Washing machine marks on clothes: what our engineers find
These figures come from NAC's own repair records: 54 washing machine jobs our engineers attended for this fault in the last 12 months. Here is what they found, what fixed it and what it typically cost.
Marks on freshly washed clothes usually come from a build up of grime somewhere in the machine. Engineers sometimes find the detergent drawer and the jets behind it clogged with old detergent and dark sludge, or a door seal that is mouldy, stained or not sitting properly in place. Now and then the cause is a layer of soap scum and scale inside the drum, often linked to using only cool washes, which then flakes off as small dark bits on the laundry.
An engineer will usually start by checking that the machine fills, washes, drains and spins as it should, then look closely at the drawer, door seal, drum and drain filter. Where the problem is build up, they clean the drawer, seal and filter and run a wash to confirm the marks have stopped. If the door seal is badly stained or mouldy, or fitted wrongly, they replace it, and the new seal often has to be ordered and fitted at a second visit.
Engineers also commonly advise running regular hot maintenance washes with a drum cleaner. Bits may seem worse for a short while as the cleaner breaks the old residue down, before they clear.
Written by our engineers from these jobs.
- Jobs attended
- 54
- in the last 12 months
- Confirmed repairs
- 30
- This is not a success rate. Jobs inside their 60-day window, jobs still being classified, jobs held for review and visits that didn't end in a repair aren't counted.
- Fixed at the first appointment
- 40%
- about 2 in 5 of our repairs
- Typical total paid by customers
- £102 to £188
- including parts and VAT, from 29 repairs
No single cause has enough confirmed repairs behind it yet to show for this fault.
About the price. £102 to £188 is the typical total paid by customers, including parts and VAT: the middle half of what customers paid on 29 of these repairs. Repairs paid for by manufacturers and insurers aren't counted, because that work is charged at contract rates. It's a guide, not a quote. Your engineer confirms a fixed price before any work starts.
Before you check anything yourself
- Switch the washing machine off and unplug it, or turn it off at the isolator switch, before you touch anything. Our guide to safely isolating an appliance walks you through it.
- If it involves the mains supply, sealed parts, or you're not confident at any point, stop and book a qualified engineer rather than risk injury or further damage.
Rather leave it to us?
- Fixed-price quote before any work starts
- Same or next-day visits where available
- UK-wide engineer coverage