What is the sludge draining out of my washing machine?
April 1, 2016 6:19 PM Subscribe
What is the sludge draining out of my front-loading washing machine?
I have an LG front-loading washing machine. It's at least 5 years old and it's set up to drain into the adjacent utility sink with one of those lint screens over the drain hose.
Lately, whenever I run a load of laundry, the utility sink gets clogged with a sludgey substance that isn't getting trapped by the lint screen as it's too fine (even a doubled lint screen doesn't help). There's also a removable mesh screen over the drain in the sink and it catches all the sludge and then efffectively plugs the sink and water fills up the sink. Eventually the water drains out again. So after a couple loads, I end up with a fine, grey sludge up and down the sides and all along the bottom of the utility sink. It doesn't smell but where is it coming from? Here's the sludge wiped up on a paper towel and the sink in the background. .
I've looked around inside the drum and nothing seems amiss. I cleaned out the drain pump filter last week and there's no change. Where is the sludge coming from?
I have an LG front-loading washing machine. It's at least 5 years old and it's set up to drain into the adjacent utility sink with one of those lint screens over the drain hose.
Lately, whenever I run a load of laundry, the utility sink gets clogged with a sludgey substance that isn't getting trapped by the lint screen as it's too fine (even a doubled lint screen doesn't help). There's also a removable mesh screen over the drain in the sink and it catches all the sludge and then efffectively plugs the sink and water fills up the sink. Eventually the water drains out again. So after a couple loads, I end up with a fine, grey sludge up and down the sides and all along the bottom of the utility sink. It doesn't smell but where is it coming from? Here's the sludge wiped up on a paper towel and the sink in the background. .
I've looked around inside the drum and nothing seems amiss. I cleaned out the drain pump filter last week and there's no change. Where is the sludge coming from?
Response by poster: As mentioned, I've checked and cleaned the drain pump filter.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 8:12 PM on April 1, 2016
posted by otherwordlyglow at 8:12 PM on April 1, 2016
That's some sludge.
Are you sure it's coming out of your washer?
It looks much more like something that would back up out of the sink drain to me -- perhaps when your washer is draining and that loads up a common drain pipe so much that water from another source higher in elevation than the sink comes out through the sink drain instead of going down into the sewer.
posted by jamjam at 8:18 PM on April 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
Are you sure it's coming out of your washer?
It looks much more like something that would back up out of the sink drain to me -- perhaps when your washer is draining and that loads up a common drain pipe so much that water from another source higher in elevation than the sink comes out through the sink drain instead of going down into the sewer.
posted by jamjam at 8:18 PM on April 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
My very practical mom used to tie a nylon stocking (like the foot of a pair of pantyhose) over the end of the hose with rubber bands, to trap lint. Doing that might help you catch the sludge so the sink doesn't plug, or it might help ascertain if maybe the sludge isn't actually coming out of the washer but rather from up the drain.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 8:21 PM on April 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by pseudostrabismus at 8:21 PM on April 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Ugh. I hadn't considered that it might be coming up from the sink drain. Okay, I'm running a load right now with the drain hose from the washer diverted into a bucket. I will report back.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 8:35 PM on April 1, 2016
posted by otherwordlyglow at 8:35 PM on April 1, 2016
Best answer: It's coming from inside the washing machine. I did a small load and collected all the grey water (now I know why it's called grey water). The water itself was disgustingly silty and cloudy and then I filtered all 20-some gallons through cheese cloth and collected the same sludge from there and from the insides off all the buckets.
Then I ran a quick bleach-only cycle and didn't get an sludge in the drained water, which was quite clear though disturbingly soapy for a cycle in which I didn't add any detergent.
THEN, I looked much closer on the inside of the drum and though I hadn't noticed much on a previous exam, this time I could see the same sludge hiding in crevices everywhere. So gross. So yeah, I think it's just accumulated filth and now I want to throw not only the washer away but every item of clothing I own since it's all been "washed" in that monstrous device. I'll be sleeping in the nude tonight in my sleeping bag.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 10:30 PM on April 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
Then I ran a quick bleach-only cycle and didn't get an sludge in the drained water, which was quite clear though disturbingly soapy for a cycle in which I didn't add any detergent.
THEN, I looked much closer on the inside of the drum and though I hadn't noticed much on a previous exam, this time I could see the same sludge hiding in crevices everywhere. So gross. So yeah, I think it's just accumulated filth and now I want to throw not only the washer away but every item of clothing I own since it's all been "washed" in that monstrous device. I'll be sleeping in the nude tonight in my sleeping bag.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 10:30 PM on April 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Yeah, that sounds like detergent residue buildup. A hot cycle with vinegar could help, and in the future using a different kind or amount of detergent.
posted by metasarah at 4:56 AM on April 2, 2016
posted by metasarah at 4:56 AM on April 2, 2016
What is your water source? City water? Or, are you on a well? That looks a lot like the sort of crap that can get into the lines if your well is sucking-up silt or sediment. You might want to go around the house and fill glasses with water from the various taps and see if there's sediment.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:55 AM on April 2, 2016
posted by Thorzdad at 5:55 AM on April 2, 2016
Response by poster: Hetch Hetchy's finest (city) water- no well and all other faucets are clear. The current detergent we're using isn't HE and I cant remember ever being too vigilant in only using HE detergent. I'm also not the only one using the washer (one tenant) and I'm not sure he isn't overdoing the detergent either. Lesson learned and now I'm going to go buy a beautiful new stackable set of washer and dryer! Happy ending!
