Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
washme887

SpeedQueen rips clothes

WashMe887
11 years ago

I got a Speed Queen 542 about 3 years ago. Wanted simple, non electronic, reliable, quality etc. Generally happy. I do notice, however, that it tends to rip holes in some clothes, some of the time. Not all, not everytime. I would go full delicate for wash and spin, but then everything comes out pretty wet and takes forever to dry. Wondered if anyone has had this problem, and any suggestions? I hate having to shop for new washer all over again.

Comments (51)

  • SparklingWater
    11 years ago

    Hmm, I haven't experienced this problem since my SQ FL purchase in May '12. Maybe because I wash the towels, heavier clothes on bulky but try not to overload. Haven't bothered closing zippers or buttoning. On bulky it's less rpm's for spin then on regular (750 vs 1000 I believe). Lots of water in there (I think 13 gallons per wash), so the clothes and towels get pretty admixed with the water before the spin and while they are slightly heavier, it seems the SQ dryer works efficiently to take the water out without extra time for mine.

    Have you checked your stainless steel cage to see if anything sharp is present? Perhaps something got caught up in it? You might wish to call SQ directly. Their customer service is very helpful.

  • dadoes
    11 years ago

    SparklingWater, 542 is a toploader.

  • jakvis
    11 years ago

    I don't follow the love that some in GW put on SQ Top Loaders as agitators tend to be rougher on clothes especially when overloaded.

    I recommend that you reduce your load size to ensure that the clothes are freely moving down through the middle and up on the outside (turn-over). This will reduce the abuse that paddles will have on the clothing.
    Your turnover rate should be at about 30 seconds or less (some say 1 minute or less) for an item to go from top to bottom to top again.

  • oregpsnow
    11 years ago

    This is why I love my FL - easy on the clothes and they come out of the washer almost dry. Sometimes simple and non-electronic isn't better.

    Hopefully smaller loads will help you. Be sure and turn clothes with zippers inside out after zipping them up and use lingerie bags for delicate knits and undies.

  • bonesoda
    11 years ago

    I have had similar experience with speed queen... destroys clothes, destroys clothes with elastic etc etc.

  • oasisowner
    11 years ago

    Very strange, we have found that our Speed Queen AWN432 is sooooo much gentler on clothes than either of the HE top loaders we previously had.

  • mrb627
    11 years ago

    I imagine any machine used improperly can and will cause fabric damage.

    MRB

  • dadoes
    11 years ago

    There are many errors the user can make.

    Sorting incorrectly, mixing items that should not be washed together. Fabrics that are not dye-stable may bleed, even in cold water. Heavy denim jeans should not be washed with stretchy knits, for example. Open zippers, snaps, and other fasteners can snag even when like-items are washed together.

    Inappropriate cycle settings ... too aggressive wash action for the fabric or garment type ... damaging water temperature on items that can shrink ... insufficient water level on a manual-selection toploader ... too high spin speed causing excess wrinkling ... the list goes on ...

  • bonesoda
    11 years ago

    Nods. With my speedqueen it was rough on garments even when all clothes were aggressively sorted.

  • Barbara Mazzocca
    6 years ago

    I am having the exact same problem with my Speed Queen. It rips up every towel, even new ones. I am not overfilling it. It also rips up tablecloths. I am only washing towels together, so the sorting is right. I can't find anything sharp anywhere. I have no idea how to fix it. So far, it hasn't ripped up clothing, so I can't figure it out.

  • ken c
    6 years ago

    I had a topload Fisher and Paykel followed by the current machine an electronic control SQ top loader. Never ever ripped or damaged any clothing in either machine so it's hard to imagine short of overloading the capacity what could be causing it.

  • mrstruth
    6 years ago

    My towels are not lasting. We have our speed queen for 17 months now and I'm noticing our towels are being ripped. Regular clothes are ok.

  • SEA SEA
    6 years ago

    We had front loading washers for 12 years before we bought a top loading Speed Queen in 2016. In those 12 years of FL washers, the quality of our fabrics, whether towels, linens or clothing were very well maintained. Our fabrics simply did not wear out. All of us (4) had very old clothes and our towels are from a by gone era, but they looked good. We had almost no lint as well. It would take 3-4 dryer loads to get enough lint in the dryer trap to clean it out.


