How can I remove dye residue from washing machine?

[Carrie54]

3 weeks ago I used Dylon Black Dye in my Zanussi front load Washing Machine. My jeans came out looking great BUT my washing machine has not been the same since. I followed the instructions for using the dye to the letter and ran the machine through a wash as recommended on the pack to clean out any remaining dye but I’m STILL 3 weeks later getting black dye smudges, spots and flecks on my clothes.
I’ve repeatedly run the machine through hot washes using bleach, detergent, washing machine cleaner even running the manufacturers maintenance 90 degree wash to no avail. I’m at the end of my tether. My machine is only 2 years old and I can’t afford to buy a new washing machine.
The dye is not visible inside the drum or around the seal of the door. I literally had to get down on my hands and knees and scrub the dye from every little crevice in and around the seal so I’m not sure where the residue is still coming from and how it’s STILL there 3 weeks later.
I’ll never use my washing machine to dye clothes again.
Can anyone recommend anything else to me apart from the things I’ve already tried please?

[Martin]

Re: How can I remove dye residue from washing machine?

The only way to remove what’s left inside of the dye is with a water/bleach solution. To do this effectively requires half a cup of bleach solution pouring into the drum then set the machine on a ‘rinse & spin’ only cycle. (If your machine has the option of selecting a higher water level then so much the better, activate that too). Observe the point when it stops filling on the first rinse then ‘pause’ the cycle and leave to soak for a couple of hours. Restart the machine and let it complete the cycle.

Afterwards do a empty load ‘service wash’ with a bleach based detergent on a 60 degree cycle to ensure all bleach is flushed away!

The problem with Dylon dye products and a modern washing machine is that the latter does not fill with sufficient water per cycle to dispurse the dye onto the fabric effectively without depositing excess inside the tub and internal parts of your machine. Dylon created that product long ago when washing machines filled with gallons of water that you could see half way up the porthole door glass. Today’s modern devices hardly fill with any water and rely on the drum paddles to ‘scoop and shower’ the clothing with water. Whilst the strong dye splashes around in all directions other than the clothing.

[Carrie54]

Re: How can I remove dye residue from washing machine?

Thanks Martin, I’ll give that a try over the weekend.

Considering modern washing machines are made to be more economical, what you’ve said about them using less water during the dying process makes sense.

Wish I’d thought of this before I’d used the dye!
Thanks again…..

[twicknix]

Re: How can I remove dye residue from washing machine?

My wife is forever using Dylon dye for her clothes. She used all different colours! The worse one is the green colour.

You do need to get an old cloth and wipe out the gunk and remaining dye from the door seal, door glass even the top of the door seal where there is a shower head (some machines have those). Also I clean out the drain pump filter as well.

As Martin says use bleach based detergent and do 60deg wash without the clothes in it. This usually solves the problem.

[Author]

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