RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Doreen Ellen Bell-Dotan, Tzfat (Guest Post)
(06/29/2008)
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Someone in Tzfat, Israel sent me this link because I posted that the blue stains are all in my husband's whites and in mine too to a lesser degree on a message board.
My husband is a lifelong vegetarian. He doesn't use deodorant, doesn't need to. I don't use fabric softener in his wash. He hates the perfume.
I think this is a result of the genetically modified foods we're eating. D2
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Alexis (Guest Post)
(06/27/2008)
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I've also been getting the mystery stains in my clothing.
I've tried several different detergents- the last load I did was with a clear "all natural" detergent (I too wondered about the blue dye, but I don't use Tide or Shout), with brand new t-shirts in the load, and of course, some of the new shirts now have the magic blue stains. So I've ruled out the detergent.
I quit using liquid softener and switched to sheets, but again, still getting stains.
I'm positive it's the washing machine that's the culprit. We were having this problem with our old dryer and now with the new one, in addition to the fact that I've gone through loads piece-by-piece as I'm putting them in the dryer and noticed new stains.
I'm going to start washing with vinegar until we can get a new washer, hopefully that will at least help.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Dani (Guest Post)
(06/26/2008)
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These stains are driving me crazy. Oddly, they show up mostly on my husband's shirts. But my cloths and my kids have been victim to them as well. He's had several work shirts ruined and is severely frustrated by it. Some of them he'll only wear one time, then the first time they get washed they end up with a mysterious stain. We use Purex and Downy, but both are the "natural" versions. Neither is dark in color. In fact, the detergent is clear and the fabric softener is cream-colored. Maybe there is something to the theory of concentrated detergents. I guess my game plan is going to be to use less detergent, make sure it is thoroughly mixed with the water before I put the clothes in, and I'm going to get the Shout color catcher sheets and see what happens.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Kathlen (Guest Post)
(05/18/2008)
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Mysterious blue stains on washed clothing. I don't know how many times this has happened to me. I have always used Tide and tried to contact them about it with no luck whatsoever. I have rewashed and rewashed and the stains are still present. Any help to remove the stains would be helpful
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Mika (Guest Post)
(05/17/2008)
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I got a white logo golf shirt in a place that I'll never be going to again - a valued memento! The first time I washed it - YES in Tide 2x - the dreaded blue botches were present before it was dried. There was no softener, just Tide 2x. I tried all the tricks on this blog, Yahoo answers, etc., with little luck. Oxy-clean paste and soaking had a small effect. Getting more desperate - Clorox bleach pen (carefully rinsing after each applicaton) reduced but didn't eliminate the blotches. I noticed that the Clorox-bleached areas were yellowish and seemed to have a substance in the fabric even though not blue any more.
CONCLUSION: There is something in the new clothes, like sizing, and Tide is using a blueing that permanently colors it.
SOLUTION: How much do you want these items white again? I put the damp shirt on a hanger, took it out to the washline and sprayed it all over with good-ol' bleach from a spray bottle (carefully avoiding the precious logo). After five minutes I used a garden hose with a pressure nozzle to wash it out again. Spraying full force from the inside actually dislodged the sizing, which had turned purple from the bleach even in areas without the Tide blotches. After three repetitions the blue and the purple spots were gone so I put the wet shirt into the washer for a rinse and spin. Now that I understand what's going on, I think it might have worked even better if I'd pressure washed some of the sizing out before bleaching.
PREVENTION: Never use a P&G product again if I can help it... they've been pestered about this for years and won't even admit it happens, when they could be helping people get their clothes back to being wearable. Wash new clothes with dye-free products for a while. Mix blue products into the water before adding clothes.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Jana H. (Guest Post)
(05/11/2008)
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I seriously don't think it has anything to do with the kind of washer you use. My washer and dryer are both a good 15 years old. I've had this problem on and off for several years using mainly Purex with bleach alternative. We recently switched to the concentrated Purex and its really awful. My white towels, socks and lights are the worst. I'm convinced its the newer super-concentrated blue detergents. I'm going to use vinegar in my f.s. dispenser when I put the detergent in I'm going to mix it into the water with my hand thorougly. That stuff just layes ther in the water when you put it in.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
It's the make up brush. At least that's what I believe was causing my spots. I continued to find the little bristle pieces embedded in the blue spots on my freshly washed clothes. So I snipped a bristle from my make up brush (the brush that came with my mineral make up) and purposely threaded the bristle into an old garment. I then soaked the garment in a little laundry detergent mixed with water. It didn't happen immediately, but after some time, the same blue spots appeared! I think the cut or broken ends are especially prone to bleed. By the way, I've noticed that the most recent make up I bought (my brand is Almay) had a noticeably different brush, so I spot tested a bristle from it as well. The new bristle did not bleed. I believe as long as these small pieces of bristles (about 1/8th inch) were embedded in my clothes, the spots would not go away even when rewashed. But when I examined the clothes closely and pulled out the bristle fibers, the spots began to fade with rewashings. Hope this helps some of you!
