Pipes or Water Issues causing laundry stains?

[AJG1982]

For 6 years now, I have been battling strange stains on clothing that at this point I think must be related to the water/pipes or water heater. Home was built in 1958 so pipes are probably whatever was most common back then. Absolutely no issues the first 4 years I lived in the home.

Now, when I wash clothes, it is guaranteed that at least some of my darks and colors will come out with grease-like stains that weren’t present before washing. Occasionally, a light gray shirt may have stains, which look yellowish in color on there (not rust stains). This can happen to new, never-worn clothes also, so it’s not an issue of just not realizing a stain was there before washing.

I have tried different detergents (powder, liquid, ones with no bluing agent), hot water versus cold water, stopped using all fabric softeners years ago, tried an add-in water softener (Calgon), Borax, washing soda, etc. I have even switched out washers and dryers twice, so it has to be the water itself. Stain removers typically don’t work, but Dawn dish soap will remove the stains. Any ideas? Could there be something built-up in the pipes reacting with detergent and staining clothes? The water heater is the same one as when I moved in 10 years ago, so older, but I often wash in cold water – so not sure this could be the issue.

 

[Alan CR]

I wish I had an answer for you, but I am having the exact same problem. My house was built in 2014, so it is new, and the problem has existed since we moved in. We tried all the things you suggested PLUS we even replaced our washing machine. Both our washer and dryer have been serviced regularly (looking for grease leaks from pump valves) and nobody can find anything. The problem is worse on dark cottons, especially thick ones. It's so bad, we need to send all my cotton pants and many shirts out to a dry cleaner. I have one thought, and I would like advice from someone who knows more than I do: we have two small water hammer arrestors (sealed type) right at the water intakes for the washer. Could some kind of grease be leaking from them? Or could it come from a large arrestor or expansion tank elsewhere in the water system? Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

No reason to think this related, but have you flushed your water heater lately?

Well water or city water?

 

[Mliu]

It's important to know if you're on municipal or well water.

I would look for rubber in your plumbing, like supply hoses. It's possible that the rubber is deteriorating.

When you "switched" out the washer, did you replace the supply hoses? Do you have braided supply hoses between your water heater and your rigid piping? Do you have a thermal expansion tank? People have reported the rubber flaps in their water heater dielectric nipples disintegrating and leaving oily bits of black plastic in their water, so that's a possibility.

You can eliminate the dryer as a culprit by simply hanging your clothes to dry and seeing if the stains are still there.

Disconnect the supply hoses from the back of your washing machine (after closing the supply valves, of course). Take a white five-gallon bucket and fill it with water from the cold hose. Do you see anything in the water or any film floating on the surface? Dump the water and repeat with the hot hose.