    Fast forward to the new Speed Queen: immediately, towels that had been troopers since the 1980's and 1990's were turned to shreds. Clothing shredded up into large dust particles. Holes in socks, underwear. Sheets were ripped apart and looked like battle torn pirate flags on a ghost ship. Pillow cases survived however.


    We figure (unscientifically), that our former front loaders did such a poor job of washing (our laundry was musty, smelly, never fresh--ever. and many times would come out of the washer never even wetted in places), that of course our fabrics were holding up! They were not getting proper laundering procedures in our front load washers.


    We also feel that a Speed Queen TL washer will point out to you rather quickly which articles of clothing/linens, etc...were made well and which were not. I have some bath towels that I bought at Costco about ten years ago that have been in heavy rotation for those ten years that look (and smell) the best they EVER have since we got the Speed Queen. I also have washcloths from Target that hold up very well in the SQ. I have some tops from Land's End that wash and hold up well in the SQ. I always tell my daughters when they are looking through the Land's End catalog to choose well, because you will have that top or pants for years to come. Items we bought at J. Crew turned to mush in the SQ. I think a lot of this boils down to quality of textiles and sewing craftsmanship.


    We realize our former front loaders were poor overall performers and there are many much better front load washers in use, but I believe that front loaders are gentler to textiles due to the way they "bathe" the fabrics and tumble them rather than the rough-em up agitation that happens in an enthusiastic SQ TL.


    I've taken to putting clothing items that I suspect are even the slightest at risk in a large lingerie bag and zipping it up if I want to see it intact again.


    We also have lint in wow-worthy amounts. I have to clean out the lint trap in the dryer two to three times during a cycle. Copious amounts of lint with the Speed Queen. My outside area where the dryer vents is also a huge mess with lint that has been blown out the tube. In the 19 years we have had a dryer vent there, the ground only had a small amount of a veil of lint built up on the gravel. I can't even see the gravel anymore and it hasn't been a full year yet with the SQ.


    Even with all that, we LOVE our Speed Queen and still can't believe how clean our laundry is now. Between the new washer and what I've learned from the good folks here, the clean laundry is worth losing some articles that didn't pass the toughness test the SQ put our stuff through.


    HTH

  • mamapinky0
    6 years ago

    Hmm...if you have a Queen or any brand of washer destroying textiles than it needs looked into. I had a Queen AWN432 it never destroyed anything, In 9 months of heavy use and I sure don't have the higest quality of clothing. I do know for a fact that some of the Queens are being rudhed out the door past quality control before the tubs weld seam is finished causing razor sharp edges that could rip textiles to shreads. you have a fantastic warrenty on the Queen..get it looked at as this isn't right regardless of quality of textiles.

  • mamapinky0
    6 years ago

    Mrstruth...rub a nylon stocking around the tub..every inch and see if it tears up at all.

  • Barbara Mazzocca
    6 years ago

    I called Speed Queen about this problem. They, of course, say they have never had a complaint. However, they did tell me that they sell a different agitator, one without the fins. It is an older piece, but they do still sell it. I would get it if I thought it was the fins doing the tearing, but I have no idea what the issue is.

  • dianedesignworks
    6 years ago

    I bought a Speed Queen Washer AWN432 in April 2011. I am a single woman, and only do my own clothes. I have had the same issue with the SQ washer ripping holes and slits, especially in my knits like t-shirts. Almost every time I remove fabrics from this washer I find holes/slits in my knits —and I can see the tension in the fabric that has been pulled over something that snagged the fabric. I dread having to do laundry now. Even my thick bath towels have gotten torn. I have not yet been able to find the cause, but I will try the nylon stocking suggestion. My 20-year old Kenmore Whirlpool never caused holes. Now, I wish I had just had the Kenmore timer fixed — and not bought this SQ.

  • mamapinky0
    6 years ago

    Do the nylon test...you do know your tub has a lifetime warrenty?

  • dianedesignworks
    6 years ago

    Thanks. I did not realize the tub had a lifetime warranty.

  • dianne47
    6 years ago

    Do NOT button shirts when putting them in the wash. I used to have buttons tear off all the time before I figured this out.

  • s1840982
    6 years ago

    I have been repairing appliances for over 30 years, first back when I was a kid. When my parents' washing machine broke more recently, I was unable to repair it for them as I usually do because I was recovering from an injury. Instead of getting it fixed by someone else, my mother wanted a new machine. I strongly recommended she get an electromechanical machine since they are less susceptible to failure than machines with BOTH electronics and electromechanical parts.