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
Okay, here's another idea. Do any of you use powdered mineral make-up? I just washed a load (didn't dry it yet) and found more spots on a white sweater and entwined with two of the spots were tiny, little pieces of black "bristle" (like the little pieces of "bristle" my make-up brush that came with my powdered mineral make-up often leaves on my face when I apply the make-up). I pulled these little pieces of bristles (1/16-1/4") right out of the blue spots! One spot was even the same length and shape as the bristle that came from it. This would explain why the spots are almost always on my clothes and almost always on the fronts of my clothes!
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By April (Guest Post)
(03/12/2008)
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This happened to me two times already. Both times it was with brand new clothes. Both times I used Shout. The detergent was not blue and there was no fabric softener involved. I know for a fact that the clothes had this stain on them coming right out of the washing machine, not the dryer! DON"T throw these clothes out. The stains magically disappear eventually with several washes just as fast as they got there. Very strange considering I scrubbed and soaked and use this and that to remove these bright turquoise spots. SO everyone trying to resolve this mystery. You are not crazy and good luck getting them out! There has to be a scientific explanation eventually, this is a rather new occurrence if you ask me, something in the water!
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By April (Guest Post)
(02/14/2008)
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This is so frustrating! It's not the dryer, because I didn't put the brand new clothes in the dryer. I don't use blue detergent on my daughters clothes only free and clear (arm & hammer). It wasn't fabric softener because I didn't put it in the dryer and I don't use fabric softener! I did use SHOUT both times I noticed the stains. That has to be the culprit. Shout and new clothes is a no no! I feel like making a complaint!
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Connie (Guest Post)
(02/08/2008)
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I also use Tide and read that Tide tends to bleed color from one item to another. I have been using Shout Color Catcher in the washer and it has almost gone away. Proof that it works is that almost every sheet coms out with blue coloring on it in both light and dark clothing. Switching to Gain per consumer reports to minimize this problem.
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Blue Stains from Tags on new clothes
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Post By Sandi (Guest Post)
(01/23/2008)
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I just had this happen to a new cream colored sweater. I have not had this happen for about 10 years. My sister says it happens to her all the time, and she thought it was the fabric softener for sure.
I know she was disappointed because it always seemed to ruin new clothes. I noticed this happens a lot with NEW clothes...even in this thread. Ever wonder why manufacturer's put dark colored tags on light colored clothes? I think the blue stains come from the tags on new clothes.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By (Guest Post)
(12/10/2007)
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We noticed a year or two ago that clothing would come out of the washer with mysterious blue splotches. We have city water, have a 6-yr-old Maytag, and use Tide or Cheer with bleach alternative. I also use Liquid Downy. I'm going to change detergents, stop using Downy (try vinegar instead), and pray that this stops. It has ruined many new items and the washer serviceman thinks we're crazy b/c he's never heard of this problem! Thank goodness I'm not the only one!
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By ram (Guest Post)
(12/03/2007)
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I have blue stains that show up on my bathroom floor. When I scrub, I can remove them. We have well water and not sure if this is coming from pipes? Is it dangerous as we use water for cooking? I am concerned as we have little children.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Monica V. (Guest Post)
(12/02/2007)
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I believe it is either Shout spray or Dreft Spray. I use these to pre-treat stains on my daughter's clothes. It has only happened to her clothes, and only after they've been pre-treated. Any suggestions as to what to pre-treat them with other than those?
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Anita (Guest Post)
(10/31/2007)
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Well, I've read most of these comments and it seems my problem is a little different. I get blue streaks on my light colored clothing when I pour directly onto clothes. I've been using PUREX blue liquid . I realize I should probably dilute in water ,however I think it is pretty ironic to have a laundry detergent stain your clothes the way this has! I"ve been able to scrub out before but can not seem to be able to remove from a yellow 95%cotton 5% spandex hoodie. FRUSTRATED I called the company. They say it's not permanent and customers like the blue in their detergent. They suggested using a white bar of soap on stains. It did not work.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Jim (Guest Post)
(10/28/2007)
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How should I use the vinegar to get the stain out!? I tried to pour it on the stain and let it sit and then washed it, and it didn't work.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Kelly (Guest Post)
(10/26/2007)
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I also do use Tide, and I went from the liquid to the powder to see if that helped. It did for a little bit and now its back! It seems worse when I use hot or warm water. I'm so frustrated! How can I get the stains out? I don't want to toss my good work clothes. I could use ANY advice you have! HELP! Service people think I'm crazy! I also have whirlpool, so I'm going to have them come check it out for free, but I'm sure they will have no idea. No appliance company knows what I'm talking about. Which I can't believe, especially after finding this web page!
HOW DO I GET THE STAINS OUT?
I've used Shout spray, Tide pen to go, hairspray, and etc!
