Why do my clothes come out of the washing machine covered in tiny bits of lint/fluff

[loveswork]

Does anyone know what to do about alot of my clothes coming out of the washing machine covered in tiny bits of lint/fluff? They cover almost everything and have done for a long time. I have an expensive miele washing only a year old and changed because it kept happening in the last one. I don't mix the clothes, keeping towels seperate, and jumpers etc, but it still happens on all the washes. We have very hard water, could that make a difference?

[Eve]

Do you check for tissues in pockets or anything fluffy or similar on clothes which could be causing it?

Give the drum a good clean then do an empty cycle, a very hot one with a bit of bleach, white vinegar or anti limescale stuff. Lemon juice if it smells.

Make sure you regularly clean out the filter, especially if it has a tumble dryer in.

Get any lint out of the fabric softener drawer and give it a good clean, getting any gunk out with cotton buds.

Try not to overfill the machine, do more smaller loads so the fluff has more chance of getting drained off in the rinse cycle.

[firetracie]

Are you sure it's 'fluff' and not calcified deposits? You say you have very hard water so I'd recommend using a water softener tablet in very wash. You can buy supermarket own brands much cheaper than the properitary brands advertised on tv.

[loveswork]

Thanks. I have just cleaned the machine and put it on a hot wash with soda crystals so will see what that does and I do use a softener tablet with each wash. I'm not sure exactly what it is and I don't use a tumble dryer so it might not be lint, but it does look like lint all over the garment. I shall see what happens in the next few loads. Thanks

[adamhornsby]

i think the limescale does cause the fluff to loosen, but i have more suggestions:
1.The machine can't be at fault, especially if it is a Miele
2. They could be calcium deposits, and if they are, I would reccomend one of these:
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/18834/Plumbing/W ater-Treatment/Magnetic-Scale-Inhibitor?cm_re= SEARCHPROMO-_-MAGNETIC%20WATER-_-18834
much cheaper than tablets and will supply the whole house, they dont soften the water, but inhibit the limescale
3. Are they being washed on a too forceful cycle?
4. Are they being washed with strong detergent?
5. What temperature are they being washed at?
6. Is the load overloaded?

These can contribute to the fluff forming. I would also try cleaning the pump filter as well

[Murphster]

Hi

It is very unlikely to be the washing machine making 'fluff'. I suspect you have some item that is contaminating the rest of the wash load. Possibly you are washing it on a programme unsuitable for that garment and it's shedding fabric and ending up on other stuff.
I've had two Miele's one went for 22 years and the new one now about 18 months old. This problem has only happened when something has fallen apart and left debris over the wash , e.g as someone else has said tissues in pockets or very old towelling that's basically well worn or once when we washed a bath floor mat and the backing fell apart !
It could of course be 'pilling' which is especially common;
"Bobbling, and linting are common terms for pilling. They refer to the little bits of fabric items of clothing. Pilling is caused by damaged fibres that have separated from the rest of the fibres."
wash stuff inside out, use more detergent of a good quality, try gentler programmes like delicates instead of min iron or cottons which has a reduced spin speed too , reducing the load may help as this will reduce the 'mechanical' action ( clothes rubbing against clothes).
I recommend you sort through your wash loads and try to identify anything that's basically beyond washing anymore, make sure you are definitely using the appropriate wash, thin/ fine cottons may need to go in the delicates wash . Hope this helps.