Clay-like substance in our drain lines

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Written by Rich Fitzmorris

Question: We have a problem with a clay-like substance in our drain lines and do not know what to do. It leaves a film on our reclaimer and is extremely difficult to clean. We have found main drains are covered with the substance as well. Any ideas?

Answer: Without more specific information regarding wash conditions, what is being washed and how it is being washed, this is a difficult question. If the drain and heat reclaimer are plugging up, there may be some kink or "binder" that is sticking the waste and lint together. If the problem is occurring in the reclaimer and drains only, you may want to look more closely at what is being washed off your textiles.

It sounds as if the binding is an after effect. You may be able to determine the source of the problem by reviewing any changes that took place prior to the problem being identified. It is certainly possible to have an analysis performed to determine what matter is present in the substances that are forming the film. Laboratory work can be expensive, however, so it is a good idea to investigate all of the conditions that existed prior to the film formations becoming a problem. Another consideration is that when large amounts of new textiles are processed through the wash they can contain considerable amounts of sizing used to make fabrics process faster for the textile manufacturer. This chemical can cause lint and soil to stick together, creating what you have described as a clay-like substance.