Brown Flakes on Clothes After Washing? [Why and How to Avoid It]

We find all kinds of random things in the washing machine after cycles—pens, cash, coins, and AirPods to name a few. So, when we find stains on our clothes, we instantly think it’s caused by items that aren’t supposed to be there in the first place.

However, if you see the same stains wash after wash, it’s most likely caused by something else. You should get to the bottom of it to prevent your clothes or your washer from getting damaged.

Here we’ll delve into those suspicious brown flakes that appear on your clothes after wash cycles. Together, we’ll find out what they are and how to get rid of them.

What are the brown flakes on my clothes after washing?

The brown flakes on your clothes that appear after washing, also known as scrud, are most likely caused by lint, rust, mold, mildew, or detergent residue. Scrud build-up can stain your clothes and make your washer smell.

Scrud isn’t caused by a fault in the washing machine, but by a laundry error.

To eliminate scrud, you have to clean your washer thoroughly. 

• Dishwashing tablets: Pop 2 to 3 dishwasher pods in a bucket of water. Once dissolved, pour the solution directly into the drum and run the hottest cycle on your washing machine.

• Citric acid: Pour two 75g of citric acid into the washer’s drum. Select the longest, hottest cycle possible on your washing machine.

These are temporary solutions to your problem. To fully eliminate scrud, you might have to identify the root cause of the problem which, in most cases, is a bad laundry habit that accelerates scrud formation.

Causes and Solutions

If your clothes are coming out of the wash with brown flakes or stains, it’s time you gave your washing machine a deep clean.

Take a look at the most common causes of brown flakes or scrud. We also have step-by-step instructions to help you troubleshoot and prevent it from recurring.

Causes	Solutions
Excessive Detergent Use	• Run a self-cleaning cycle or clean the interior of your washing machine manually. • Wipe the detergent drawer clean before adding more detergent and running a new load. • Always check and follow the detergent manufacturer’s recommendations before pouring detergent into the washer.  • Add 2 tablespoons of liquid detergent with 2X concentration to a standard washer or 2 teaspoons to an HE washer. • Only add 1 pre-measured tablet or pod per load for HE and standard washers. • Add ¼ to ⅓ cup of powdered detergent to a standard washer or 2 tablespoons to an HE washer. • For heavily-soiled clothes, only add up to 50% more per load.
Too Much Fabric Softener	Choose an alternative to commercial fabric softeners. Use vinegar, baking soda, or dryer balls.
Frequent Cold Water Washes	• Run hot or warm wash cycles frequently. • Use the care labels on your clothes to determine the ideal water temperature for your wash cycles.
Overloading	• Turn off the washer and drain all the water to get the clothes out. Check if the drum is overloaded by putting your hand in the drum. • There must be at least a hand’s width of space between the top of the drum and the top of the load.  • If there isn’t, your washer is overloaded. • Remove your laundry and check the tag on each item to confirm that it is suitable for the washing machine.  • Only keep the items that are machine washable. Then, measure the laundry that you want to load into the drum. • Distribute the clothes evenly and loosely inside the tub.  • Open the user manual to confirm if the selected cycle is appropriate for your laundry load.  • Change the settings if necessary, and start the spin cycle. Check if the fix resolved the problem.
Mold and Mildew Growth	• Put on protective gloves. Grab a rag or an old towel that you no longer use as much. • Mix hot water and bleach or hot water and vinegar in a small bowl.  Never mix vinegar and bleach to prevent toxic fumes from forming. • Dip the rag into your homemade mixture.  • Scrub the areas in the drum where mold and mildew are present, then include the gaskets and dispenser area. • Run the hottest possible cycle on your washing machine with a cup of vinegar or bleach.  • Bleach goes into the designated compartment for bleach, while vinegar goes into the detergent dispenser. • Wipe the washing machine dry. Leave the door open for several hours to let it fully dry.

Excessive Detergent Use

Brown flakes and stains on your clothes can be caused by excessive detergent use. If you go beyond the recommended amount for your laundry load, the washer will struggle to rinse away all of it.

As a result, the detergent residue will accumulate in the crevices of the drum. Without routine cleaning, the build-up of old detergent residue can cause various problems, such as excessive suds and brown flakes.

