White stains on clothes after washing: what are they and how to get rid of them?

One of the most common questions on the Internet regarding laundry concerns the cause of sediment on items that have just been washed. These may be white spots or streaks left on dark items, or blue, green, or yellow residue on light-colored items. Today we will talk about the reasons that cause this problem and how to solve them.

#1: Undissolved laundry detergent

If you use loose laundry detergent, it will not completely dissolve in water. Always pour laundry detergent into the empty dispenser before loading laundry. This will give it more time in the water to dissolve.

If you wash in cold water, especially in very cold climates, the laundry detergent may not dissolve completely. For best results with cold water and laundry detergent, dissolve it first in a container of hot water before adding it to the machine dispenser.

The same steps should be followed with liquid detergent. Never pour detergent directly onto dry clothes or into the washing machine drum; add liquid detergent to an empty dispenser.

If your machine has an automatic dispenser, various detergents may clump in it, since even liquid powders tend to turn into clumps if not dissolved. Remove the dispenser and clean it with hot water mixed with half a cup of distilled white vinegar. If the dispenser does not come off, fill it with pure distilled white vinegar and leave for at least 30 minutes. Then run a wash cycle without any laundry in the drum to empty the dispenser.

This is the most common cause of stains on clothes after washing, so these steps will help solve the problem.

How to prevent white streaks on clothes?

To prevent streaks, the first step before washing is to turn any clothing inside out, regardless of the type of fabric.

If, based on personal experience, you already know which clothes are prone to stains, then use liquid laundry detergent rather than ordinary dry powder.

And for linen of dark or black tones it is better to buy a special gel.

Rinsing after washing should be done by hand, since this is how soap, powder and other products are washed out best. If you prefer automatic rinsing, then you need to do this at least three times.

Clothes that are prone to streaks should be dried horizontally instead of hanging. The bottom line is that numerous smudges that create stains appear precisely because the clothes are hung on ropes, and water flows from them, leaving marks. When drying horizontally, the washed clothes are simply laid out on the clothes dryer.

If you don’t have a dryer, you can spread the laundry on any horizontal surface, for example, on a table. Spread a terry sheet or towel, and then place the washed item on it and carefully straighten it, including the slightest wrinkles. If you dry your laundry on the table, remember that you need to turn it over from time to time so that it dries evenly on both sides.

Inspect the drying clothes - if light stains begin to appear, wash them immediately using the product you wash dishes with. A stain remover applied to white marks and left for a short time will also help remove stains. After this, you need to wash the laundry and rinse it thoroughly, preferably several times.

When washing in an automatic machine, do not fill the tank too tightly with dirty laundry. The fact is that the linen will lack space, things will begin to twist and wrap around each other. It will be difficult to rotate the laundry in the drum; as a result, after such washings, the clothes lose their shape and stretch out. It is due to the large amount of laundry in the drum of the washing machine that light stains appear, since it is physically impossible to get rid of the remnants of powder or other laundry detergent if the laundry is twisted and tangled.

#4: Pumping equipment is clogged or out of flow

If the water flows too slowly during washing and rinsing, undissolved detergent and dirt may remain on your clothes.

Many newer washing machines have a small door on the bottom of the washing machine to access the filter just above the water pump. In older washing machines, you will be able to access the internal parts through the back cover. All this is necessary in order to clean the pump element.

Open your drain system and make sure that the filter is not clogged with dirt, lint or small objects that could obstruct the flow of water and therefore cause streaks on clothes after washing.

Deodorant stains

Vinegar

If traces of antiperspirant appear on colored clothing, use vinegar to remove them. To do this, you just need to moisten the problem area with it and leave it overnight. In the morning, wash the item as required.

Salt

The second way to remove white stains from deodorant on fabric is to use simple table salt. To do this, wash your clothes, rub the problem area with salt, leave it overnight, and wash and rinse again in the morning. It is worth noting that this method will remove even old deodorant stains.

Lemon

Remove deodorant stains with lemon juice. It needs to be applied to the white spots for a couple of minutes. After this, rinse the T-shirt or blouse in warm water. But this method is only suitable for removing fresh stains from antiperspirant. Moreover, instead of lemon juice, white spots can be blotted with ammonia.

How to remove stubborn sweat stains

Stubborn sweat stains are rarely completely removed after washing. But with the help of a few home remedies, you can forget about them once and for all. Traces of sweat on clothing under the arms can be removed with hydrogen peroxide. To do this, you need to pour a little peroxide onto the wet material, and after a couple of seconds, wash the item as usual.
Aspirin tablets will also be effective. Crush one tablet, place it on a damp cloth and leave overnight. After this, your T-shirt or blouse needs to be washed and dried.
Sweat stains are the most difficult to remove from cotton clothing. But many experienced housewives have successfully dealt with this problem. Take ammonia and salt. Combine them in 1:1 proportions and apply to the contaminated area for several hours. After this, stains from sweat should be easily washed off.

