Strange water type staining on freshly washed clothes?

[SCL21]

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to remove water type stains on freshly washed clothes and what causes them?

They just look like water has been splashed on the garment and hasn’t yet dried, although the garment is dry to the touch! I use fairy pods and fairy softener, followed by a gentle care tumble dryer setting.

This has happened to a few items of clothing over the past while, but not all the time. My washing machine and tumble dryer are less than a year old. It’s getting quite frustrating!

Usually grease spots from fabric softener, hence the not dried look of the "water" stain - it's grease.

Do you use tumble dryer sheets? These are the worst culprit, but it could be undissolved liquid softener if there is a build up of it in the draw/insides of the drum.

Could also be the actual pod of detergent, if that got trapped between fabrics and didn't dissolved quite properly.

Unfortunately usually only solution is to rewash, you could try just washing the affected bit, but then you may get an actual water mark (as in it dries, but there is then a faint ring around the edge).

Oh my gosh! I’ve just had one of these mystery marks on a freshly washed grey T-shirt!!

No tumble dryer sheets (line dry) but I do use pods. I’ll rewash and report :)

I think also if you wash at a very cool temperature some of the pods don’t dissolve properly.

Thanks for all your responses! I did wonder if it was more of a ‘grease’ type stain! I don’t use dryer sheets, so it must be coming from the pods or softener.

I put a bit of stain remover on the marks and rewashed on a longer cycle and this seems to have worked! I also cleaned out the drawer as well, before I rewashed!

I think it's the pods. Stopped using them and went back to powder and my washing is much better now.

It's not pods! I get this and I use liquid detergent. I have no idea what is causing it but I think when I put vinegar in the softener drawer it helps.
It can be caused if your washing machine is on its last legs, but this isn't the case for us as ours is only about 8 months old.

Liquid detergents and pods don't contain the same bleaching ingredients as powder. Powder is most effective at cleaning without causing marks of its own and also cleans the machine more effectively, meaning there's less bacterial growth in it. Repeated low temperature washes, especially quick ones, with liquids or pods are a bad idea.

I do all bedding and towels on high temperatures and I don't use fabric softener either so no idea what is going on with our washes.
I agree it might be something to do with the liquid over powder though, I just don't like using it.