    When she first got the Speed Queen, I remember putting my hand in the stainless steel wash basin and being surprised by how "sharp" the drain holes felt under my fingers versus the previous machine with its plastic wash basin. During my long injury, my mother insisted that she do my laundry for me. Since my clothing style is very plain, I've had most of my shirts for decades; they have held up well (I have an office job) and haven't gone completely out of style yet. :) Within a year though, almost ALL of my shirts have been significantly worn out wherever the seams are made of overlapping material. I have no doubt that this machine has destroyed my wardrobe as it is extremely unlikely all the shirts (of various ages) wore out in the same way, at the same time.

  • M Andrews
    5 years ago

    I have cut the top of my hand while removing laundry from our washer on 3 occasions since we started using our new Speed Queen Washer in February 2018. The last time is quite a gash and still healing. I carefully ran my fingers underneath the white "fill line" cup situated at the top of the agitator this last time since it appeared that was where my hand had bumped. I found that I have a rough seemingly unfinished edge there in one spot - not all the way around it. It's quite sharp, and since this is still under warranty I'll be contacting them. So far, none of my laundry has been ripped, but I usually do small loads.

  • dadoes
    5 years ago

    "M Andrews: So far, none of my laundry has been ripped, but I usually do small loads."

    I've heard of one or two other cases of this situation. The only way clothing would be damaged by the sharp edge of your softener dispenser is during loading or unloading. Clothes do not come in contact with it during operation of the machine, unless perhaps the machine is grossly overloaded.

    You'll need to contact your selling dealer first to get the part replaced. SQ company typically does not interact directly with buyers of their products until after the selling dealer is engaged (and fails to provide satisfaction).

  • sparky823
    5 years ago

    Smooth it with sandpaper and save yourself the hassle of getting it replaced. Probably won't take much sanding to smooth it down.

  • M Andrews
    5 years ago

    It's bad enough that it will take a file, and wouldn't that void my warranty?

  • sparky823
    5 years ago

    Well I seriously doubt they would ever know you sanded the rough spot and I am 100 percent sure the fabric softener dispenser will never cause a problem with your machine, mechanical wise that would cause problems with the warranty.

    If it makes you feel better get it replaced but who's to say the next one may be the same or worse.

    You can take the dispenser off during loading/ unloading clothes.

  • HU-62924322
    5 years ago


    Update: I am user s1840982 who posted above. It's been well over a year since the purchase of that washing machine. I wanted to point out an observation; I noticed the damage of the clothes had stopped progressing. And I felt with my fingers that the drain holes of the washer's drum/basin have smoothed/beveled over that time, presumably by the friction of clothes, liquid and detergent.


  • nelsonb1212
    3 years ago

    Just found this thread. Love the versatility of my Speedqueen AWN432 which is now 6 years old... but every once in awhile it shreds towels. We have investigated every part, but cannot find the cause.

  • Jill Johnson
    3 years ago

    Washme887: I am having the same problem with my Speed Queen. I have two, they are the AWN542SP. I am so puzzled. Everyone loves their SQ but mine seems to put little holes in our tshirts. I thought it was the dryer and was even hanging to dry, washing on delicate or permanent press and still having issues. Wanting to get another washer and dryer but can't find anything people like instead. Does great on jeans and towels.

  • elbits
    3 years ago

    I got rid of my Speed Queen dryer because the vent inside had sharp areas on it.

  • ci_lantro
    3 years ago

    I have an approx 7 YO SQ AWN 412, purchased new. I've never experienced any of the aforementioned problems w/ clothing or towels being destroyed.

    Don't overload it. Turn good clothing inside out to launder; use laundry bags (I don't) for delicates. Allow items to soak & the detergent/ enzymes time to work. If you do that, you can reduce the agitation time if desired. Bath towels, for instance, are seldom really soiled. Use hot water, a good detergent, allow to soak if you want, & reduce the length of the agitation cycle.

  • shred queen
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I recently had a nearly 5 month encounter with Speed Queen concerning their top loader tub design that shreds clothes.



    This video demonstrates how easily (in less than 60 seconds) the sharp edge at the bottom of the perforated stainless steel cylinder of the Speed Queen top loader washing machine tub can destroy T-shirt fabric. The tub in my machine had this defect as did the two replacement tubs sent to me by Alliance Laundry Systems that were used in this video.