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Kelly (Guest Post)
(10/26/2007)
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Once again, I'm glad I'm not alone, because every repair place I have called, have NO IDEA what I'm talking about! They keep saying, its probably a pen, even when I say... "I DON'T PUT PENS IN MY POCKETS, and neither does my husband!" Please tell me how I should put the vinegar on the clothes to get it out. Do I put it directly on the spot!? Thanks for the advice, now I know I'm not crazy. I bought a new washer because of this and its only 4 months old and doing it. Whirlpool stands by their product, so there is no fee to have it looked at, just in case it is the washer!
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Lorri (Guest Post)
(09/23/2007)
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I, too, am having problems with blue stains on my clothes. I noticed that sometimes the stains are actually little blue dots like the pattern of holes in the washing machine.
We have well water, a whole-house filter, a water softner, copper pipes, and our washer and dryer are both 19 years old. I never had this problem until the past several years or so (maybe when concentrated liquid detergent was invented!). We have been in this house for 9 years so it must be something new in the detergent.
I normally use Purex (either blue, free and clear, or bleach alternative) and randomly have blue stains no matter which one I use. I don't use liquid fabric softner, only dryer sheets. I notice the stains on clothes before they go into the dryer so it is not my dryer or the sheets. (I do have blue stains on the back of my dryer as someone mentioned, but I believe that is from drying blue jeans). I have tried Shout Color Catchers and they do not work. They come out with discoloration, but my clothes come out with blue stains, too.
I asked a friend if she ever has this problem and she said no (but she is on city water). She uses Tide or Gain. So I bought a bottle of liquid Gain (green in color) and my first load had blue stains. I have never had blue stains on my whites, but maybe the bleach prevents that from happening. It is mainly on my lights or medium color clothes, but I did ruin one of my husband's dress shirts that was a deep maroon in color. It had blue streaks and dots all over it (front, back, sleeves, neck area). I usually wash my delicates in liquid dish soap like Ivory. I am trying to recall if I have ever had blue stains with these clothes. I don't think I have.
The only thing I haven't tried is reducing the amount of detergent that I use. I generally use a full capful of the concentrated liquid. I think I will take the advice of several people here and cut that in half. Hopefully, I won't have blue stains again. I may also try the vinegar (if I haven't thrown all of the stained clothes out).
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
I had this happen in PA when I used "blue" detergent. And it has not happened since I moved to AZ & switched to white detergent. A week ago, I bought a different detergent since I had a coupon (blue). Now I have stains on MOST of my clothes. I thought it was the OLD washers I use. Now I wonder. Going to try the vinegar thing & put soap in first after water & NO more blue detergent.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By bleever (Guest Post)
(08/25/2007)
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I too have blue stains on a brand new pair of pants. I noticed lots of people were referring to stains in brand new items. Is it possible that sizing or starch applied by the clothing manufacturers is released when the clothes are washed causing the blue stains?
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
I believe it is Tide. I had the same problem for a very long time, I changed to Gain about 3 months ago and have not had one stain since.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Dave (Guest Post)
(08/17/2007)
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In most cases the blue stains on whites in laundry is caused by oxidized copper sloughing from the copper pipes in your home. The increased copper release can be caused by several things: increased water flow, water temperature changes, water chemistry changes, etc. One way to help avoid the staining on whites is to add some sequestering agent with the wash; such as Oxyclean, or clear vinegar might help. Most of the time the blue stains are not caused by colored detergents or other additives.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Sally (Guest Post)
(08/05/2007)
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I, too, thought it was my washing machine... I haven't tried the vinegar yet, but it's on my grocery list. I have used WISK liquid laundry detergent (made by Unilever) exclusively for years & no liquid fabric softener, & the problem just started recently. Very frustrating!! I've tried every stain remover known to mankind (less the vinegar trick, of course) & nothing works so far.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Marion (Guest Post)
(07/28/2007)
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Thank God I found this. We've been having this problem on and off for a year, ever since we bought a new washer/dryer combo. The problem hasn't occured for several months, but showed up again mysteriously. It was a real nightmare because it happened with a new set of beige towels and then when I was doing a load of my "gentles". Yup, eight of my nicest shirts wound up with BIG BLUE STAINS all over them. I was heartbroken.
Well after all this time I know it's the washer, and as one person above stated, I had also called out the SEARS repairman. He and SEARS were stumped too. He had never heard of it. Neither had I.
Well I cut way back on the TIDE detergent I was using, and it seemed to work for a while. I don't know if I added a bit too much yesterday, but the danged thing was there again.
I did as suggested above and used some vinegar and it got the stains out of all except two shirts. I re-washed two to three times. Arrrgggh!
I think it's time to send TIDE a letter and let them know what's happening with their HE products.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Chloe (Guest Post)
(06/12/2007)
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This is an interesting thread for me to read but it is not solving my blue stain problem. I do not use fabric softener, HE detergent, Tide or other Proctor & Gamble products. I have used the same washing machine for 4 years with no problems until the last 4-6 months. The staining appears in cold, warm, dark, light loads of laundry. I use a non-dye, all natural, liquid detergent that I add to the machine while its filling before I put the clothes in and I am still having the blue stain problem. What else could be causing this? It is driving me crazy. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By (Guest Post)
(06/10/2007)
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I asked a friend about it, she said she uses Gain, I tried it several weeks ago, I love it, the clothes are clean, they smell great and NO BLUE SPOTS. I not going back to Tide.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By cw (Guest Post)
(06/10/2007)
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This is an interesting string of postings.