posted by otherwordlyglow at 7:54 AM on April 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by otherwordlyglow at 7:54 AM on April 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
There are cleaning tablets designed for these washers. Before you panic, go to a hardware store and buy a pack of them (the ones I have came in a pack of three) and run a cleaning cycle (which probably involves a semi-secret button sequence documented in the manual). After that, see if you've still got built-up residue.
posted by fedward at 8:50 AM on April 2, 2016
posted by fedward at 8:50 AM on April 2, 2016
Your washer can be saved with a good, thorough cleaning. Okay, it might take multiple cleanings, but it can go back to normal.
I lived in a building with front-loading washers in the laundry facilities. Twice a year they'd have them all cleaned, I don't know how, but it was amazing.
Don't forget to use HE softner as well. Better yet, skip the softner because it greatly contributes to the sticky gunk anyway. IME, detergents without dyes, fragrances, and lotions will result in the best rinse-off instead of gunk-on.
After having to use communal washers with idk what kind of gunk built up, my beautiful new washer has never ever known any sort softner or other build-up producing detergents.
posted by Neekee at 9:01 AM on April 2, 2016
I lived in a building with front-loading washers in the laundry facilities. Twice a year they'd have them all cleaned, I don't know how, but it was amazing.
Don't forget to use HE softner as well. Better yet, skip the softner because it greatly contributes to the sticky gunk anyway. IME, detergents without dyes, fragrances, and lotions will result in the best rinse-off instead of gunk-on.
After having to use communal washers with idk what kind of gunk built up, my beautiful new washer has never ever known any sort softner or other build-up producing detergents.
posted by Neekee at 9:01 AM on April 2, 2016
Response by poster: Yeah, there's no cleaning cycle per se on this model; I checked the manual and online. I think that's a feature that they added later because so many had this problem but perhaps this model was from before the great slime scandal emerged. I don't use softener at all and almost almost use the dye and scent free detergent but as noted, it's not always been HE type.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 9:45 AM on April 2, 2016
posted by otherwordlyglow at 9:45 AM on April 2, 2016
Do you have hard water? High mineral content (not quite the same thing, but)?
That makes this worse. Certain salts make soap less soluble in water and that means more gunk. You can buy softening salts at most hardware and pool supply stores which may help prevent future gunk.
posted by bonehead at 9:52 AM on April 2, 2016
That makes this worse. Certain salts make soap less soluble in water and that means more gunk. You can buy softening salts at most hardware and pool supply stores which may help prevent future gunk.
posted by bonehead at 9:52 AM on April 2, 2016
Response by poster: I don't think it's very hard. It's San Francisco city water and no one here has a water softener - I had one where I grew up in the midwest and was shocked that it wasn't a thing here.
The hot bleach cycle I did last night hasn't made a any appreciable difference in the slime build-up that I can see. Previously I was just looking at the major fold in the gasket and cleaning that out but now I can see that if you peel it back and get into the spaces between the drum and the gasket (terrible design, btw) that's it's just full of disgusting slime.
Really, I"m looking at this as a blessing in disguise as I've never liked this washing machine (it came with the house) and now I have reasonable justification to buy the set of my dreams.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 10:49 AM on April 2, 2016
The hot bleach cycle I did last night hasn't made a any appreciable difference in the slime build-up that I can see. Previously I was just looking at the major fold in the gasket and cleaning that out but now I can see that if you peel it back and get into the spaces between the drum and the gasket (terrible design, btw) that's it's just full of disgusting slime.
Really, I"m looking at this as a blessing in disguise as I've never liked this washing machine (it came with the house) and now I have reasonable justification to buy the set of my dreams.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 10:49 AM on April 2, 2016
I would also do a hot cycle with quite a bit of vinegar. Yuck.
posted by CrazyLemonade at 10:50 AM on April 2, 2016
posted by CrazyLemonade at 10:50 AM on April 2, 2016
Response by poster: New washer on its way. I did not buy a front loader! I know they're supposed to be better these days but I'm still so grossed out by the thought of all the slime that must have infiltrated into our clothes and linens that I just couldn't do it. HE top loader, here I come!
posted by otherwordlyglow at 8:49 AM on April 3, 2016
posted by otherwordlyglow at 8:49 AM on April 3, 2016
Make sure to leave the washer door open when it's not in use; it will dry thoroughly and prevent future mold buildup.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:52 AM on April 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:52 AM on April 3, 2016 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
http://www.drkarenslee.com/front-loading-washer-maintenance/
suggests you may have to clean the drain pump filter - the grey sludge is likely a build up of old wet lint stuck in the washer. Here is a link to the LG front loader maintenance web page:
http://www.lg.com/us/support/answers/front-load-washers2014/caring-for-front-load-washer
posted by procrastination at 6:58 PM on April 1, 2016 [1 favorite]