Patches Of Green Or Green Hues On White Garments

[C’est Moi]

Hello,

I read a couple of similar query but non helped.
http://www.ukwhitegoods.co.uk/help/stai … ments.html

Suddenly my washing machine gave a blue greenish hue to my whites. I haven’t done anything or changed anything. I did a checkup on my washing machine and no problems found.

I rewashed them with another detergent but nothing changed.

I did the “tub clean program” on the washing machine, and cleaned the detergent drawers. Problem is still present.

I don’t use fabric softeners, and my water is clean.

I took my load and washed it in my neighbors washing machine and all the green hue has gone.

I washed it again in my washing machine and it came back again!

[kwatt]

Re: Patches Of Green Or Green Hues On White Garments

It is possible there’s something trapped in the machine causing the discolouration but, other than that and that is a remote possibility, there’s nothing in a washing machine that can cause this.

K.

[C’est Moi]

Re: Patches Of Green Or Green Hues On White Garments

No nothing is trapped.

The color does fade a little after drying.

“Cause & Prevention
Cause

Photobleaches in detergents are designed to give extra cleaning even after washing. The effect of sunlight on these increases the detergent performance. In a small number of cases this may leave a green tinge on your white garments.”

I will wash a white towel with no detergent and see what happens.

[Martin]

Re: Patches Of Green Or Green Hues On White Garments

Green hues eh? Using one of those yucky green detergents like Ecover are we?

[C’est Moi]

Re: Patches Of Green Or Green Hues On White Garments

No, I use different types like Tide both liquid or powder form.

I just washed a bed sheet that was white with JUST WATER NO soap and now it has the green hue.

Even these detergents I’ve used them in the other machine and they work great.

Please refer to the attached image:
first row my white socks turned greenish on top pf a white towel to compare.
Second row my bath robe turned green also next to white towel for comparison.
(both with and without flash)

-EDIT-
The link I provided in my original post states that this green hue is due to bleaching, where I don’t use bleach and second the experiment I’ve done with washing with water only.
And third, is when I washed them in another machine the green hue is gone!

I will hang them in the sun when it rises tomorrow and see what happens.

[kwatt]

Re: Patches Of Green Or Green Hues On White Garments

Tide, IIRC, is a Proctor & Gamble brand.

If you call the help number on the box they will usually be able to analyse a sample and tell you what the cause is.

The only other thing I can think of is something causing copper to oxidise somewhere in your supply, which could be a wider concern as you possibly wouldn’t see it in the water.

I will say again though, your washing machine cannot cause this as the insides will be stainless steel, plastic, enamelled iron or alloy in make up, the combinations of those vary but they are all pretty much the same. Plus, the staining looks to be far too even to be caused by anything that the clothing has come into contact with outside or, for that matter, inside the machine, it has to be getting delivered in the wash water IMO.

K.

[C’est Moi]

Re: Patches Of Green Or Green Hues On White Garments

I even used hand soap bar just to test, and the hue is still present.

So the fault is not from the machine? I thought I should do another check up with them.

I have installed a water filtration system could copper pass through!

The other washing machine uses the same water supply, mine gives a green hue and the other doesn’t.

I will run a cycle and catch the water in a large bowl and will hand wash any white and see what happens.

UGH.

[kwatt]

Re: Patches Of Green Or Green Hues On White Garments

Some light reading for you…

http://www.fwr.org/copper.pdf

Basically, you can get this and I think it would fall under what they term to be cuprosolvency, however I am far from expert in the field by any stretch although I have in the past come across this.

Usually it will be a result of a dodgy pipe or a storage tank or a component in a storage tank that will turn out to be the culprit but, it can be a total pain to pin down obviously as it can be literally anywhere in your water system. That means that it could even occur after the point where your filter is installed. It also means that even another house, next door, on the same street or off the same mains supply could get a dramatically different result depending where the problem lies.

Given the photos you’ve post I can’t really see any other cause being plausible.

Thing is, if it is that and there is copper oxidation getting into your water it can be quite serious and worth getting checked out. Even just checking as much as you can with the stuff in the PDF may help you narrow down the cause or, rule it out as an option. Either way, no harm no foul as you really do not want to be drinking water laced with copper.

K.

[C’est Moi]

Re: Patches Of Green Or Green Hues On White Garments

I just poured the water to the bowl (directly from the source without touching the tub), hand washed, soaked for 30 mins, and rinsed with same water. No green hue.

Could it be the tub?
I just can’t point the problem out.

I will be calling maintenance tomorrow.

Hope problem gets fixed.

Thanks everyone.

[C’est Moi]

Re: Patches Of Green Or Green Hues On White Garments

So maintenance is coming on Monday.

So I thought I’s clean the washing machine, because when I rubbed the inside of the machine the green tint came off and on the sides it looked like soap residue.

I searched the internet and did 2 full hot water cycles one with 4 cups of bleach and the other was 4 cups of white vinegar.

Ugh, after rinsed with cold water, the internal metal of the tub was full of what looks like soap residue (no color but when wiped on white tissue it turns green blue), so I brought a sponge and scrubbed it all off with liquid soap and water.
Then ran the tub cleaning cycle.

After it finished I wiped again and nothing came on the white tissue.

Thought it was safe, so I took the green towels to wash them with Ariel, everything looked perfect, except the bath robe was a little yellowish compared to the towels, So I added Clorox, everything went perfect.
In the last rinse I added white vinegar (I just read it works as a softener). 10 Minutes ago the cycle ended, guess what it’s green again.

Is it the vinegar?

I’m confused!!! Because I washed before with only water and it did turn green.

What’s causing the green madness!

[kwatt]

Re: Patches Of Green Or Green Hues On White Garments

Diluted vinegar is ineffective as a cleaning agent for mould and bacteria. It only works when applied to the affected area neat therefore, in a washing machine, it is completely ineffective.

However, what you have found out that it is a residue from something.

K.

[C’est Moi]

Re: Patches Of Green Or Green Hues On White Garments

It looks like this if I swap with a “dry” cloth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oYQWE8Mi8s

And it looks like soap bubble that just dried!

But in his video it’s because of copper, I don’t have copper.
And second, I’ve been washing for months without a problem, it just came out of nowhere.

Towels just came out, green tint is still present but it did fade than the last time.

[Martin]

Re: Patches Of Green Or Green Hues On White Garments

C’est Moi wrote:Ugh, after rinsed with cold water, the internal metal of the tub was full of what looks like soap residue (no color but when wiped on white tissue it turns green blue

Doesn’t need Sherlock to figure that therein lies your problem. Your old washer is full to the brim with soap residue. Built up over the years and possibly beyond DIY help to clean out.

It would help however to know exactly what make and model of washer you have before writing it off?

[C’est Moi]

Re: Patches Of Green Or Green Hues On White Garments

Martin wrote:

C’est Moi wrote:
Ugh, after rinsed with cold water, the internal metal of the tub was full of what looks like soap residue (no color but when wiped on white tissue it turns green blue

Doesn’t need Sherlock to figure that therein lies your problem. Your old washer is full to the brim with soap residue. Built up over the years and possibly beyond DIY help to clean out.

It would help however to know exactly what make and model of washer you have before writing it off?

Why does the soap turn green?
And why did the soap residue came when I used vinegar to clean it?
And lastly, why does it color my clothes green?

My washing machine is new only 8 months old, Samsung top load the one with the wobble technology, I don’t have the model number at the moment.

I thought of calling and cancelling the tech what do you think?

[Martin]

Re: Patches Of Green Or Green Hues On White Garments

Samsung top loader?….You’re not in the UK then?

[Author]

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