It sounds like there's actually a combination of things that are causing people's clothing to spot blue.
The traditional problem:
1) Fabric Softener--This has been a known issue for a long time.
The newer problem:
2) Bluing in detergent--I think this is an interesting "newer" problem with the advent of concentrated detergent and HE washers.
Here's what I think is happening:
The traditional "correct" method of washing clothes is to:
- start water first
- dump in detergent
- dump in clothes
The reason for that particular order is the dilute/dissolve the detergent BEFORE it comes into contact with the clothes.
Certainly not new to the market, but probably of impact is the increase in high concentration detergents--you know, the ones in the tiny bottles that use 1/4 of a cup vs. the "original" version. It's a higher concentration, so you need more water to dilute it. That's why using less detergent helps. Less detergent requires less water to dilute it. That's also why you add the detergent while the tub is filling and before you add clothes. But if you dump your clothes into the water before the detergent disperses, then you're still pretty much in the same boat.
With HE side loading washers, you dump the the detergent in the little tray, the water rushes into the tray, and then flows into the tub. So you're using less water to dilute the same amount of detergent before it hits your clothes.
Liquid detergents are already liquid, so they disperse faster than powder. And of course there's the blue stuff and the clear stuff. Bluing is an optical game. It doesn't really make your clothes whiter, it just makes them APPEAR whiter by actually turning the white slightly blue. When it's not diluted properly, then you get visible blue stains.
I'm certainly not an expert, it's just what makes sense to me. I'm a habitual water-clothes-detergent while the water's running person, and totally blew it when I wasn't in the mood to go out and purchase "my" brand of detergent and used an unknown. I diluted it by putting the cap under the running water, but as soon as I saw how dark the blue was, I thought "*rap! I'll be lucky if I don't get blue spots on my brand new ivory pants." Sure enough, there are 2 spots on the seat of the pants, and I'm now off to try the vinegar trick. I'm positive it's from the blue detergent because I was at least smart enough to turn the pants inside out before I dumped them in the water. The blue spots show more on the inside than the outside.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Hansmon (Guest Post)
(04/29/2007)
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I have just switched to TIDE He for front loaders and have been blessed by the 'BLUE SPOTS'....... A laundry deterent is not supposed to stain clothes, it is supposed to remove stains. The tide is shifting in my house, I willl try the vinegar trick and shift to ALL. Good luck to everyone thank you for sharing your experiences.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By sde (Guest Post)
(04/29/2007)
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I have had this problem for a couple of years. I don't think it's the dryer, I have it on clothes that I do not put in the dryer.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By 4tothesand (Guest Post)
(04/25/2007)
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I am so glad that I am not the only one that has experienced blue stains. I thought at first just like everyone else it was the fabric softner so of course I stopped using it and the stains still appeared. What I have found that takes it out is the detergent by Ivory for babies. I actually called Downy and that is what they recommended.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By (Guest Post)
(03/19/2007)
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Hi! Unfortunately, I have had the same problem. At first, I thought it was also the fabric softener, which I immediately stopped using. Like most of you, it still is happening with only clear Tide (or other brands, I have tried many) liquid...and one of the largest darkest stains I ever got was when I was using "powder" HE3 detergent. I am willing to try the vinegar in water treatment. Just had Sears out again today to tell me they have never heard of this problem and there is nothing wrong with the machine. I begged them to let me do a wash, and they said they believed me and it wouldn't be necessary. After they left, I did a load of whites and can you'all guess what happened? A small (thankfully) spot on one of my white T-shirts. Luckily, it did not happen to a new white sweater I also had in the wash. There must be some type of reason that this only seems to occur on white or light clothes, or maybe that is why we are noticing it. Something else funny. At least on my clothes, it is only on the front. The spots are never on the backs, sleeves, etc. Maybe if we all brain storm this we can help each other solve the problem, as Sears and others won't. Why on just the front of clothes. I don't use the shout products and no fabric softener and only powder. It also seems to mostly appear on my clothes versus husband or childrens.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
I love you guys. I didn't know about the vinegar. It works. I thought there was some mysterious blue stain demon in my life. Now I know I'm not alone. I thought it was blue fabric softner until I stopped using it. It must be the Tide. I always fill the tub about 1/2 full before putting in clothing, but I still had stains occasionally.
