We’ve all experienced this. You finish the load, you’re thinking ‘great I’m all sorted’ and boom, white streaks on your clean clothes. Here are a few possible reasons why this might be happening. Let there be white streaks no more…

Low water pressure: If you’re suffering from low water pressure than not all of the detergent will be spread from the drawer and into the drum in the initial wash fill. This means that the leftover detergent will be flushed into the laundry during the rinse cycle. If this is the case and you’re not able to adjust the water pressure then best to switch to a detergent in a dosing container on top of the laundry.

Overloading: Overloading the machine generally is not a good idea as clothes won’t be cleaned as properly as they should be. Specifically the detergent ends up getting trapped in folds of clothing which prevents it from dissolving properly.

Cold water wash: Regular detergents won’t break down properly in a cold-water wash and will leave marks on clothing. Make sure you use a dedicated cold-water wash detergent to prevent this.

Using a detergent container: Make sure if you use one of these it’s placed right at the top of the laundry, towards the back of the drum. This will prevent it from getting lodged between clothes.

Not using enough detergent: Albeit this might sound contradictory, but using a less- than- suggested amount of detergent in a load can leave a whitish residue on clothes. This is because detergents actually react with minerals in water and if you’ve not used enough the minerals will build-up on the clothing.

Of course you can try switching to a liquid detergent to help avoid white streaks. However, because liquid detergents don’t contain any bleaching agents which can result in quicker mould growth in the machine.

Just make sure you properly follow the directions on any laundry detergent you’re using. They’re there for a reason!

Linda knows how avoid white streaks so she has time to go boating instead!

Tags: Washing Machine Accessories, Washing Machine Tips