Black Flakes in Your Washing Machine: What They Are and How to Get Rid of Them

Shop BLITZ Washing Machine Cleaner, $24.95

What are the black flakes in my washing machine?

They're pieces of a film that builds up where you can't see it. Detergent and softener that don't fully rinse out mix with lint and body oils, and coat the back of the drum, the outer tub around it, the door seal and the drawer. The washer stays damp between loads, so mould grows in that film and turns it dark. When a patch gets thick enough, the wash tears it off onto your laundry.

Makers describe the same thing. Electrolux says residue, grease and biofilm can build up inside the drum and transfer onto laundry, especially with frequent washes at 40°C or below. Samsung says mostly cold washes let undissolved detergent build up on a top loader's inner bowl until pieces break loose. CHOICE, the Australian consumer group, calls the waxy version "scrud" and blames softener and too much detergent.

On a front loader, the film collects in the four places below. On a top loader it sits mostly on the outside of the wash basket and under the rim, which is why you can get flakes without ever seeing dirt.

How to tell which kind of black flakes you have

Not every dark mark is buildup, and the fix depends on what it is. Look at it, then touch it.

• Soft black or brown flakes that crumble when dry, often musty: buildup from the drum and tub. The most common case; the steps below fix it.
• Slick, greasy-looking spots: fabric softener. Whirlpool blames softener that wasn't diluted or spread properly, or was poured onto the clothes.
• Grey, greasy specks: Miele links them to too little detergent for oily laundry, Electrolux to constant cool washes. Fix: a hot maintenance wash and the right dose.
• Black dots on the door seal itself: mould in the fold. If they won't wipe off, see our guide to mould on a front-load washer gasket.
• Bits that stretch or bounce like rubber: a torn seal or a worn part. See when to call a technician.
• Ink, crayon or mascara: from a pocket. Check the drum, seal fold and pump filter.

How to get rid of black flakes, step by step

A cleaning cycle reaches the drum and the outer tub, but not the seal fold, the drawer or the pump filter, and flakes hide in all three. Hand-clean first, then run the cycles.

You need: a cloth, warm water with a drop of dish soap, an old toothbrush, a towel, a shallow tray and 2 BLITZ tablets. Time: about 30 minutes of hands-on work, plus three cycles.

1. Pick out the loose flakes. Wipe the empty drum with a damp cloth. On a front loader, press the seal fold down and check the small drain holes at the bottom.
2. Clean the door seal, or the lid and rim. Front loader: warm, soapy water inside the fold, then dry it (Samsung Canada says the gasket traps moisture, lint and detergent buildup); our gasket cleaning guide has the full method. Top loader: wipe under the lid and around the tub rim.
3. Rinse the drawer and the softener cup. Pull the drawer out, rinse it under warm water (LG says no soap) and scrub the slimy film inside the opening with the toothbrush.
4. Empty the drain pump filter (most front loaders), behind a small panel at the bottom front. Water comes out: lay down the towel and tray, and never open it right after a hot cycle. Samsung says monthly, or about every 40 washes.
5. Run two hot cleaning cycles back to back. Put one BLITZ Washing Machine Cleaner tablet straight into the empty drum, not the drawer, and run the hottest cycle or Tub Clean. Then add a fresh tablet and run it again. On a top loader, pick the hottest temperature, the largest load size and the longest cycle, as Samsung advises, so the water reaches the buildup under the rim.
6. Rinse, wipe and leave it open. One empty rinse or quick cycle, wipe out what's left, check the filter once more, then leave the door and drawer open until dry.

Get 24 tablets for $24.95: a year of cleans

Why you see more black flakes after cleaning

It doesn't mean the cleaning failed. The cleaner loosens buildup that may have sat behind the drum for months, and it has to come out somewhere. So a few flakes in the first loads after a deep clean, especially on dark towels, are no surprise.

• Heavy buildup can take more than one round. For mildew or a musty smell, LG Canada says to run Tub Clean three weeks in a row. Affresh says up to three cleaning cycles in a row may be needed in extreme cases.
• Wipe the drum and empty the filter after the first few loads, so loosened pieces leave the machine.
• Save dark towels and sheets for when the flakes have stopped: that's where they show most.

Still flaking after three weeks? See when it's a worn part.

