We get some grey film or gunk occasionally in our washer and we can’t figure out what from.

Using All brand detergent and we are on city water with a water softener. Washer is about 16years old. New hoses but it hasn’t changed. Our shower and dishwasher doesn’t show any signs of said gunk.

We’ve tried vinegar and bleach cycles etc. with not change.

We’d like to eliminate it and prevent it from getting in the new washer we plan to buy this summer.

Scum from body oils, fabric softeners and soap.

One thing that may work for you.

Run it on the hottest setting/largest load with some a few small rags/towels and a cup of Simple Green. You can turn up the water heater an hour or two and get the hottest cycle.

Put "Tape" on the hot water handles of faucets as a reminder that the hot water is higher temps.

Then a run with 2-3 cups of vinegar.

After, it should be much better.

Thanks!

My wife uses so much fabric softener that it builds up. I hate that greasy, smelly stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by Riley:
...with a water softener.

There's your problem.

The soap isn't rinsing out due to the soft water.

Either use far less soap or get rid of the water softener.

The new HE soaps are a lot different than the old ones. The don’t clean the washer the way phosphates in the old soaps did. Folks like to wash in cold water. They don’t work well in cold water, especially in winter. Some washers have a cool setting. Use the cool or warm setting, it releases the enzymes in the new soap. It will help with sebum, etc..

Not HE soap, though it is liquid soap. We wash on warm. Rarely, practically never, use liquid fabric softener.

quote:

Originally posted by Riley:
Not HE soap, though it is liquid soap. We wash on warm. Rarely, practically never, use liquid fabric softener.

Most soaps sold today are HE, there is a small logo. Doesn’t mater if it’s liquid or powder. It may say “safe in HE washer” as well. The oils stick between the inner and the outer tub. As others have said run some hot water and bleach or a washer cleaner through the washer. It may take a couple of times.
Some new washers have a clean washer cycle as well. Use that if you have it.

Use a lot less soap. I’ve talked to an engineer for Whirlpool who works on clothes washers (I was complaining about the front load mildew). He said use a couple (dang autocorrect aliens) tablespoons of soap, anything more creates the problem. I have city water and a softener, and I now use a tiny amount of soap in my clothes washer and dishwasher. No more scum buildup in the dishwasher or mildew on the front load washer.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: absolut18,

put three clean towels , from the cupboard in the washer and DO NOT ADD anything ,
just the clean towels.

wash them on the normal cycle

while they are agitating check the water in the tub ,

if there are any bubbles at all or films appearing , you are using too much soap /softener.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
My wife uses so much fabric softener that it builds up. I hate that greasy, smelly stuff.

I have pretty much banned softener in my house. My wife and daughter would use a ton of it and it would gunk up everything

About once a month I run my washer on a sanitize cycle with some vinegar which seems to do the trick in keeping it clean

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

quote:

Originally posted by Riley:
...with a water softener.

There's your problem.

The soap isn't rinsing out due to the soft water.

Either use far less soap or get rid of the water softener.

I always thought it was hard water that prevented soap from rinsing.

quote:

talked to an engineer for Whirlpool who works on clothes washers (I was complaining about the front load mildew). He said use a. Lille tablespoons of soap, anything more creates the problem. I

Here I was, finally found the secret of laundry happiness, and Autocorrect?? Or Aliens? Or something happened.

Adding any OxyClean or Borax? Too much will do it.

quote:

Originally posted by mark123:

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

quote:

Originally posted by Riley:
...with a water softener.

There's your problem.

The soap isn't rinsing out due to the soft water.

Either use far less soap or get rid of the water softener.

I always thought it was hard water that prevented soap from rinsing.

That’s my understanding as well.

^^^ Not in my experience - and the water here is softer than the inside of a Labrador Retriever's mouth.

Here’s the bird’s eye low-down on soft water, from the smart scientists at the USGS:

https://water.usgs.gov/edu/qa-chemical-soap.html

Can some Phosphate be purchased and added to the washer? Is it readily available and will work well?

.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
Here’s the bird’s eye low-down on soft water, from the smart scientists at the USGS:

https://water.usgs.gov/edu/qa-chemical-soap.html

Don't trust everything the government tells you. It really is simple Chem 101.

https://www.thoughtco.com/diff...th-soft-water-607879

The USGS statement is simply parrotting the propaganda from the water softener companies.

And yes, OKCGene, phosphate can be purchased at most any hardware store. Look for TSP (Trisodium phosphate). Add a Tbs or so to your load and it will clean and rinse much better.

Somebody ought to market water hardeners.