Wierd question here, but I am baffled!
My husband tends to carry chapsticks in his pocket, and forget to take them out. So many times I have ran an entire load through the dry cycle and find an empty chapstick container in the dryer....So maybe this is where these stains from...
I am constantly pulling clothes out of the dryer w/ "grease" stains/spots all over them! My husband FINALLY started keeping the chapsticks out of his pocket, but still months after finding one in the dryer I am still battling these stains. It's driving me nuts! I then have to scrub Dawn dish soap on the spots, let them sit and re-wash. But some stains have become permanent. It's maddening! Could the chapstick getting into the washer be the culprit?
I have ran a few "empty" loads in the wash where I just put some dish soap in the water, Borax, cleaning agents w/ a degreaser....I am still getting greasy spots! I have checked the dryer to make sure nothing was melted on a side that might be putting out an oily substance but can't find anything. The washer is only 2 years old so I obviously don't want to replace it.
Any thoughts?Tips? This has becoming a silly never ending battling between me and th laundry. HELP!!!
I have had the same problem and think it is the detergent "sticking" to certain places on the clothes. OxiClean totally gets the stains out. Yes, it's a pain, but soak the item in OxiClean mixed with water... the box will give you ratios. And then rewash...
I now use a scoop of OxiClean in most of my loads and haven't had the "grease" problem in awhile.
Good luck!
The problem could be your dryer, or, more accurately, what you're putting in it. Do you use dryer sheets? Did you know that they can sometimes leave clear grease spots on clothes? I was having the problem of the mystery oil stains, too. I stopped using dryer sheets and switched to reusable dryer balls. (Tennis balls will work, but they smell funny. You can get felted wool dryer balls that work well and don't stink.) I have had no more mystery grease stains.
I would run a "cleaning" cycle with some old towels with HOT water. Cleaning cycles usually fill the washer fuller with water and run longer.
Also, if you add a liquid fabric softener, that can sometimes be the grease spots you find. I stopped using fabric softener altogether and just add some white vinegar as a fabric softener these days and I no longer have issues with spots like that.
I've had the same mysterious grease stains from chapstick tubes going through the machines. It took months for it all to clear out. I'm guessing bits of the chapstick got stuck in crevices and melted on extra long, hot loads. Or there were bits still stuck in the pockets that I had not considered.
I would recommend you wash and dry a load of rags, on the hottest water you have with the same cleaners you mentioned.
To this day, I organize my wash now by running the white with bleach last after everything else has been washed, hoping it cleans the tub before the next round.
Also, certain dryer sheets leave grease marks on my clothes. I just use the Costco brand now and they don't seem to be so heavily scented and gooped up.
GL!
Do you use liquid detergent and/or softener? Some of these will "stain" clothes if it hits the clothes and not the water!
I used to use the Downy ball in my top loading washer for my fabric softener, and it sometimes left stains like that. I don't get them anymore now that I put the fabric softener in the try of my front loading washer.
Go online and search your brand of washer/dryer. There are a couple that re notorious for this type of thing. Yes, chapstick can do this, but usually only one load. I would think any residual chapstick caught somewhere should have melted out ages ago.
Are the stains only after the washer or do you not see them until they come out of dryer....
Look it up, I remember this being a problem in some brand but I cannot recall which one.....