Thanks, Colleen
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Stacy (Guest Post)
(03/03/2007)
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I have found it to be the liquid fabric softener. I have a front loading washer & when I would use the liquid softener in the dispenser it would leave blue stains. I had the repair man out for the washer & he said it was the liquid. I didn't believe him until I quit using it & the stains quit showing up! I was using blue liquid downy.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
This is not our washers or dryers! It is something new they are adding to the detergents. It may be that bleach alternative chemical they use now. It happened first with Cheer, I switched to Tide, happened again, switched to a cheap store brand and it happened again! But, I found something that took my blue stains out, long after they showed up too. Best of all, it will cost you only a dollar at Dollar General, or perhaps other dollar stores as well. It is called Brawn Oxy Burst Multi-Purpose Cleaner. In a blue spray bottle. Works wet or dry, may take more than one application (I soak the fabric with it), may take overnight with more applications the second day. But I got results on everything that had been stained. Also used the same stuff on coffee stains on floor mats, took them out as I watched it soak in. Great stuff! Hope it helps you all too!
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
*POSSIBLE EXPLANATION* I have been finding blue spots randomly all over anything white that comes out of the laundry. Straight away i assumed that it was my washing machine which worried me as it was practically new. I had a peek on this forum and noticed that everyone seemed to have one thing in common - that they used "Tide." As they do not produce Tide in the UK, where I live, i checked out who the manufacturer was and it appears to be a company called Proctor & Gamble (P&G) I use Fairy Non Bio and surprise surprise, the manufacturers appear to be... wait for it... Proctor and Gamble. I have listed all Proctor and Gamble products below, so you may want to avoid using these products in future!!
UK Products: Ace, Ariel, Fairy, Bold, Bounce, Daz, Dreft, Lenor
US Products: Tide, Bounce, Cheer, Downy, Dreft, Era, Febreze, Gain, Ivory.
Karen
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
*POSSIBLE EXPLANATION* I have been finding blue spots randomly all over anything white that comes out of the laundry. Straight away i assumed that it was my washing machine which worried me as it was practically new. I had a peek on this forum and noticed that everyone seemed to have one thing in common - that they used "Tide." As they do not produce Tide in the UK, where I live, i checked out who the manufacturer was and it appears to be a company called Proctor & Gamble (P&G) I use Fairy Non Bio and surprise surprise, the manufacturers appear to be... wait for it... Proctor and Gamble. I have listed all Proctor and Gamble products below, so you may want to avoid using these products in future!!
UK Products: Ace, Ariel, Fairy, Bold, Bounce, Daz, Dreft, Lenor
US Products: Tide, Bounce, Cheer, Downy, Dreft, Era, Febreze, Gain, Ivory.
Karen
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By allyson (Guest Post)
(02/03/2007)
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I only get the blue stain on my baby daughter's clothes and bibs. She is a year old, so I know it isn't from formula. And it doesn't happen all the time. I have 3 kids and it never happened w/ the first one's clothes in our old apartment where we had our own washer and dryer. It has happened w/ the last 2 kids and we live in an apartment complex and share washed/dryer w/ a lot of people. I however am not sure it is from that. I am in the prcess right now of soaking 4 of my fsvortie shirts of hers in the vinegar/watrer solution. I hope it works, if not I am goning to try the oxyclean.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Mike H (Guest Post)
(01/17/2007)
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We have the blue splotches on our clothing. It happens randomly. We bought a new Kenmore HE3T at the same time that we replaced our pipes with copper piping and got a water softener. We never had the problem before the new washer/new pipes/ new water softener. We also have blue stains in our toilet and shower from the new pipes. I wonder if the clothing stains have to do with the new pipes/water softener. Does anyone else have these similar conditions ?
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By MEKV (Guest Post)
(01/10/2007)
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The blue staining has happened to me during the washing phase to my clothes in both light loads and dark loads. I have not seen any crayons, pens, or other items in the wash that could have caused this. I use Tide w/bleach for light loads and Cheer Colorguard for darks, both are powders. I do not use fabric softener in the wash cycle. I do have a water softener. My house uses city water and has copper water pipes but the water hose leading to the washer is plastic or rubber. The washer is about 5 years old and the drum is clean and white. We do not use blue automatic toilet bowl cleaners, nor do I use SHOUT or any other spot cleaners. The staining happens only occasionally and only affects 1 or 2 items in the load (usually my newest or favorite pieces of course). If anyone figures out this mystery, or how to remedy it, please let me know!!!!! I tried vinegar, fels naptha soap, oxy stain remover, ammonia, bleach and dye remover. The stain lightened, but dye remover was the only thing that removed the stain completely. It also removed most the color from the clothes (no good).
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Jennifer (Guest Post)
(12/12/2006)
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My problem started when I started using Tide. It is dark blue. I am switching back to ALL and I am gonna try the vinegar and water soaking to see if that will take out the stains. I am so frustrated because I just bought 2 new shirts and of course they are the ones with stains on them. God Bless and Merry Christmas!
