Agitate just long enough to wet the clothes.
Hard water stains on laundry.
Most powdered laundry detergent ingredients will bond with the water minerals and be rinsed away rather than cleaning your clothing so you will need to increase the amount of powdered detergent you use in some places by as much as 50.
One thing you might never expect to stain your clothing is water but hard water can do just that.
Hard water contains dissolved minerals usually calcium and magnesium which tend to cause mineral buildup in water pipes.
Washing white clothing with hard water can cause dingy stains on the clothes.
If you notice this type of stain on your clothing it can be removed with simple cleaning methods.
Hard water and soft water contain many properties including minerals and chemicals.
Washing your laundry in hard water can be tricky since some detergents don t react well with the minerals causing scum to form.
Rusty water heaters pipes or water storage containers cause staining to be more sporadic.
If you have not installed a mechanical water softening system to remedy problems that have already occurred fill the washer with the hottest water appropriate for the fabric.
The mineral ingredients in the water are what cause the stains.
Homes on private wells are more likely to have hard water iron and manganese issues whereas public water supplies typically include calcium and magnesium which may not cause hard water stains unless the home s hot water heater has formed rust inside.
These show up on clothes when they come out of the washing machine.
If the staining on your light colored fabric is the dull grey or dingy discoloration and stiffness that occurs with calcium deposits you do have a chance of saving some of your clothing.
Hard water has the unique ability to make every white article of clothing you have a nice dingy color and depending on how hard the water actually is will depend on how dingy the hard water stains are.
Water itself doesn t stain fabrics.
Fixing hard water laundry stains on clothes.
Before you assume your white clothes are ruined realize these stains can be removed with basic household cleaning products such as vinegar.
A water source loaded with suspended particles of iron bacteria leaves ugly discoloration and stains on kitchen bathroom and laundry fixtures and equipment as well as on dishes and laundry.
Issues such as dull laundry white stains and bad odors on clothing are only some of the problems you could be dealing with.
When you wash your clothes in hard water you may not notice a difference in your colors but you will certainly see a difference in your whites.
What s actually staining your clothing are the minerals including magnesium and calcium that are present in hard water.