    Under my warranty, Customer Service only offered to replace the tub in my machine as if replacing one defective tub with another defective tub would solve the problem.

    Even though two Speed Queen authorized service technicians confirmed that the tubs were defective because of the sharp edge, Speed Queen continues to deny that there is a problem. The holes and slices in my clothes tell a different story.

    Speed Queen did NOTHING to repair the tub defect. However, they did reimburse me a modest amount to replace the damaged clothes.

    Today my machine is only usable because of a friend who was handy with a Dremel and many hours of my sanding that sharp edge manually with 3M Crystal Bay Medium Emery Cloth.

    One defective tub is an anomaly. Two defective tubs is an unlikely coincidence. Three defective tubs indicates a manufacturing defect that is eating consumers' clothes. Consumers are paying the price for Speed Queen's denial!!

  • Vicki Lowry
    2 years ago

    I hate my speed queen top loader and my husband refuses to replace it. I find little holes in all of my t shirts.

  • Tom N
    2 years ago

    We are going through this same issue right now. I listened to the local dealer’s service man and the SQ rep go over the washer using a video conference call. They both were convinced there was nothing wrong with the washer and that the customer (us) must be doing something wrong! I’ve asked that the machine be replaced or our money refunded, but instead they are sending a replacement tub and some other part(s). Unfortunately, I only thought to search for online examples now, after already ruining clothes and towels for 6 months and now waiting for these replacement parts for over 10 days. My local dealer, Direct Appliance in Modesto, CA has been worthless and seems to follow the Clark Howard mantra of providing Customer NO Service. Thank you all for the ammunition to take this fight to the next level!

  • HU-344476
    2 years ago

    On 3 sheet sets i have found Circular holes the size of a coffee cup perfectly round is this from my machine????

  • Shaun and Tanya
    11 months ago

    I found this thread because i think I'm having the same issue that you all are having... I love my speed queen for it's simplicity but it seems to rip small holes in most of my knits like t-shirts. I ran my hand in and around the seams of the washer and did find there to be some sharp-ish edges. I"m wonderin if some kind of waterproof seam tape would help fix the problem? Has anyone found a solution?


    In the mean time I may just get some larger laundry bags and use them for knits...

  • Cavimum
    11 months ago

    There is an entire discussion topic here on the laundry forum about small holes developing on cotton knit tee shirts. I've seen it happen on mine for decades. There are various theories offered, none conclusive.


    i close all zippers since we got our first FL washer, something I learned from this forum, and have not had a problem since then ... knock on wood.


    FWIW, neither of my FL washers have had rough edges on the inside.

  • ken c
    11 months ago

    Yes, we had the same issues with ur SQ TL. Never had an issue since replacing it with a FL. You should call Alliance, they will probably tell you that they have never heard of the issue before.

  • armjim
    11 months ago

    Are any of the posters who are having this issue using TLs? The older models do not fill with enough water on the default level for the highest setting to make certain that the laundry can move around if the tub is filled to what you would assume is capacity. Unless you have rigged your machine to operate with the lid open using the famous clothespin fix so you can analyze what is going on in there, you never really are sure if you have overloaded it.

  • ci_lantro
    11 months ago

    I have a Speed Queen top loader and have not had a problem with ripped clothes. Maybe others are overloading the machine. Or not sorting loads properly.

    If you are doing mixed loads, turn jeans inside out, close the zipper & button the waist. Same with other items with zippers.

    FWIW, I have had the SQ for 7-8 years.

  • SEA SEA
    11 months ago

    Hi Shaun and Tanya,

    Sorry to hear you are having this issue. Look for threads in the search function here in the laundry forum using the keyword cellulase. It's an enzyme that is added to some detergents. There is some debate as to whether this is causing the tiny holes. I really like Tide Free Gentle w/Downey liquid detergent. It makes the fabrics soft and smooth (doesn't actually contain fabric softener) by way of the added cellulase enzyme. I had to stop using it because we were getting the tiny holes in our t-shirts. This is not to be confused with how some Speed Queen top load washing machines are able to shred fabrics. Two different issues.

    Btw, I stand by my comments upthread from several years ago. Still using this washer. Still having the same good cleaning action and shredding. For those wondering, I don't overload the machine and I wash like fabrics with like. Never put jeans in with sheets for example. Making sure zippers and such are fastened is something everyone should be doing.