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Lydia (Guest Post)
(12/07/2006)
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I have read all the suggestions and I am going to try cutting back on the detergent. I may even try changing brands because the one I use has some blue crystals in it. The blue stains don't get on all the clothes, just some, so I'm not wanting to change the detergent just yet. I'm hitting the problem one suggestion at a time. Next, I'm going to soak the stained blouse in vinegar and water, but my question is now, will the vinegar affect the short, black sleeves on the white blouse? My daughter had only worn the sporty blouse twice since I bought it for her and the stains appeared. She has not worn it since because of the stains. I will be waiting to hear from someone before I attempt to soak my daughter's blouse.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Nanci-San Diego (Guest Post)
(12/04/2006)
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If you have found that softner is causing your blue spot problem,switch to white vinigar. One cup at rince cycle or just put in your rince dispencer, & your clothes come out nice & soft. Plus your towels will be more absorbent after your shower or bath !
I also put 1cup of vinegar in my wash cycle w/very little detergent. You really only need about a third of the "recommended" amout anyway. They just want you to use more to buy more!! Then about every 10 washes I use only Borax, or something like it, & the vinegar, to get all the built up soap residew out.
Good luck all !
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Jodi (Guest Post)
(11/26/2006)
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Is it all clothes or just some? I think it's actually caused by one of the products I use on my hair, because I notice it now mostly on my tshirts, around the neckline and shoulders. Anyone else?
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
I'm in Nebraska along the Missouri/Platte rivers, very hard water here. I haven't had this happen since buying my Duet washer/dryer. I've used powdered Arm & Hammer detergent and Downy for years. My washer is steel basket front loading. BUT my dryer has acquired (over the 3 years I've had it) some blue coloring along the back wall of the white drum and my repair guy says it's normal. I recently switched detergents to liquid Purex Free & Clear (and it is CLEAR), and am still using liquid Downy. One brand new light heather pink sweat suit, heavy cotton, came out of the dryer with blue marks this morning. I soaked with OxyClean and I am washing again, looks like it's coming out. So it could be a chemical thing with the liquid detergent but I'm taking a Mr. Clean pad to my dryer drum to rule that out. This has been very informative.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Jill (Guest Post)
(11/01/2006)
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I read some info on this site and I can't believe it worked! I have ruined many articles of clothing or so I thought. The blue spots are from too much laundry detergent so I cut it in half. I haven't been getting spots anymore.Then I proceeded to soak some of the clothes I had previously ruined in a cup of vinegar to a half gallon of water and they came clean!! I couldn't believe it but am so happy to know you can find answers on these types of websites.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
Well I have to say, I have read all of the comments written here, I have the same problem, and I'm all the way in Perth Western Australia. and have come to the conclusion, that for me its NOT the dryer, I dont use one, Its NOT the fabric softener, I dont use that either, so I'm down to trying less powder in the machine, wish me luck!- Carol
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Pat (Guest Post)
(10/18/2006)
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I have had this problem just start occurring. The only recent changes I have made are buying some no name detergent and color safe bleach. I do not use fabric softener. I have cut in half the suggested amount of detergent used with no difference in these stains. Does seem to be a "lights" problem so now I'm thinking it is that color safe bleach. Why do they use blue dye in everything anyhow?!
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Robin (Guest Post)
(10/16/2006)
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I've had this a few times. I happened to be using Liquid Tide at the time. Also we have very hard water. I tried vinegar to get them out, but no luck. I don't use fabric softener so my only thought is that it had to do with the reaction of the Tide to our hard water. I've been using powdered detergent from Costco and have had no problems.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By e in florida. (Guest Post)
(10/16/2006)
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I recently moved here from Ontario Canada & for the first time have encountered blue dye stains on the washed clothing. Since the problem occurred in the washer, I don;t believe it's caused by dryer sheets. I have used several different detergents & believe the problem is the Hard,treated water here & the chemical reaction that has on certain fabrics,cotton for instance, all shirts I had the problem with were 100% cotton washed in hot water,I always use liquid detergent and wait for the water to fill the tub before filling with clothes. I will try the vinegar suggestion as I have tried salt solution & the baking soda solution & they have failed, I'm also going to buy oxiclean & see if that works. I'll let you know how I made out
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By fruit k8 (Guest Post)
(10/11/2006)
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grateful for this column..helps with the getting to the bottom of this problem..ok..I have a private well/front load washer( uses very little water)stainless steel interior dryer/don't use shout/it always happens in the "white" loads BUT...I launder our washcloths,which are bright orange and fushia(iknow..gaudy)with the whites to kill germs better.but...occasinally the whites have the dreaded Blue deposit but predminently on the colored washcloths!!laundered in the HOT water..at 1st I thought my son who had moved back in with us was polishing his work shoes with the face cloths.( he is capable:-) He thought it was my mascara..they are hideous...I boiled the facecloths and most of the stains came out..but of course reoccurred.I played CSI..what has changed..he uses bar soap...I usually use tide for the whites as it seems to be a stronger detergent..I like the dispensor for the 300oz so. if I buy a smaller bottle I pour it into the large one..the thing is..I think it could be the "DOWNY" that is IN the TIDE??I dont always buy it that way...sometimes with bleach alternative etc...Im suppossed to use the HE with the front loader(looks like a watered down version or the less expensive brands to me) so...washcloths are more absorbant than cotton (normally in the same load) so either it is too much soap (bar soap has oil) or the downy(heavier..has some oil? (which would also be deposited more readily on the terrycloth) and would beheavier than the tide so would settle to the bottom of the dispensor?than the whites..so maybe its a good thing I havent wrecked my whites by washing with the gaudy colored more absorbant facecloths!! Could it be the downy..is attracted to the oily parts of the laundry?
