Lint on Clothes - HELP

[cmjaffe]

Hoping that it doesn't mean we need a new washer.
Usually wash darks separately from whites and lint-producing items (socks etc).
Almost everything gets hung out to dry (except dress shirts, underwear and socks). The lint seems to be getting worse on everything. DS polos and t-shirts. HELP
Wonder if I use vinegar if that might help.
Thanks for any advice

 

[ctinct]

I also line dry and have that problem. Sometimes there are globs of lint. I KNOW I need a new washer, but not sure if that is what is causing the problem. I tend to think so because my agitator is very weak.

Anyhow, I haven't tried this yet, mostly because I just haven't dragged myself to the fabric store yet, but I just recently read that if you throw some nylon net in your washing machine it will cut down on the lint.

 

[Sadie22]

Have you cleaned your washing machine lately? DH actually manages to lift the top off somehow and clean all around the top of the basket. Gunk can collect up there.

Once lint is on the clothes it is hard to get it off. We've had this happen when somebody decided to wash new fleece or a new towel in with other items. Tumbling in a dryer may help get the lint off. Tumbling with a fabric softener sheet may help as well.

 

[cmjaffe]

also we've got hard water... though I'm sure that the washer being 12 years old doesn't help. Yesterday resorted to using a bit of tape and lifting off some of the lint.

Wonder if VINEGAR might help.

 

[cmjaffe]

Wonder how to clean out the basin.
Any suggestions on how to use vinegar... just bought a gallon.

 

[cmjaffe]

well just ran it with hot water with vinegar and oxyclean...
thought it couldn't hurt but just might be in the market for a new washer now....
guess that's not budget board stuff

 

[cmjaffe]

Thanks to those who posted.
Think I'll be looking at new washers...
might be time

 

[seashoreCM]

The lint filter in the machine may be (1) clogged, (2) warped or broken, (3) missing or none there to begin with.

If the lint filter is collecting lint properly you might try cleaning it both halfway through the cycle and at the end of the cycle.

I would shop around for cheap or on-sale wide tape such as duct tape or packaging tape.

 

[cmjaffe]

is there a lint filter in the washing machine?
I know there's a filter in the dryer (empty after each use).
My problem is when washing darks, lint collecting on shirts etc.. The clothes are line dried, rarely use the clothes dryer.
Thanks

 

[Tinkmom]

Yes, every washing machine (at least that I have ever had) has a lint trap. If your clothes are covered in lint, I would certainly clean this.

 

[cmjaffe]

Anyone know where the lint filter is on a Maytag washer?
It's an older one... wonder if it's the cone cup that's in the middle of the agitator.
TIA

 

[poochie]

I do not have a Maytag, but when I open the lid it is at the top on my right hand side. It just pulls out, I clean it and pop back in.

If you cannot find it look it up in your manual. If you no longer have your manual google your washer and look up manual or lint trap. I find I can find just about anything on Google or Bing.

 

[poochie]

Found instructions on Google.



Maytag has built a reputation of having strong and durable washing machines. They differ from most washers by having a lint filter located in the center rather than on the top right or in the drainage hose. Making sure that the lint traps are clean is important since it can cause fuzz and lint to accumulate on the items you are trying to clean. The lint filter must be cleaned out periodically, depending on how often you use the washer. For example, if you put in a load once a week, then clean the filter once every 3 months.


Instructions.1.Step 1
Open the lid to the Maytag washing machine. Look for the agitator, which is located in the center of the machine.

2.Step 2
Pull up on the agitator tube. Place your hands on the top circumference of the agitator and pull up. This will release the lint filter tube for cleaning.

3.Step 3
Clean out the lint from the agitator tube. You can peel out loose lint. The lint will be a little damp, so wear gloves to avoid getting it all over your hands.

4.Step 4
Use a wet sponge to clean the filter. The wet sponge will grab any remaining lint that has clumped onto the filter.

5.Step 5
Replace the agitator tube. Slide it back over the agitator located in the center of the Maytag washer.

 

[annsteere]

Not the OP, but THANKS for the advice. I've got the same problem, and I had NO idea that my washer had a lint trap. (Which gives you some idea of how long it has been since it got cleaned!).

This is now on the list of projects for today.

 

[idofabric]

If you do have a lint trap on the washer it can also collect any lose change that might have been left in pockets,or any thing else.We had this problem a few washers ago and I found several coins in the lint trap. It worked much better after that..a lot of the traps are made to be self cleaning, but stuff does get traped in them and they then don't work as well, or at all.
And some fabric will gather/release lint better then others. Cotton, linen, wool and natural fiber has more release of short fibers. Poly, some rayons are man made and in the case of Poly is close to plastic. The old Poly was hot, itchy and would pill at the drop of a hat and did not allow airflow. Some of the new exploded Polys pill less and breath, and a few of them will also throw off lint.
If you are washing stuff made of different weights of fabric that can also cause more lint as the heavy or rough items will rub and wear off some of the fiber- towels, jeans, socks are heavy... dress cotton shirts, boxers, T-shirts light, together they rub and every thing gets linty....Sometimes it helps to know wa

 

[poochie]

Found instructions on Google.



Maytag The lint filter must be cleaned out periodically, depending on how often you use the washer. For example, if you put in a load once a week, then clean the filter once every 3 months.

I just noticed the phrase in red. It is just my DH and myself. But who has only 1 load a week????????? Talk about fantsyland.