    I'm not sure why some don't have the problem and others do. It's a mystery. But we nicknamed our machine The Shred Queen a long time ago. I have posts on here about what to do about nice dress shirts getting ruined (while having only dress shirts in the load), etc...It's a good washing machine and has served us well, but it's not perfect. We bought a commercially designed and rated washing machine and try to keep that in mind when we lose another item to the shredder. Our motivation in buying this washer to finally have clean laundry, which we do since buying it, but there is a price to pay, at least with our particular unit.

  • dadoes
    11 months ago

    A workaround for an overly aggressive agitator washing machine is agitate a couple mins, then soak for a half hour or longer which allows enzymes time to work on stains and soils, then a few more minutes of agitation. The obstructions are that many washers nowdays 1) have no direct control over wash time and 2) those without a specific Soak option may abort the cycle and drain the water if paused for more than a couple minutes. A workaround to the soak problem is pull the plug to soak as long as desired (the machine can't drain without power) ... but the water may immediately drain and the cycle reset when power is restored. In that case perhaps a Rinse/Spin can be done to finish the load.

  • ci_lantro
    11 months ago

    I routinely start a load by filling it, adding detergent and agitating long enough to dissolve the detergent (use only powders.) .Add clothing, agitate a bit and stop the machine and allows clothes to soak just as Dadoes suggested. Enzymes are supposedly active for up to 6 hours so it makes sense to me to give them time to do their job. My SQ has a manual timer so I get to be the boss.

  • SEA SEA
    11 months ago

    Same.

  • Shaun and Tanya
    11 months ago

    Well I called the store I bought it from and they put in a work order with SQ... repairman called me same day to look at my tub and he agreed that the sharp edges were enough to warrant a replacement. He then replaced it on the spot with a new tub from his van! Now that's service!!! (definitely can't say I had nearly the same experience with my old whirlpool when it needed service...) Anyway, new tub installed and the new one does feel like it has fewer sharp spots along the seams but only time will tell i guess!


    Thanks for all the advice and I will definitely start making sure all zippers and buttons are closed up before washing. I'm also going to try putting all my knit t-shirts in to a large mesh laundry bag as another preventive measure to see if that helps!

  • Colleen Jones
    9 months ago

    My Speed Queen washer is ok, it's the DRYER that is ripping/snagging clothes.

    The vent screen is terribly rough with sharp spikes if you run your hand over it. I've had it probably 10 years, I think I may have had it replaced when it was new. I'll be looking into that again. Ridiculous!

  • Shaun and Tanya
    9 months ago

    @Colleen Jones


    I'm thinking that you may be right... We had our tub replaced and then I also replaced the screen in the back of our dryer too but I noticed that even the new screen has sharp edges and it is attached with two screws that protrude out a bit that have some semi sharp edges...


    In any case, even with the new tub and new screen installed I'm still getting little holes in my shirts! At this point I don't know if it's the washer or the dryer but this is getting really annoying!


    Since this seems to be happening mostly with my cotton t-shirts and some knit polos i think my next test will be to only wash these items and line dry them to see if any new holes develop in new shirts that I have bought.


    Any other advice would be welcome in terms of finding the root cause... I've also reached out to SQ to see if they have any ideas.


    Thanks!

  • Cavimum
    8 months ago
    last modified: 8 months ago

    Colleen Jones —- THANK YOU for your post! Hubby and I are currently on vacation and your post here came to mind, along with Shaun and Tanya’s, when i did laundry today at the resort where we are staying. It has self service SQ coin operated commercial top load washers and a pair of stacked dryers for guests to use.

    OMG! Because of what you shared here, I checked the vent screen on the upper back wall of both dryers and one of the two has the same problem yours has, It is like the paint has peeled off and out into the drum! I could feel the sharp points just waiting to snag our nice knit clothing.

    Fortunately, the other dryer is fine and I used it.

    This topic saved us a small fortune in clothing today, not to mention we wouldn't have anything to wear for the rest of our trip if nice golf shirts had snags on them.

    This is a very serious defect problem on the part of Speed Queen.

    I really like my SQ FL washer and am really glad I did NOT buy a SQ dryer and kept my old Miele dryer

  • Cavimum
    8 months ago


    BTW, here is a pic of the back wall of that dryer. That long thread hanging on the back there makes my imagination run wild.