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
Haven't had this problem, thank goodness!! Was thinking rather then use all those chemicals in your dryer drum, why not use a Mr. Clean sponge? Has anyone tried that?
Just an idea :)
http://www.2ewenique.com
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
This had me curious and I found this on the cleaning 101 website.
http://www.cleaning101.com/laundry/fact/laundrytable1.cfm#4
Problem: Blue Stains
Causes:
Failure of a blue coloring in detergent, laundry aid or fabric softener to dissolve or disperse.
Solutions:
If caused by a detergent or powdered laundry aid, add 1 cup (240 ml) of white vinegar to 1 quart (.95L) of water. Use a plastic container. Soak item for one hour; rinse.
If caused by fabric softener, rub stains with bar soap, wash.
Preventive Measures:
Add product first, then clothes and start washer.
Dilute fabric softener before adding to wash or rinse cycle, or to dispenser.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By Linda (Guest Post)
(10/02/2006)
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I have that happen a lot, I asked my in laws, who own a dry cleaner, they said I am using too much detergent. I have been using less and have not had the blue spots return.
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RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
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Post By (Guest Post)
(10/02/2006)
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I hear it is from using too much detergent, I have this happen all the time but since I have been using less detergent I have not had it happen at all!
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STAINS USE SHOUT COLOR CATCHERS IN WASHER
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Post By SUE (Guest Post)
(10/02/2006)
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WHEN I WASH SERVERAL DIFFER COLOR TOPS, I USE SHOUT COLOR CATCHER IN WASHING MACHINE,WITH GOOD RESULTS, PUT SHOUT IT OUT ON STAIN FIRST THEN PUT SHOUT COLOR CATCHER IN WASHER, LET WASHER FILL UP AND THEN PUT CLOTHES IN WASHER
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Request: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
I have a mystery that perhaps someone else has discovered the answer to.
Periodically when I wash a load of clothes, some of the clothing will come out with blue dye stains scattered around. No pen in the load. No blue item that could have bled.
I changed from the blue fragrance Downy to a green fragrance and nothing changed. The only other thing I could find in common was that I was using Era detergent, which is blue. So I changed to a Tide detergent that is clear. I assumed I was free and clear of this period hassle.
But nope. I just found a fairly new light blue blouse with the same blue stains randomly scattered all over it.
I'd appreciate the answer if anyone has one.
Thanks,
Jubi from Nebraska
Answers:
RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
That has been happening to me to. Do you have soft water? I never noticed it before I did, but it causes a lot of clothes to bleed, even if they are supposed to be colorfast. You could try flushing the fabric softener dispenser, if you have one on your machine. I don't use fabric softener, but they can collect pigments, and leftover soap, and such. I hope this helps. Good luck! (02/10/2005)
By miss annabelle
RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
Sounds like something is "behind" the tub part of the washer. I'd call an appliance store and ask them how to check behind it. Hope this helps. (02/11/2005)
By MrsMoted2
RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
I've had that happen too and realized it was the fabric softener (which was a light blue liquid), which did not distribute properly -- not a fun discovery when doing a 'white' load. (02/12/2005)
By SDfriend
RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
This might be mineral deposits. My boyfriend has his water coming from a well. No real filtration. I put a scoop of Oxyclean in every load of laundry. It costs a little more but with the kind of money I spend on my clothes it is a real savings in the long run. He was amazed at how clean and bright his towels and t-shirts look. Even his dad after suffering with this for thirty years is amazed at the look of his white linen table clothes (antiques). (06/23/2005)
By Sunny
RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
You most likely have copper water pipes and this is causing the green\blue stains. We have the same problem.
We have found that if you soak the stained clothes in vinegar and water the stains will come out. We are looking into a small water softener system just for the washing machine. (11/20/2005)
RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
I have lost at least $800 in clothes in the last 3 years. Many times it will not occur for weeks or months and then 1 load will be loaded with the blue stains. My 3 year old dryer has evidence of the blue stains burnt onto the drum.
I heard a rumor that the problem could be caused by the BLUE automatic toilet bowl cleaners. The claim was that as these tablets dissolve, some of the blue dye seep back into the plumbing if the seal for the incoming connections to the tank were not tight. The blue stuff settles down to lowest part of the plumbing and then the next water draw would carry this stuff to that location.
It sounded like a long shot but I was willing to try anything so I stopped using the blue tablets and it seemed that the problem subsided. However recently I have started to see the problem again even though I stopped using the Blue cleaner for more than a year.
