Clothes 'bleached' in wash??

JustAnotherSaver

Figured this may be the suitable forum for it but feel free to move it if elsewhere is more suitable.

When we moved in to our house we found that our clothes were getting bleach spots on them. Some clothes ended up pretty much ruined as they were that bad.

After reading my wife discovered that it may be the powder she was using and it may not be fully getting dissolved? Which is why she then switched to liquid. This sorted it for long enough but lately have been noticing on some of our clothes the bleach marks returning...

And on some clothes can be worse than that.

It's not even that they may have been left on a surface that had come in to contact with bleach. May be the case for some of my wife's clothes as a long shot reason but mine literally are dumped on the floor in the room that is basically the PC box room and on wash day I just pick them up and chuck them in the wash.

So looking for the cause and how to sort that?

VeganLois

For a short while, I lived in a rental property with a similar issue.  The problem was the water pipes.  They were old, corroded and needed replacing.  You said you had moved so it might be worth investigating or asking the neighbours.  Powder vs liquid issue could be connected to the differing reactions to the contaminated water.  

pallyman

Liquid detergent does not contain Bleach.

JustAnotherSaver

Interesting. What was the issue with the water pipes? I know you say they were corroded so i'll just go ahead, sound dim and ask how would this bleach the clothes in random spots? Not sure what the condition of ours is. Water tasted fine enough.

The area is considered soft water if that matters, although not as soft as where i moved from - 4 miles away (went from village to city).

So if not liquid detergent and short of corroded piping, is there anything else you can think of as a cause?

Apintplease

Too much powder and not enough water along with too many clothes in the machine perhaps ?

I live in a soft water area and I use normal powder, about half an egg cup full per wash, only half filling the machine with heavy items - work fleeces for example and using the extra water button

Really dirty clothes - husbands work jeans, I dont add extra soap, just use the pre soak button

JustAnotherSaver

Apintplease said:

Too much powder and not enough water along with too many clothes in the machine perhaps ?

I live in a soft water area and I use normal powder, about half an egg cup full per wash, only half filling the machine with heavy items - work fleeces for example and using the extra water button

Really dirty clothes - husbands work jeans, I dont add extra soap, just use the pre soak button

Can't be that then as we haven't used powder in quite some time now. Couple years maybe.

I think (would have to check) my wife would occasionally send the washing machine on a hot cycle to clean it. Whether that's needed or not or whether she does it or not, or has let some time pass since the last time she did it or not, i'd have to ask, which would have to be tomorrow as she's in bed.

VeganLois

JustAnotherSaver said:

Interesting. What was the issue with the water pipes? I know you say they were corroded so i'll just go ahead, sound dim and ask how would this bleach the clothes in random spots? Not sure what the condition of ours is. Water tasted fine enough. 

I am absolutely daft as a brush when it comes to this kind of thing 😊.  I had several items ruined by ‘bleach’ spots but it wasn’t bleach it just appeared that way.  The pipes were metal and obviously corroded bits were filtering through into the wash creating this effect. Random stains would also appear.  As I said, it was a rental and I didn’t stay long so no idea how or if it was ever resolved.  

ruthber

As a temporary remedy on dark clothing I sometimes use a permanent marker to cover these sort of marks

Apintplease

Another thought, are you using the correct powder/liquid/capsule for the clothes in question, ie, dark colours using a powder/liquid/capsule thats designed for dark colours?

Stuff for whites and light colours have brighteners in them