[superelectronic]

At the risk of being offensive...

Not all machines are the same. Not all Cottons 60C programmes are the same. Just like not all fabrics are the same, nor should they all be washed as cotton. There are a lot of people who don't understand this basic premise.

 

Machines are machines, not mind-readers. There's a limit to how much fancy sensor electronics can achieve in varying wash profiles.

 

If you can't adapt your laundry process to countenance using or trying a different programme, you'd better get looking for a machine with a different sort of Cottons 60C cycle!

 

Sorry if that sounds too blunt...