I use a water softener and have a whole house filter to accommodate my hard, iron-rich well water. I am now thinking that this problem is related to the water composition or corrosion in the pipes. I plan on installing some type of inline filter just in front of the washing machine in order to purify the water just before it enters the machine. At least I should be able to see what gets picked up in the filter. (02/23/2006)
By victorb
RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
I believe that the blue staining is from the dryer. When I see the blue stains on clothes after a dry cycle I put them back in the washer and they are gone but when I dry them again they appear again. The dryer drum has a blue stain on the it and I believe that its from washing the blue jeans over the years. Blue jeans give off a dark blue dye especially when new and I think that after a few years the dye eventually bakes onto the dryer drum and every so often transfers onto a load of clothes in the dryer. I've heard that you can soak some old white towel with 1 or 2 cups of bleach and the rest with water to soak up the towel and run it in the dryer, repeating the process until you don't see the blue dye on the towel anymore. I've had my dryer for about 4 yrs. and just recently started to notice the problem so I've been researching for a solution. I haven't had the chance to try this yet, but I plan to asap. Let me know if anyone else tries and the result. Thanks, hope it help me & you. (03/22/2006)
By Anna
RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
I think my husband and I may have found the cause tonight. We've had this exact thing happen at our house for years - random blue streaks and stains in our clothing. Sometimes I can get it out with Clorox 2, or at least lighten it. We've been stumped because we use white powder Tide, no fabric softener in the wash, we have a water softener, city water, blah blah. I always have used powder detergent because my mom said that liquid always gave her clothes blue spots so tonight my husband suggested it might be Shout spray. It's blue, it's liquid, we rub it into stains, and we only use it occasionally. Tomorrow I'm going to find a clear stain remover and hopefully the problem will stop. It's really frustrating to have this keep happening on school and work clothes, so I hope we have found our solution. (04/09/2006)
By Jenny
RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
Sadly, we have the same quirky problem. Things I know for sure... It happened in our old washer and dryer and now we have a new dryer and washer and yet the problems persist. We do not use any blue toilet bowl cleaner. It happened in our old house with a large metro city water supply as well as our brand new house with a small town city water supply. One common thing I see... Tide detergent. Here's an incident to deepen the mystery. Today, after several months in a row with no blue splotches, they reappeared. They were WORSE on the INSIDE of the shirts than the outside of the shirts. I hope someone solves this mystery soon. I can't afford to keep buying my family new clothes. (05/05/2006)
By Jan
RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
I am so glad to hear that we're not alone! This is such a frustrating problem. I really think it is the dryer because I can rewash clothes or soak them and the stains come out. We have a water softener, don't use fabric softener, changed from Tide to All, and don't use blue toilet bowl cleaner and yet the problem persists. I think the dyes from laundry build up on the dryer drum and need to be cleaned periodically. I have tried wiping the drum out with a white rag and the blue comes off on the rag. If I do that after a load of dark colors, I don't have a problem on the next load. (05/25/2006)
By Monica
RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
Could be acidic water (water w/ pH <6.5). I have the same problem and I have well water. Oxyclean works well, though. (05/28/2006)
By guest
RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
We are extremely frustrated with the blue stain problem. After reading all of the feedback, it sounds like most people have water softeners (we do) and have high mineral content in their water (we do). It also sounds like oxiclean might help. I'm going to stop using blue detergent, clean out my dryer drum and use oxiclean. I'll let you know how it goes. Blue stained show up about once every 2-3 weeks - of course only on white clothing and towels. (05/31/2006)
By June Moncrief
RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
I had blue spots on my clothes and I narrowed it down to being the washer. I put stainless steel hoses on the back where it connects to the faucets. No more blue spots! (06/19/2006)
By guest
RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
IT'S THE SHOUT. Seriously. I just figured it out reading all these posts and looking at the blue stain that ruined my favorite pink shirt, wondering about where these occasional horrid blue stains come from and then it hit me, I recognize the pattern. IT'S SHOUT. We have a water softener. Maybe the two together produce some bad effect, we use arm and hammer and we use borax for washing, that is is. SHOUT! (07/06/2006)
By hpike
RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
We had this problem and finally figured out it was coming from the dryer drum being stained. Every so often khaki pants, colored and white clothes would come out with blue streaks and we could not figure it out until we saw the inside of a new dryer and noticed that it was white. Our 7 year old dryer was blue. We figured it out. So we tried goof off, which worked but was too strong and toxic. Plus we figured it might catch on fire if we used too much.
So we next tried clorox clean-up, fantastik heavy duty cleaner and window cleaner. None worked. One day while at Sears buying hoses for our washer we asked a representative if she could help with our dryer dilemma and she recommended using Cleaning Cream for Smooth Top Ranges. It worked, with a little elbow grease. My hubby is doing most of the cleaning.
We recommend doing small sections at a time. We just started yesterday and we are almost finished. When we are done we plan to clean it often especially after washing dark clothing. Hope this helps anyone who has not found a solution yet. (07/30/2006)
By tee472
RE: Blue Stains Showing Up On Washed Clothing
I have found the only time I have this problem is when using downy fabric softener. I stop using it and the problem stops. (09/12/2006)
By Lisa
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