Here are some of the tell-tale signs that you’re using too much laundry detergent.

• There are traces of detergent residue on your clothes.
• The laundry comes out slimy and sudsy.
• There’s too much foam in the drum.
• The HE washer smells a little musty.
• Colored clothes look dull in color, while whites look grey.

If you see a SUD/SD error code on the display, it’s a clear indication of excessive detergent usage. To prevent brown flakes from forming in the drum, you must clean the washer thoroughly before running a new load. 

Solution: Always check and follow the detergent manufacturer’s recommendations before pouring detergent into the washer. 

Clear the excess foam.

Get rid of the excess foam in your washer. Some washing machines will automatically extend the rinse cycle to clear the suds in the drum, but if yours doesn’t, you can manually add an Extra Rinse cycle(what is extra rinse?).

• Step 1: Wait for the suds to settle in your washer.
• Step 2: Run a spin cycle.
• Step 3: Wash the laundry without detergent.
• Step 4: Take the clothes out of the washer if it no longer has the slimy and chalky film. Then, put them in the dryer or hang them out to dry.
• Step 5: Run a Self-Clean cycle or manually clean your drum.

Clean the detergent drawer.

Once you’ve cleared the excess foam and rinsed your clothes, give your detergent drawer a good clean to prep it for a new cycle. Follow our instructions carefully to prevent a SUD error from recurring.

• Step 1: Turn off and unplug the washer.
• Step 2: Pull the detergent drawer all the way out.
• Step 3: Carefully lift the drawer up to remove it.
• Step 4: Rinse the drawer in warm water. Then, use a soft brush to remove any detergent residue.
• Step 5: Scrub the drawer opening using a soft cloth or a non-metallic brush.
• Step 6: Wipe the opening with a dry cloth.
• Step 7: Align the drawer with the rails and gently push it back in.
• Step 8: Plug the washer back in and turn it on.

Add new detergent.

Different products may have different concentrations, which will affect how much detergent you need. Aside from the detergent itself, you need to consider the load size and the soil level of the clothes, and the hardness of the water in your area.

	Traditional Washer	HE Washers
2X Concentrated Liquid Detergent	2 tablespoons	2 teaspoons
Powder	¼ to ⅓ cup	2 tablespoons
Tablet or Pod (Pre-Measured)	1 pack	1 pack

For heavily-soiled clothes, you can opt to pre-soak the load instead of adding more detergent. However, if you choose the latter, only add up to 50% more per load to prevent excess suds from forming during cycles.

Too Much Fabric Softener

The chemicals in fabric softener can react with your detergent and create a waxy build-up in the tub. You can switch to a more natural alternative to fabric softener, but if you don’t, you should clean the washer regularly.

Ideally, you should clean the washer once per month or after every 30 loads, especially if you have a top-load washer. However, you should clean the appliance more often if you’re noticing brown flakes and stains on your clothes.

Use an alternative to fabric softener.

Believe it or not, fabric softener doesn’t help with cleaning your clothes. It is applied during the rinse cycle to make your clothes softer and more fragrant.

Fabric softeners can’t remove stains and make clothes cleaner. Thus, if it is causing problems with your laundry, you don’t have to use it, or you can opt to use a more natural alternative.

Solution: Choose an alternative to commercial fabric softeners and add it during the final rinse cycle. 

• Vinegar

Distilled white vinegar is a common alternative to fabric softener because it is readily available at home. It also does the job without adding harsh chemicals to the wash.

To use vinegar as a fabric softener alternative, pour half a cup into the dispenser before the final rinse cycle.

• Baking soda

Another popular natural alternative to fabric softener is baking soda. Just pour half a cup of baking soda into the drum during the final wash cycle.

• Dryer balls

Usually made of compostable materials like hemp, wool, and bamboo, dryer balls are a popular chemical-free alternative to fabric softeners because they are reusable and eco-friendly. 

More importantly, they don’t create scrud or leave an oily substance on your garments.

Clean the fabric softener dispenser.  

Fabric softener is highly concentrated even when you dilute it. Like detergent, you shouldn’t go over the recommended amount or it will leave a sticky residue on your clothes.