How to get black flakes and spots off your clothes

• Loose flakes: let them dry, then shake or brush them off (a lint roller works). Rewash once the washer is clean.
• Greasy softener spots: Tide Canada says to brush off any excess, rinse under cold running water, put liquid detergent on the spot and leave it on, then wash at the hottest temperature on the care label. Repeat before drying if needed: the dryer sets the stain.
• Stains on whites from a clean washer, on well water: test your water. Health Canada notes manganese can discolour water and stain laundry. Our well water guide explains what to test.

When black flakes mean a worn part, not dirt

No cleaner fixes a part that's wearing out. Stop and call a technician or the maker's service line if you see:

• Bits that stretch like rubber, or a torn or loose door seal. For a damaged seal, Electrolux says to disconnect the washer, close the water tap and contact a service centre.
• Oily black streaks along with a new grinding, rumbling or squealing sound on the spin, water under the machine, or a burning smell. A technician can check the seals, the bearings and the belt.
• Flakes that keep coming after three weeks of weekly cleaning.

How to keep black flakes from coming back

Buildup needs residue and moisture. Cut both and the flakes stop.

• Dose HE detergent by the label. More doesn't clean better: CHOICE notes too much detergent adds to scrud.
• Put softener in the dispenser, never on the clothes, and use less. Whirlpool says too much softener on small loads discolours clothing, and Downy says to add it during the rinse, through the dispenser.
• Run a hot maintenance wash every month. Electrolux recommends one with a washing machine cleaner on the hottest cotton cycle. If you wash cold, your cleaning cycle is that hot wash.
• Let it dry. Take wet laundry out right away and leave the door and drawer open, as Samsung Canada advises. With small children or pets, close the laundry room door instead.

Most makers ask for a drum cleaning cycle at least once a month. For a washer that has already flaked, the BLITZ rhythm is every two weeks. The whole routine:

Still noticing a smell once the flakes are gone? See what a cleaning cycle misses. For a top loader's agitator, rim and brand-specific cycles, see how to clean a top-load washer.

Why one BLITZ tablet every two weeks

The flakes come from a film no cloth can reach. A tablet in a hot cycle reaches it every time the drum fills.

• One tablet per clean, in front-load, top-load and HE washers.
• A year in one box. 24 tablets for $24.95, one every two weeks: about $1.04 a clean. The first deep clean uses two.
• Unscented and septic-safe. It breaks down detergent residue, grime and mineral deposits instead of covering a smell with perfume.
• Rated 4.9 out of 5 (14 reviews) on goblitzclean.com.
• From a Québec company based in Laval, with service in French and English. Free shipping in Canada from $40 ($7.95 below), most orders in 2 to 3 business days, 10% back in store credit and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Also on Amazon.ca.

Frequently asked questions

Are black flakes in a washing machine mould?

Partly, most of the time. They're mostly detergent, softener, lint and body oils, with mould growing in that damp film, which is why they're dark and musty. Either way, the cleaning fix is the same.

Why is my washer leaving black bits on my clothes?

Pieces of buildup break off the drum, outer tub or door seal during the wash. Clean the seal, drawer and filter by hand, then run two hot cleaning cycles back to back.

Can vinegar get rid of black flakes?

It isn't the tool for it. Vinegar isn't made for detergent residue, and Whirlpool and Maytag advise against it in the washer because it can damage rubber parts over time. Never mix it with bleach. Our cleaner vs vinegar guide compares them.

Do top-load washers get black flakes too?

Yes: the buildup hides under the rim and outside the wash basket. Clean at the hottest temperature, largest load size and longest setting so the water reaches it.

What are brown flakes in my washer?

Usually the same buildup as black flakes, in a lighter shade, and it cleans out the same way. Hard, rust-coloured specks, or stains that keep appearing from a clean machine on well water, point to a part or to the water instead.

Sources: Samsung (Canada and New Zealand support pages, WF6000T owner's manual), LG Canada, Whirlpool, Maytag, Electrolux, Miele, Affresh, Tide Canada and Downy support pages, CHOICE, and Health Canada, checked October 19, 2026. Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, Maytag, Electrolux, Miele, Affresh, Tide and Downy are trademarks of their owners. BLITZ is not affiliated with them.