Black marks on clothes driving me insane

[Ihatemyselfmore]

I had a washing machine for about a year, for the last few months it started depositing black, unmovable, stains on our clothes. We called Amazon who gave us a full refund. We replaced with a Bosch washing machine - this has only lasted about 5 months before depositing black marks and they are getting significantly worse (please see pic - none of these dark marks were on the clothes prior to putting them in the washing machine).

We live in a soft water area and already:

• don’t use fabric softener
• use powder detergent
• Run a 90 degree wash every month AND a wash with a specified drum cleaner
• have checked the seal - sparkling clean

Surely it can’t be a mechanical issue with the machine twice in a row? The machine is under guarentee but wondering if there is an underlying problem.

I am unable to remove these stains - I have tried vanish, dr o grease and oil stain remover, powder stain remover - they won’t budge at all. It always manages to spray my favourite clothing - feeling like I bloody need to use a laundrette to wash all my clothes (which I can’t afford).

Any ideas - I’ve read all the forum posts on this but we have already done all the suggestions!

The most common reason is the bearings have gone. Would be unusual in a machine or two of that age, unless you are seriously overloading them.

Definitely not overloading, would never stuff the clothes in!

I came here to say exactly this, about bearings. I can't imagine it happening on two new machines. How odd.

It’s so weird. To double check yesterday I used a dr Beckmann washing machine cleaner, and then ran a specific drum clean wash setting on the washing machine, washed all the seal (though it was clean and nothing came out) - put a wash in this morning and this is how items have come out again- it’s driving me insane! We have a Bosch person coming out of Friday and really hoping they can shed some light as I’m so fed up of our clothes getting ruined. Before we bought the last two machines we had an old second hand one for 4 years that had no issues - regretting getting a new one now!!

Is it everyone's clothes?

I am very much clutching at straws here, but did you connect the new machine to the same water piper as the last machine? I am wondering if the rubber pipe is faulty. You can rule this out by making sure the new pipe is fitted. Also, try disconnecting the water pipe, fill a bucket with water from the tap that supplies the washing machine, and do a hand wash to see if the incoming water pipe is causing the problem...I can't think it would be, but I'm looking for common factors across two machines.

Is the new machine using the pipe from the last one?

It isn’t on the whole wash load, it just seems to dump what ever it is on 3/4 items in the wash, but can be mine/husbands/sons - so I don’t think it’s something on the clothes - the pics are of my sons clothes - but there was stuff of his that came fine and he has worn the same spf etc and it’s the same material

John Lewis connected it - but I would imagine it was the same water pipe! When we disconnected the old one and drained it thought the water was clear

They are supposed to always fit the new pipe supplied with the machine, I mean I rarely have done because it's easier not to, but they are supposed to, and if you are getting the manufacturer out to look at the machine, you need to check this first as they may use it as a get-out clause to charge you for a call out, by saying the fitting instructions had not been followed correctly. So do, please, check this. Were you left a hose with the instruction booklet and the transit bolts which they removed when installing?

Years ago, I had a new kitchen tap which had faulty rubber pipes connected to it. The water tasted disgusting from that tap...it took me a while to link the problem with my coffee to the new tap. The water that drained from the machine may look clear, but I'm seriously wondering if something from the inside of the pipe is leaching into the wash water.

Something is depositing from the cold water feed.
What or how I don't know, how strange.

That's what I am thinking.

We paid John Lewis to install it and have evidence to do this, so if the manufacturer tries to charge us we will be refusing a direction them to John Lewis. When we called John Lewis about it they gave us a case number and then provided us the details to get the manufacturer to come out and see it, so we have raised through JL too. We were left with an instruction manual but no parts.

They should have left you the bolts behind at the very least, as some people like to keep them to put back in, in case you decide to transport the machine somewhere else.

When you disconnected the previous machine, did you leave the water pipe attached to the tap? If you you removed the pipe and took it away then the installers couldn't have reused it. If not, then it's 50/50 they have.

Some washing machines get mould forming on the droplets in the top of the soap drawer - my mum had one which was terrible for this - and by the top of the drawer, I am meaning the roof of the space where the water comes down like a shower head....you can only see it by taking the drawer out and tipping your head upside down. Is this area totally clean before you do a wash?

It could be mould from the soap drawer as PP says, I spray mould remover spray in mine, and rub it round with rubber gloves on to make sure it goes in all the crevices at the top, black bits often come out of it.

I use a dr Beckmann washing machine cleaner every month since I got it (which was only about 7/8 months ago) and the instructions for that is to put it in the soap draw so I’d be surprised if it is mould from there!

Also with a 3 year old it’s used 3-4 times a week so not much time to sit there and build up mould and we leave the door open to air between washes

If you are using powder in the drawer maybe some is getting stuck on the way to the wash down a pipe and going grey and slimy, I don't think it takes much in a wet environment for mould and stuff to build up.

No, you're missing the point. I might not be explaining it well. Sorry. You are putting the Dr Beckmann in the drawer, but that won't do a thing for the water that accumulates at the end of each wash, in the roof of the soap compartment. The drips hang like blobs on the end of a child's nose on a cold winters morning, and can very quickly go mouldy.

When laundry is washed at 40C and below, the rising vapour from the drum gently warms the area beautifully, thus encouraging the growth. I've only ever known it not to be a problem where people have continually washed at 60C and above, as the vapour is a lot hotter and kills rather than breeds. But the only way you can rule this out is to remove the drawer completely, and turn your head up to look. Or use a mirror or camera phone to put inside.

Following

We had a supplier mechanic come around and nothing is wrong with the machine.

after a lot of research, I think it may be bubble fluid!! Shop bought bubble fluid - it stains your clothes grey! I never knew this and explains why it is on mine and my husbands clothes too. Also explains these particular items of clothing being so stained as my sister in law had got these big bubble trays and wands for the kids to play in all afternoon!