If you accidentally spill fabric softener around the dispenser, you must clean it before running a cycle. That’s because it can seep into the wash and affect the results of the cleaning cycle.

Solution: Make sure to clean the dispenser to prevent the excess product from affecting future wash cycles. Follow these steps to clean the fabric softener dispenser:

• Step 1: Turn off and unplug the washer.
• Step 2: Pull out the detergent and fabric softener drawer. Then, lift it up to remove it.
• Step 3: Rinse the drawer in warm water and use a soft brush to remove any detergent residue.
• Step 4: Wipe away any excess residue on the drawer opening using a soft cloth. Use a non-metallic brush for hardened residue.
• Step 5: Wipe the opening with a dry cloth.
• Step 6: Align the drawer with the rails and gently push it back in.
• Step 7: Restore power to your washer.

Frequent Cold Water Washer

Cold water can accelerate the formation of scrud in your washing machine. Unfortunately, powder doesn’t dissolve so easily in cold water, especially if you add more than the recommended amount.

All that undissolved detergent will settle in the nooks and crannies of your washer. Until you clean up the build-up, your washer will continue to produce more suds during wash cycles.

Solution: Run hot or warm wash cycles frequently. Always check the care labels of your clothes to determine the ideal water temperature for your laundry.

On most labels, the laundry symbol appears as a square tub with a wavy line. The number or dots inside the symbol indicate the highest water temperature for the garment.

Here’s a little guide to help you read the care label.

Number of Dots	Water Temperature
1 dot	30°C or 90°F
2 dots	40°C or 105°F
3 dots	50°C or 120°F
4 dots	60°C or 140°F
5 dots	70°C or 160°F
6 dots	95°C or 200°F

If you live in a colder area, where tap water reaches 4°C or lower in winter, detergent won’t perform well. Instead of using cold washes, run warm or hot cycles to help the detergent dissolve better.

Overloading

It’s never a good idea to overload your washer. We understand that you just want to get your laundry done as fast as possible, but overloading can decrease the cleaning efficiency of your appliance.

With a full tub, your washer won’t be able to agitate your clothes properly and dissolve the detergent. Instead, the detergent residue will settle in the drum and build up if you don’t clean the appliance thoroughly.

Solution: To troubleshoot an overloaded washer, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Turn off the washer and drain the water inside the drum.
• Step 2: Open the door and check if the drum is overloaded by putting your hand inside the tub. Make sure there’s at least a hand’s width of space between the top of the tub and the top of the load.
• Step 3: Remove your laundry and check their tags to confirm that they are suitable for the washing machine. Only keep the items that are machine washable.
• Step 4: Measure the laundry that you want to load into the drum.

Load-Size Recommendations
Small Load	Fill up ⅓ of the drum or a pound of laundry per cubic foot of the washing machine’s capacity.
Medium Load	Fill up half of the drum or two pounds of laundry per cubic foot of the unit’s capacity.
Large Load	Fill up ¾ of the drum or three pounds per cubic foot of the washer’s capacity.

• Step 5: Distribute the clothes evenly and loosely in the tub. Don’t twist and pack heavy items (e.g. sheets, towels, and blankets).
• Step 6: Refer to your user manual and confirm that the selected cycle is appropriate for your laundry load. Change the settings if necessary.
• Step 7: Restart the spin cycle.

Mold and Mildew Growth

Moisture, detergent residue, and a dark environment are all factors that lead to mold and mildew growth. Aside from leaving brown stains on your clothes, mold and mildew can make them smell.

Solution: To remove mold and mildew growth in your washing machine, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Put on protective gloves. Grab a rag or an old towel that you no longer use as much.
• Step 2: Mix hot water and bleach or hot water and vinegar in a small bowl. Never mix vinegar and bleach to prevent toxic fumes from forming.
• Step 3: Dip the rag into your homemade mixture. Scrub the areas in the drum where mold and mildew are present, then include the gaskets and dispenser area.
• Step 4: Run the hottest possible cycle on your washing machine with a cup of vinegar or bleach. Pour bleach into the designated compartment, and add vinegar to the detergent dispenser.
• Step 5: Wipe the washing machine dry. 
• Step 6: Leave the door open for several hours to let it fully dry.

Frequently Asked Questions

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