Washed clothes do not always come out clean and fresh. A lot of things can contribute to the stains that appear on clothes. These dark spots can be of different colors and intensities, depending upon where the stains come from.
Dark or brown stains can be a result of many different problems. A bad quality fabric softener, dryer sheets, using lots of detergents, rust, oil, hair products, mold and mildew, and color bleeding are likely to leave brown stains on clothes.
Dark spots can be formed due to many more reasons. However, I have gathered some of the top reasons for dark spots appearing on laundry, along with the solution to help you get rid of this problem.
Hair Care Products Dark Spots on My Washed Clothes
A fixing agent called polyquaternium copolymer is used in hair care products like shampoo and conditioners. Unintentionally these products get in touch with our garments. Sometimes the splashes of these products hit our garments and ultimately binds to them.
Such products leave stains on the clothes and do not get washed merely by washing powders. Instead, these stains become even darker when the clothes are washed.
You cannot eradicate these stains completely. However, they can be discolored to a good extent.
Solution
Since towels are more likely to get stained from hair care products, there is a solution for it. Oxalic acid is the best solution for white garments and towels.
You simply need to add around 100 grams of oxalic acid to a bucket full of hot water. Soak the affected clothes in that water for at least 20 minutes.
After that, wash these clothes generally as you do in the washer. Make sure the detergent you use contains phosphate and bleach to achieve the best results.
Skin Care Products Dark Spots on My Washed Clothes
Skincare products like lotions and body creams contain benzoyl peroxide. When you apply these products to your hands, they also stick to towels, bedsheets, and clothes, thus leaving dark stains on the fabric.
When these clothes are kept together in the laundry hamper, they stain other clothes that come in contact with them.
Solution
Since these dark spots appear due to a chemical, they can be treated with bleach or vinegar.
Take equal amounts of bleach and hot water and mix them together. Soak the clothes in it for a few hours. Take them out and wash them as usual.
Fabric Softener and Dryer Sheets
If you think that you will get merely clean and fresh clothes using fabric softener and dryer sheets, you can be wrong. Dark or brownish stains can appear due to the chemical ingredients in these products. Sometimes overdosing of these products all results in the appearance of dark spots.
These products work by layering the fabric with a silicone layer that binds to the fabric. If you use these products excessively, it leaves the bulk of silicone, thereby forming a thick layer. When you dry your clothes in a dryer at high heat, this layer appears as greasy stains. These stains are not really dark in color; rather, they seem to be dark blue stains.
Solution
There are two easy ways with which you can eradicate these stains completely from the clothes. Follow the steps correctly to get the best results.
Use Vinegar Solution
Stains due to fabric softener can be seen right after the clothes come out of the washer. In this case, you have to put the clothes back, but this time without water and detergent. Instead, add about a cup of white vinegar to the washing machine. You will see the stains disappearing once the wash cycle starts.
You have to be careful with the vinegar, as putting it directly on the clothes can discolor them. It is recommended to add the vinegar before adding the clothes to the washing machine.
Read More: Are Fabric Softeners Good for Asthma?
Try Oxygen-Based Bleach
This method is safe and effective both for white and colored clothes. Oxygen-based bleach does not affect colored garments. For treating the stains caused by fabric softener, you need to make a solution of oxygen-based bleach in hot water.
Soak the clothes in the solution for 2 to 3 hours. You will see the stains disappearing after a while. When the stains are completely gone, wash the clothes with detergent in the washing machine.
Read More: Is Liquid Detergent Bad for Washing Machine?
Grease Dark Spots on My Washed Clothes
Other than oil stains from the kitchen, your washing machine can also leave greasy stains on your clothes.
Inner bearings of the machine, when get corroded, they leave greasy stains on the clothes. These stains appear as dark brown spots on the clothes. Other times, oil leaks from the washing machine also result in the appearance of dark spots on clothes.
Solution of Grease Dark Spots
These spots might seem stubborn, but they are not really difficult to remove. Use this simple method to eliminate the stains.
Begin with applying a small amount of liquid dish detergent to the stain. If the detergent is colored, make sure to dilute it; otherwise, it will leave stains on the clothes. You can also use shampoo instead of liquid detergent.
If the stain is stubborn, rub it thoroughly with a toothbrush. Leave it for a while.
Rinse the stain with water to completely remove it. You can also treat the stain with vinegar afterward for even better results.
Wash the cloth in detergent normally as you do for the final finish.
Read More: Are Liquid Detergents Better than Powder?
Rust Dark Spots on My Washed Clothes
Dark spots are often caused by the rust within the washing machine. The rust can be in some part of the washer, or it can be due to the presence of some iron object. You can look at the door or rubber seal of the washer. This is a place where iron objects are most likely to get stuck. The presence of such objects can transfer the rust to the clothes.
Another reason could be iron pipes. Older iron pipes are likely to corrode as bacteria can react with them. These rusty pipes can be the cause of staining due to rust on your clothes.
Solution of Rust Dark Spots
As soon as you see the rust stains on your clothes, rush to clean them. This is because once the rust stains get dried, it becomes nearly impossible to treat them. Also, high heat makes the stain stubborn. You will be able to see the spots right after taking them out of the dryer.
You need to have a commercial rust remover to treat these stains. However, such products are good for white and color-fast clothes only. Washing such stains normally with detergent cannot do anything.
Rust removers contain Oxalic acid, which is the main ingredient that kicks off these stains.
Plant-based Stains Dark Spots on My Washed Clothes
Gardeners and children are most likely to fall prey to plant-based stains. Grass stains are the most common. Brown stains from the soil are usually the tough ones that are difficult to remove. If you see such a spot on your cloth, do not try to remove it; rather, go back home to treat it the right way.
Solution of Plant-based Stains Dark Spots
Plant-based stains should not be treated when they are wet. It makes them even worse. Therefore, you should wait and let them dry. Once dried, try to remove the mud from the cloth with your hand. You can also use a small brush to do that.
After that, pretreat the stain with laundry detergent. Keep it for half an hour or until you do not see the stain anymore. Wash it regularly in the washing machine afterward.
Mold and Mildew Stains
Dark stains can be a result of mold and mildew if you live in a humid climate. The dark stains on clothes due to mildew are very common. They are usually in the form of patches with black or gray color. These stains even produce a smell when they are wet. The smell can be musty and, in worst cases, urine-like.
But how does it occur? Mold and mildew grow in an area that is moist and damp. Bathroom towels are most likely to be the victim since bathrooms are usually damp. You will see mold growing more on natural fabrics than synthetic ones.
If you continue to use such stained clothes, you might end up catching some serious skin problems.
Read More: Can Your Detergent Impact Your Acne and Skin?
Solution
For light mold spots, you can simply wash them in the washing machine with detergent to get them removed. However, for stubborn dark spots with bigger patches, here is a solution for you.
Get a cup of hot water, detergent, and bleach. Mix all of these thoroughly to form a solution.
Add the solution to the bucket with affected clothes. Let them sit for hours. Usually, 2 hours are enough, but if the stains are still there, you can keep them for a bit longer.
After that, wash the clothes in the washing machine with detergent, preferably in hot water.
Takeaway
There are so many reasons for the appearance of dark spots on the washed clothes. You need to look for the cause to eliminate them. Stains from different sources are removed with different methods. Therefore, it is essential to look for the root cause of the stain.
Also, you can follow some basic prevention methods to prevent the clothes from getting stained.