I always ran into a problem using powdered detergents in the washer. I would stick to the Liquid HE kind. I have not had a problem since using liquid only (and you only need a little so it should last and is also "organic or green". They do have a product called "Clean Washer" that's a tablet you are suppose to use at least once a month.

Use Tide HE powder... just half the suggested amount and your problems will be over. It's not cheap but you get what you pay for. Makes no sense to have an expensive washer and get bad results from using ineffective detergent.

Thanks for the suggestions, but on these forums, a lot of people praise more natural detergents, and I don't like the idea of residue left on my clothes after the wash such as Optical Brighteners, Enzymes and Scents.

I'll have to give Tide HE a try, but i'll run one more wash without the 'mystery t-shirts' to realy nail down the detergent as the cause. Nature Clean has a simple list of ingrediants, and i don't really see exaclty what is the grey sticky gunk left on the drum, uness this batch of detergent is particulary 'defective'. Scented detergents inevitably leave some oily residue on clothes, how else would they smell nice?

You could also try Cheer Free powder, which is not HE but people here report using it in FL without problems. It wouldn't have the scent or brighteners but would still have the enzymes.

Now i'm having problems getting rid of the grey sticky stuff on my washer's drum. Maybe it's the Carboxymethyl cellulose used in Nature Clean to lower the requirement for washing Soda, hence cut costs. I really don't see what else can the grey residue be. Or maybe the chineese suppliers' quality control is out of order.

Sounds like the 'green' turned everything 'grey'.

(Sorry, couldn't resist.)

I am truly sorry for your bad experience. I'm not convinced that 'green' products are necessarily better, for a number of reasons. Sometimes they are, sometimes not.

> Nature Clean has a simple list of ingrediants

simple isn't always better (or safer)

> I don't like the idea of residue left on my clothes after the wash such as Optical Brighteners, Enzymes and Scents.
> Scented detergents inevitably leave some oily residue on clothes, how else would they smell nice?

Just because you don't smell anything with your detergent doesn't mean it's not leaving any residue ...

For the gunk in the machine try to use powder cascade in washload of cotton whites. Use the hottest setting available.Extra rinse.
Switch detergents.

I have had this same problem while doing laundry yesterday. I searched the internet and came to this page. I was using a liquid detergent, Woolite for dark clothes and washed a Land's End winter housecoat. So the detergent I used was liquid, not powder, I used cold wash and rinse cycles, and the clothing was not a cheap $1.00 T-shirt. The only commonality is the sticky mess. So my conclusion is that I guess we just need to clean the inside of our washer from time to time. I will try those "Clean Washer" tablets someone discussed above.

I use Nature Clean in warm\cold in the winter (cold\cold for summer) and have never had this problem. I live in the city so water is pretty soft. I do use a booster - Nature Clean's Oxy Stain remover or Borax. Product is unscented so you know it isn't masking smells with scent. Very low sudsing and also rinses out well. Might not be the right detergent for your water or machine but it works great form me with mine.

Unless you are drawing your water from a well, it's likely that your water comes from several sources and the quality changes depending on the time of year. White/grey residue on washer parts and similar debris in your clothing points to hardness minerals precipitating out of solution. It's possible that your detergent is reacting badly to any changes in your water chemistry, and if your chemistry changes throughout the year that would explain why you are seeing it sometimes, but not all the time.

I recommend you switch to a liquid detergent and see if it gets better. Citric acid is a fantastic non-precipitating water softener that is also used to clean hard water build-up. I would try removing the buildup using citric acid and switch to a commercial detergent to see if the situation improves.

Am having an issue with them now and they refuse to send someone out and cover the cost. I have nasty gunk floating around in the water where i wash my clothes. This washing machine was only 2 1/2 years old when this started happing and they cant give me a reason as to what I may have done. Which is nothing because you cant do anything to a washing machine to cause this! I have never had this issue with any machines and this is my first LG and will be my last. DONT BUY LG. Horrible appliances and they dont stand by their defects.

Absolutely washing machines can develop gunk accumulation of which bits can break loose and float in the water. Has nothing directly to do with LG. All brands are susceptible to it, and various usage habit factors can cause it. Too much cold washing. Too much liquid fabric softener. Liquid detergent can be a factor, combined with local water conditions/chemistry. Powder detergents are generally less likely to cause gunk.

Its not the machine. I have an LG and have been very happy with it. Cleans so much better than my previous Electrolux. I did everything right with the Electrolux but it never cleaned the clothes well but I never had issues with gunk or mold.

I had issues with gunk build up and flecks of black on the supposedly clean wash when I had a Fisher and Paykel top loader. It wasn't the machine. it was my poor laundry habits. You certainly can cause gunk build up in washing machines.

Not true. Its an LG issue as i can see from message boards all over. I have also had MANY other brands of washing machines and they have never done this and I have not changed anything about how i wash. I have a water softening system in my home so its not my water. This is my first LG and will be my last.

I work on washing machines. I often take photos of the machines to document what I find. I have pictures of non-LG toploaders and frontloaders that are NASTY with residue. I can post some if you want to see them. Or you can search for other discussions on this board where I've posted some of them.