What's going on
Many rural homes in Onondaga and Madison counties rely on private wells, and well water can carry dissolved iron and manganese. Iron tends to leave orange or reddish-brown stains, and manganese leaves brown to black ones. When that water mixes with detergent, heat and especially chlorine bleach, the minerals can come out of the water and settle into the fabric. Bleach can make iron stains harder to remove.
The same water affects other appliances. Dishwasher tubs and racks can turn orange, sediment can clog the inlet screens on washers and dishwashers, and refrigerator water filters may clog faster. Stains that show up only on hot washes can point to sediment in the water heater rather than the well itself.
What you can check in five minutes
- Fill one white bucket with cold water and another with hot water, and compare the color after they sit for a while.
- Wash a white rag on its own with no bleach, and see whether it comes out stained.
- Stop using chlorine bleach on stained items until you know what's in the water.
- With the water off and the washer unplugged, take off a fill hose and check the inlet screen for orange grit.
- Look at the dishwasher tub, the racks and the toilet tanks for similar staining.
- Try a rust remover labeled for laundry on a stained item, following its directions.
In a house upstate
Water from a private well isn't tested by a utility, so the testing is up to the homeowner. A state-certified lab can tell you what's in the water, and your county health department can point you to one. Treatment options such as iron filters and some water softeners depend on the test results, so talk with a water treatment professional. Fix the water first, then deal with the appliance.
What a technician will look at
- •Inlet screens and valves on the washer and dishwasher
- •Mineral or rust buildup in the washer tub and pump area
- •Dishwasher spray arms and filters clogged with sediment
- •Refrigerator filter and water line flow
- •Whether the staining comes from the appliance or from the water supply
Andre's field note: When a customer on a well says the new washer is staining clothes, I check the water before I check the washer. The machine is rarely the cause. Sediment clogging an inlet screen is something we can fix during regular washer service. If your laundry is in a cold mudroom, read about the frozen washer problem too.
Stains won't quit? Call ProFix NYC at (929) 699-8358.