Clothing has White Residue
White Residue on Clothing
There are a few potential causes of what is commonly referred to as "white residue." White residue can be caused by one or a combination of the following:
- Interaction of body soils with detergent, most frequently found on workout clothing or activewear
- Excessive lint
- Excess detergent
- Non high efficiency (HE) detergent
- Detergent build-up in the washer
- Home water quality
- Too cold water
Interaction of body soils
The interaction of some body soils with detergent may result in the formation of a white residue. This residue might accumulate within the folds and wrinkles of garments or be widely distributed throughout the fabric load. Warmer water and washing mixed loads (e.g., cottons mixed with synthetic garments) may exacerbate this residue. To help reduce this residue, follow these tips, depending on your washer's cycles:
- Use cycles including Heavy Duty, PowerWash, Deep Water Wash, and Whites, where available.
- Avoid gentler cycles, such as Delicates, Casuals, and ColorLast, where applicable.
- Select cooler temperatures when acceptable for the fabric you are washing.
- Select higher soil levels (e.g., Heavy, Extra Heavy) when acceptable for the fabric you are washing.
- Select the extra rinse option.
- Always use the correct amount of HE detergent.
Excessive lint
Excessive lint on clothing can occur on new clothing items, especially towels. This is normal, and linting will dissipate over time. Use shorter wash times if excess linting continues. Using a dryer will also remove most excess lint.
Using too much detergent
If you use too much detergent, excess detergent residue may appear as white "clumps" of undissolved detergent. Rewashing clothing items should remove these clumps. Running items through the dryer will also help remove these clumps. Using less detergent can help eliminate these clumps.
Using non-high efficiency (HE) detergent
A non-HE detergent in an HE washer may result in white "clumps" of undissolved detergent. Rewashing clothing items should remove these clumps. Running items through the dryer will also help remove these clumps. Always use only HE detergent.
Which detergent should you use?
Whirlpool recommends using Swash™ Laundry Detergent. It is designed to work in both high-efficiency (HE) and non-HE washing machines. With an 8x concentrated formula, you’ll use about a quarter of the detergent you’d need with a traditional 2x concentration detergent. It may look like a small amount, but you’ll be amazed at its effectiveness.
Flipping the detergent world on its cap.
Just flip it, squeeze it, and start your laundry cycle. With this easy squeeze, you get the right amount and the clean you want every time.
Shop Swash® HE Ultra-Concentrated Liquid Laundry Detergent.
The "Clean Washer" cycle needs to be run
Running the "Clean Washer" cycle with a product like affresh® once a month will help eliminate excess detergent build-up.
Cleans even where you can't see
affresh® cleans deep inside your appliances reaching components such as the tub, racks, pump, valves, drain, and recirculation hoses.
Cleaners are available at many retailers or can be purchased here.
Is the water too cold?
This symptom is more common if you are using powdered detergent. It also happens more frequently during cold months in northern climates.
If your washer water is too cold, it may not properly dissolve detergent, resulting in white "clumps" of detergent on clothing. Rewashing clothing items should remove these clumps. Running items through the dryer will also help remove these clumps. If using a cold water wash, ensure your water temperature is at least 60 degrees to dissolve detergent properly. Your washer should also regulate the cold water temperature by adding hot water to bring the temperature up. Run hot water in the sink closest to the washer to help ensure that hot water runs through the water lines near the washer.