What is never mentioned is that 'cold' water temperature varies during the year. The colder the water, the less the powder will dissolve. A front loader sets its 'cold' temperature at 30C and will warm it to that. Water from the tap for a top loader is never 30C, so the soap can't work as well, which is why other posters are recommending to dissolve the powder in hot water first.
And in the olden days of lovelurking's reminiscence, the water was boiled!
We never have a problem with soap powder marks in our washing because we wash at 40, 50 or 60C depending.
tygertung,
Jun 23, 10:05pm
I have never had white marks on our clothes and we use a toploader and we are in Christchurch and the tap water is freezing cold at this time of year.
Maybe try some earth planet tree hugger type brand? That is what we use and it gets good results.
dee238,
Jun 24, 12:08am
I have a top loader. I was given a huge box of powder and found that it left white marks on my clothes. So now, while machine is filling, I dissolve it in a cup and then throw it in.
sarahb5,
Jun 24, 12:18am
Can also be from overloading your machine - try dissolving the powder - bu5 can also be fabric softener so you could use white vinegar instead
toyboy3,
Jun 24, 2:36am
I thought the white marks were from the F & P white plastic agitator disintegration
catdog68,
Jun 24, 3:30am
I had the problem of white powdery marks left on clothing and figured it was because today's washing machines have water saving technology and one rinse cycle. So now I wash all my black clothes separately and dissolve the washing powder in hot water and don't use the water saving cycle. I set it to low, medium or high, depending on the load. Problem solved!
oh_hunnihunni,
Jun 24, 4:10am
I always dissolve powder before adding, and use half the recommended dose unless the wash is heavily soiled. Our machines are long wash cycle front loaders.
theguyz1,
Jun 24, 4:43am
. i dont have 'heavily soiled' washing. đ
oh_hunnihunni,
Jun 24, 5:03am
Lucky you.
Parents though often have, as do households with industrial workers, or with elderly folk. I used to wash overalls, work socks, and tee shirts separately when my husband was a timber worker.
sarahb5,
Jun 24, 5:16am
I use liquid for dark clothes - specifically made for dark wash to prevent fading
theguyz1,
Jun 24, 5:28am
. not lucky. in those instances i found a pre-soak more effective than just chucking it into the machine. particularly with cloth nappies.
brightlights60,
Jun 24, 9:22am
So much depends on your machine, what the manufacturer recommends for it and what type of powder you use. I use the Persil sensitive one in our Meile frontloader, its perfect. Many years ago I had a top loader plumbed to cold only in the garage for costumes I hired out. Had to experiment and finally found a cold liquid powder that worked. Strangely just before Covid we visited penpal in the States. She had a big washmachine, new that did the same, the dark clothing came out with detergent on it. She tried the trick I do with using white vinegar instead of fabric softener (which is a total waste of money) and it cleared up the problem, cleaned out the soap build up in the machine and powder problem went away.
sarahb5,
Jun 24, 7:12pm
Same - I havenât used fabric softener for at least 10 years - white vinegar is great (and cheap) - also works well on teenage boys generally smelly clothes including school uniforms and sweaty work clothes.
tygertung,
Jun 24, 7:32pm
I will try some vinegar as fabric softener as it is real cheap. I usually never use fabric softener, but it might be worth a look.
annie17111,
Jun 25, 1:13am
just be aware that vinegar can be bad for the washing machine.
sarahb5,
Jun 25, 1:26am
Not so far in mine - been using it for 10 years and no damage. Fabric softener isnât great for your machine either - causes cruddy build up
korban,
Jun 25, 3:15am
If you donât use fabric softener you donât need to use vinegar
sarahb5,
Jun 25, 3:18am
It reduces static and improves absorbency of your towels
tygertung,
Jun 25, 3:22am
I used some today, seemed to be OK, maybe it did something, at least it might have been a placebo.
annie17111,
Jun 25, 3:32am
I don't use fabric softener either and my clothes and towels etc come out fine.
sarahb5,
Jun 25, 3:34am
Your clothes your machine your choice
oh_hunnihunni,
Jun 25, 5:44am
I use it to clean the machine. Works beautifully.
annie17111,
Jun 25, 8:22am
I use the dettol washing machine cleaner when needed.
annie17111,
Jun 25, 8:25am
https://www.consumerreports.org/cleaning/things-you-should-never-clean-with-vinegar-distilled-white-vinegar/ Washing Machines Vinegar is sometimes used as a fabric softener or for getting rid of stains and odors in laundry. But as with dishwashers, it can damage the rubber seals and hoses in some washing machines to the point of causing leaks. Itâs a problem that Steven Grayson, owner of Foothills Appliance Service in Wilkesboro, N.C., sees fairly frequently. âWith continual use, vinegar can literally melt hoses, causing leaks and thereby possibly all kinds of additional damage to the house,â says Grayson. In his experience, front-load washers are especially susceptible to vinegar-related damage.
Plus, it may not even be doing much. âVinegar isnât very useful with stains that have already set into clothing, including food stains and bloodstains,â says Sansoni. Consumer Reports' recent tests of laundry stain removers reveal products that are great at removing tough stains, and you don't have to worry about any of them melting the rubber in your washer.
sarahb5,
Jun 25, 8:57am
Havenât had that problem with my front or top loader or my dishwasher - I donât use it for stain removal and donât have to use washing machine cleaner either. Once a month I do an empty hot wash with bicarbonate of soda. Maybe American appliances are using different types of hose or water is softer/harder - I have no idea.
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