Washing with hard water

Hard water mixed with powder causes a chemical reaction that leaves light streaks on clothing. To get rid of the problem:

Find out what impurity is in the water: lime or iron. Look at the bottom of pots and kettles. With a large amount of lime, a white coating appears; with an excess of iron, a red coating of rust appears;
Select a filter from the identified impurity and connect it to the washing machine.

It is better to call a plumber to connect the filter.

If none of the above helps get rid of stains on clothes, then consult a washing machine repairman.

What to do for prevention?

Proper washing, preventing the appearance of smudges, occurs according to the following rules:

strict adherence to the temperature maximum indicated on the tag;
replacing crystalline powder with washing liquid or gel;
intensive rinsing several times;
"delicate wash;
things in the typewriter are turned inside out;
natural down jackets are washed with special balls;
When cleaning manually, you should not wring out the clothes; you need to let the water drain on its own, hanging the product in a vertical position.

Drying a jacket is an important stage, during which you also need to follow the recommendations:

warm jackets are dried exclusively horizontally to avoid drips and streaks;
Do not allow the drying item to be exposed to sunlight;
the procedure must be performed in a well-ventilated place (for example, on a balcony);
Sometimes you need to turn the jacket over to dry evenly.

We use stain remover

For difficult to remove stains, you will have to purchase special products. Manufacturers offer a large selection. These can be: sprays, powders, liquids. For mild smudges and stains, a stain remover is suitable that does not require washing the entire product after use.

Carefully read the instructions for the stain remover.

Choose a stain remover. A spray is more convenient. It will ensure uniform coverage of the areas being cleaned. It is better to mix the powdered one with water and bring it to the consistency of sour cream. And apply it in this form.
Use the stain remover strictly according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Maintain the specified exposure time.
If you do not need to wash, remove any remaining product according to the instructions.

For down jackets, you cannot use chlorine stain removers with a bleaching effect. Use only oxygen.

Manually

To wash black jeans by hand, you need:

Fill a suitable container with water heated to a temperature of 30-40 degrees.
Dilute the powder in water and soak the product for 15 minutes.
Use laundry soap to wipe off stained areas. For cleaning, you can use a brush with soft bristles.
After cleaning, rinse the jeans several times, changing the water after each procedure.

You should not rub black jeans even if they are heavily soiled. Because of this, creases appear. The product should be cleaned from the reverse side first. When washing the front part, do not rub the pants vigorously.

Common causes of divorce

If streaks appear on the down jacket after washing, it is not at all necessary that the reason is related to the use of washing powder - a black or white coating on the surface of the clothing can also appear for the following reasons:

Leaving washed items in a damp state for a long time, improper drying of clothes.
Improper rinsing of clothes, use of poor quality fillers in washed items.
Incorrect temperature and washing mode in the washing machine, violation of instructions.

Based on this, we can say how to prevent white streaks after washing - do not use washing powders when washing items with fillers, strictly follow the instructions given on the label from the clothing manufacturer, and also set the correct mode, spin, temperature and type of rinse. For types of fabrics that are “prone” to the appearance of black and white stains, it is recommended to use only liquid detergents that are well washed out of the fabric fibers during the spin process.

It's good if you know how to prevent marks from forming on the surface of your filled clothing. What to do if stains have already appeared on the jacket after washing? How to remove stains on a down jacket after washing? Read the manual further, and in a couple of minutes you will know what to do if there are streaks left after washing.

Common causes of divorce

Leaving washed items in a damp state for a long time, improper drying of clothes.
Improper rinsing of clothes, use of poor quality fillers in washed items.
Incorrect temperature and washing mode in the washing machine, violation of instructions.

Disguise methods - embroidery

If you like to do handicrafts, an excellent solution would be to embroider some kind of design on the damaged area. Moreover, there are many embroidery methods: cross stitch, satin stitch, beads. If you knit, you can knit “flowers” and sew on top. With this method you will not only hide the stain from your eyes, but also make the item original.

Decorations

Now in stores you can find an indescribable amount of a wide variety of brooches from classic colors to youth badges and emoticons. Using an accessory for disguise, you will make your look more stylish.

Shading

For this method, you need to use materials that match your color. Eyeliner, mascara, drawing mascara, special paints for fabrics - this and much more will be an excellent stain camouflage.

In order for the pencil to “catch” on the fabric, it is necessary to iron this place from the inside after painting. When using clothing dye, remember that the shade of the entire item will change. Be sure to follow the instructions on the package. When dyeing, add salt to the solution, and when rinsing, add vinegar. These substances help the paint adhere to the fabric.

Patches and applications

If possible, you can sew a pocket or applique onto the damaged area. If you don't like to sew, you can buy iron-on applique that is attached with an iron. If a separate element (pocket, collar, cuff) is damaged, it can also be replaced.