I am getting brown streaks on all my white clothing. Why?

Hi Ralph,
It may be important to have an idea as to what caused the stain/discoloration. Carbona (http://www.carbona.com/home.php) has different products specific to the various reasons for the problem. You may be able to use bleach, depending on the fabric affected. Some white material turn yellow with bleach
Hope this helps ~ Good luck!
Alexander

check the drum on both ends to see if the felt wore down or ripped,when this happens your clothes can get into the space and causes the marks on your clothes,also check to see if anything is on the drum,door or back wall,anywhere that the clothes can touch as they spin in the dryer but most likely there's a worn out felt on the drum and clothes are slipping though the space

This is from not enough HOT loads.

Fatty deposits gather between the basket and tub during COLD washes.

Then they are being released in large numbers when you do your whites on HOT.

It is recommended to do 1 HOT load per week.

Do an empty load with some degreaser added (like Goo-Gone) on the fullest/hottest setting you have.

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O.K. Here it is, I solved it. After calling whirlpool who was of no help at all, reading all links about the Duet washer and/or the Duet dryer, I finally solved the problem myself. I too, thought it was the washer but, upon close inspection, found the felt on the dryer had worn out in one spot. The thin brown lines always showed up on whites and more so on anything very thin. I took the dryer apart and found a small burn line on the drum (brown and thin). I replaced the felt ($60) and used Simple Green to clean off the brown. Works perfect, no more thin brown lines. If you can't take the dryer apart, I called for repair and found the price with parts to average $250.
I was ready to sell the darn thing after it ruined about $300 worth of clothes. All in all, it's been three weeks and still working fine.

The brown stains are likely coming from the felt drum seal. The OEM adhesive is tar based - and after time and use - breaks down.

You'll need a new felt seal - and the adhesive that is used should be silicone based... eliminating the brown streaks.


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do you have the matching dryer on the earlier models they didn't use a seal on the drum and once the paint rubbed off they left brown rusty looking marks on the clothes

more than likly it is coming from the dryer. get a paper towel or a towel and run it between the inside of the drum and the front where they come together. stick it through the slot and run around the drum. do the front then do the back see if you see the same streaks. and let me know thanks

This sounds like the infamous "Frigidaire Flaw" (they make some of GE's washers). The likely culprit is that the bearings on the drum's spindle are leaking.

To diagnose, call a repair man, or pull it out and remove the back cover. If you see brown streaks from the center spindle - that's it.

Repair is cheap if you can do the work yourself (inner and outer bearings), but $300+ for a technician

To all victims of the brownish colored streak marks: I share your frustration!!! I have the same problem with my dryer which started when my dryer was only 3 or 4 years old - - totally unacceptable for an expensive top of the line dryer! A repair guy showed me how the brownish streak marks come from the felt liner which goes around the drum. Look inside your dryer for the beige or tan colored felt which sticks out around the circular drum. If you rub the felt with an old white t-shirt or paper towel, you will see the same brownish colored marks. My repairman recommended getting the felt replaced eventually, but until then, he gave me the following tips which really help avoid getting the streaks: For white or light colored clothes susceptible to the brownish streak marks: I dry these items as part of a very lightweight dryer load - with just a few other lightweight items. By doing a small lightweight load, clothing is less likely to get caught up & rub against the felt edges. For example, I dry 4 light colored men's dress shirts with 2 or 3 other lightweight shirts. OR for white or light colored athletic "dry fit" type athletic apparel, I dry 6 - 8 total lightweight shirts/shorts. If I throw my white Nike top or white pair of summer pants into the dryer with all my "whites", they will be doomed to getting brownish streaks due to the heavy load pushing them against the darned felt liner! Whenever possible, I wash susceptible items on permanent press to avoid wrinkling, then hang dry. Prior to putting these clothes in the dryer, I also "pre-clean" the felt with an old white cotton t-shirt by reaching into the dryer and rubbing along the felt edges until I'm not getting as much brownish color on the t-shirt rag. For a permanent fix, call a repairman or see the following do-it-yourself YouTube video on "Dryer Repair - Replacing the Lower Front Drum Felt Seal": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoYP_YsGP68 . I have a repair person coming today to fix 2 other appliances, so I'm finally getting my dryer fixed, and I will post an update soon.

Check an earlier post of mine. This problem was killing me and Whirlpool was of no help at all. They claimed to never have heard of these thin brown streaks. Well, it was the dryer and as proof, I found where the thin brown lines were coming from. The felt had worn out in one spot allowing thin, whites and other thin items to slide in between the drum and the backing, resulting in the transfer of a thin brown line randomly on my clothes. Replace the felt (rollers and bearings if necessary) and with the drum apart, clean off the burnt brown streak of the backing with Simple Green. No more problems.