Here's the skinny ! We have well water from a reasonably deep well , located in proximity to what we here in western New York call a bog woods ( wet much of the year ). The plumbing is all new (6 yrs.) copper with a brine and carbon filter water softener as we discovered that the water was relatively hard and contained sulphur, a definite No-no for copper plumbing. The problem is this: ^#%$@!#@!%$^ dark spots on laundry. They are not from rust as they are the wrong color. These spots are a dark grey to almost black at times and do not wash out very well or at all. "Professionals" have given us a plethera of answers that seem only to suit their particular company agenda, and the company that installed the system has turned out to be well less than reliable, OOPS!!! File that one under "live and learn" and file any info. received here with great thanks. Added note: there is a liquid feed pump chlorinator on the system to quelch the sulphur smell.

-- Daniel Baker (dcbaker@2ki.net), March 31, 2000

Answers

Well welcome to N.Y. I'm sorry I won't be much help , we live in Northern N. Y. are water is also high in everything .I've given up .My solution is not to buy white or light colors.You can also just tell yourself over and over that you like pokadotted {?} underware.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), March 31, 2000.

We have sulpher water and the water softner(?) takes care of the smell . We also have copper pipes and hard water . Before we turned on the water softner I had orange whites (Don't recall any dark spots but i was ammazed at the orange at the time ) Any way .... I bought a product called Iron Out in the plumbing section of our local hardwear store . This did the trick orange and all . I do relize this isn't organic or homespun but it did work for me . Becky

-- Becky Rosen (Joel681@webtv.net), March 31, 2000.

I don't practice what I preach here, but I should. If you have a water softener then you can buy salt for it that helps significantly with the rust and minerals. This must be a mineral/metal/calcification thing of some sort. (right?)

If you use Iron Out for the laundry you add it to the load of whites, sans bleach, with detergent. I have used this product many times, and it is extrememly caustic, and will burn your nose. I opt for the "no whites" rule and relaxed standard of white (antique white, natural). For the toilet/tub/sink stains ( Do you get those too?) I use a pumic stone or a cheap product called "The Works". The latter is cheap and it does work, and I use it on the tub even though it is for toilets.

Could it be that there is a chemical reaction going on between your copper pipes and the water? Maybe only time will fix it. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

-- Rachel (rldk@hotmail.com), March 31, 2000.

Daniel: I must point out that you have incorrectly spelled "plethora" and you thereby are subject to substantial and proper browbeating! I jest, of course, and digress as well. I do not have a good solution for your particular malady, but if you can be more specific as to where you are in western NY, perhaps I or others can at least offer our solutions. Be assured that this forum is a gathering of the best brains and experience for old-timey questions that has been assembled to date. Anyone who knows more than we is, quite unfortunately, dead! Good luck!

Brad, the Optimist

-- Brad (homefixer@mix-net.net), March 31, 2000.

Fur Shur. What you said Brad!!! Always wondered why my hair was red and I smelled like sulfur. You mean thats the water?...Kirk

-- Kirk Davis (kirkay@yahoo.com), March 31, 2000.

Hubby say's "The filters aren't working-try taking water directly out of the well,(before it goes into the copper pipes) and putting it into the washer and run a load. If there are no spots-it's probably a reaction to the copper. Could also try to take a sample of the "spots" to a reputable lab and have it analyzed. Otherwise, put in all new CPVC pipes!" We lived in a house once that had rust (shallow well) and we had to put an iron filter in-they use potassium. Icky water is a pain!

-- Kathy Cox (kilatable@hotmail.com), April 01, 2000.

Just a shot in the dark, but could your water have tanin in it? Tanin comes from things like decaying oak leaves ( and other stuff that I can't remember right now).Most streams around this area are "root beer" colored due to the tanin leached into the water. The nearby bog might be a clue. On the bright side, maybe you've struck oil?

-- Peg (jnjohnsn@pressenter.com), April 01, 2000.

For the lovely iron ore water that we have here in East Texas, we put in a whole house water filter, at the well. We used an old swimming pool filter, when we clean it every year, you can't believe how red the screens are. If the house wasn't filled with boys all of the time I could go weeks without scrubbing the toliet. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), April 01, 2000.

The first well I had drilled in western NY. (Branchport) had so much iron in the water that our clothes came out brown in the laundry, I sold the washing machine and took eveything to the laudry in town. My second well was hard water but no staining, in the dry season of August there would be a slight hint of sulpher. Well number 3, was hard, no sulpher but I got the water with a deep well, hand operated, force pump. All three wells limed up my tea kettles but I would clean them as needed with distilled vinegar. Where I lived, a "Good Well" was one that did not have sulpher, no matter how hard the water was.

I know this is not addressing your question. I would talk to another professional, call Goulds Pump, ask your neighbors, the Extension service, Cornell University has a wealth of information, ask Culligan. Good luck.

-- Hendo (redgate@echoweb.net), April 02, 2000.

In one place where we had dingy grey spots, and a general greying of clothes, a cup of vinegar in the rinse water solved the problem.

-- Michael M. McFall (mcfallm@aol.com), April 02, 2000.

Hi Daniel,

There is suppose to be a product on the market in the laundry section that you put a sheet in the washer, and it attracts all the stains that gets on clothes. I have not used this, and maybe someone else has. You might try and look for this.

Also check your washer, is their any way grease from your machine is getting inside your clothes. This happened to me once.

Also check your hot water heater, sometimes they need to be flushed out. It is a lot of work, but lots of gunk gathers in the bottom.

One last thing, If anyone has problems with rust like stains in the bottom of the tolit, go to Dollar General, and for $2.00 there is a product called Sani-Flush, and this stuff works.

Good luck with your water problems. Beth (NC)

-- Beth (NC) (craig@icu2.net), April 02, 2000.

Many thanx to those of you who have taken time out of your busy Spring homestead schedules to share your mutual water pitfalls, and advice. I apologize for any misspelled(?) words, the last thing I need is any brow-beating, but appreciate your concern for the language. Am kind of leaning towards the chemical reaction / dirty or nonfunctioning filter angles myself , as both present a fair expense am continuing to hope that a magical mystery answer will present itself amidst this PLETHORA of country logic and information. Thanx again all !!!!!

-- Daniel Baker (dcbaker@2ki.net), April 03, 2000.

Ontario, Canada. Has anyone experienced skin irritation, specifically mucous membrane areas, with the potassium filter. Our well water is extremely hard After a year of usage, our toilet stays clean, and the laundry isnt yellow anymore, but ..... Would like your input Thanks Carol

-- Carol (carolack@yahoo.com), March 19, 2001.