I have a Kenmore Gas Dryer 70 Series, Model Number 97573220 75732, that leaves brown straight mark lines on the clothing. I do not think that they are burn marks because I can remove the stain with OxyClean. I have to dry everything in a large mesh bag to avoid the stain problem. Any suggestions or knowledge of this problem. Thank you.

Do you get the marks if you pull laundry out of the dryer mid-cycle? Or does it only happen after the timer runs out and the dryer stops?

--Bob

I don't have any suggestions, unfortuantely. We have an kenmore electric dryer model 110.86681800 that recently started having the same problem- there is a fairly straight 2-3 inch brown mark about 1/16th to 1/8th inch wide. Some times the marks come out with stain remover but not always. There is a spot on the back part of the dryer where the paint has worn down to the metal over the 17 years we have had it which is about the same shape (but has a slight curve) and size. My wife thinks that this is causing it- i.e. it is hot and scorches the clothes. She isn't sure if it only happens when the cycle ends and clothes sit there but she has been trying to get them out earlier and doesn't think that it makes a difference (but she isn't sure). She is trying to watch that. Looking in the dryer, the drum shifts a bit and there looks like there might be a gap between the felt gasket and the bulkhead in the back. I have wondered if the clothes get stuck in there briefly and that causes it because the felt seems to have the same brown color. Apparently this issue is not just gas dryers- maybe that leans toward the felt gasket theory.

We had the same problem and it appears to be from the small gap between the rotating drum and the felt or other seal.....there is "stuff" that gets built up in this area and it is burndt brown. It looks like rust but its not because it isn't removed with an acid to remove rust stains. You can easily remove the stains with oxyclean though. To remove the film of brown between the drum I used a concentrated solution of oxyclean with a damp rag (cotton) and stuck my head in the dryer and wedged the cloth solution soaked rag between the drum and the gap and started cleaning it out. work at the bottom of the drum because this is where the largest gap is and it's easier to clean. I was surprised how much "brown stuff" was comming off...this is definitely the source but I don't know if 5 minutes of cleaning is going to remove this "film" enough to prevent my cloths from getting the brown marks.

I'll let you know .....

Well, I finally got irritated enough with these brown marks, and called my repair guy. He came out and found it was the Dryer Glide that needed replaced. WOW! That was it! Ta da! All fixed. :) Bummer my dryer is only 3 1/2 yrs old. But hey, still only cost me $107 to fix the problem. So all in all, not bad.

We are having this same problem with our dryer. I'm curious - it's been 3 months since you posted this solution, are you still satisfied that the problem has truly been eliminated?

Had the same problem with a Sears electric dryer ruining our clothes with brown marks that won't wash out. Had Sears service man out and the first guy disassembled the dryer and said there was no problem with the dryer. Called and complained and they sent another guy who knew what the problem was before he even started. He replaced a seal which goes around the drum and said over time, it wears down which allows clothes to stick in a crack between drum and housing while drying. We'll see over time if problem eliminated but he sounded very sure.

I also have a Kenmore dryer model #417.69042991. My dryer has been putting marks on my clothes for several weeks. At first I tried pulling the clothes out mid cycle and found that they were being caught in between the drum and the things that hang down to fluff the clothes, sorry, don't know what they are called. After I realized that they are burn marks I no longer use heat on my blouses. When it first started it was the collars and cuffs that were caught. The problem is getting worse, it now catches my husbands t-shirts, anywhere on them. I am concerned that this is a fire hazard and we need to research doing a class action suit to have Sears pay to replace or repair them. If anyone knows how to get this started please let me know.

We have the same problem with the 2 - 3 inch long brown lines. It appears to be from the gasket like material on the back wall of the dryer. Did just cleaning it fix the problem or does it need to be repaired?

and me too - a model 417 ---gas dryer. It seems like a design flaw with the ridges catching the clothes - now I have to hang out in the same room and I can tell when its catching something because it starts making a funny noise, then I can open the machine and dislodge the caught piece of clothes before it totally leaves that demonic mark! Guess I'll have to do the service call to see if its one of these simple fixes.

Also have the 417 dryer and recently noticed brown streaks on white clothes. Suspected the dryer and sure enough found a piece of nylon clothing with a hole burned in it! Would this be caused by a worn glide? I will check the glide but I suspect the problem is deeper. Considering replacement although the machine is only about 5 years old.

I just finished getting to the bottom of my brown mark problem of my Kenmore dryer. I have been tolerating the problem for over a year all the while thinking it had something to do with fabric softener sheets and the dryer vanes. On my dryer the felt pad/gasket/insulation is located on the front of the drum. Upon close inspection I found two of the three teflon pads that are supposed to be attached to the top of the felt gasket had worn enough to dislodge from the gasket and ended up at the bottom of the dryer. The third pad is nearly worn but still attached. These teflon pads are necessary to prevent the drum from rotating against the felt. If this is allowed then the friction generated burns the felt gasket. The clothing makes its way occasionally into the gap between the drum and the gasket and picks up the nasty brown residue from the burnt felt. The worn teflon pads had sufficient surface area remaining that I was able to re-glued the pads back in place with contact cement. I also spent considerable time cleaning the brown residue from the gasket with a putty knife and damp paper towels. I was disappointed to find that neither the teflon pads or the felt gasket were mentioned on the Kenmore dryer parts list. What is the deal with that Sears? Tomorrow I throw a load whites in to see what happens.

How did you get to the pads? I just tried to get, well, pretty much anything off of my dryer (top, back, drum) and the screws are such that i couldn't get real grip on them with a philips head screwdriver- of the eight I tried, two came out easily , and a third came out with some difficulty.

Hi everybody. I so appreciate all your posts. I had to respond as I've had this problem with my Kenmore gas dryer recently and thought it was just me! Looks like it does not matter if gas or electric - it's the gasket aging.
I suspected the clothes were catching in the groove at the back of the drum and rubbing but thought it was oxidation since my dryer's 15 years old.

Overall, this dryer's been great! Only problem ever was a blown fuse last winter. My local guy fixed it in 5 minutes. BTW, he said I had the best washer (Maytag front-loading-because of its energy efficiency) and dryer Kenmore-because of it capacity) combination possible. (I do my homework before buying my appliances, and I LOVE my Maytag front-loading washer also - it's a money-saver!)

I've been turning my lighter-colored stuff inside-out to avoid marks but the dryer bag is a fantastic idea - much easier. I wonder if a dryer bag would be easier on the fibers in the clothes too...

If anyone knows if Sears offers part number(s) for the gasket it would be great to hear from you.

Thanks and luck to all!!

Just like all you guys, I have been trying for months to figure out what was causing brown marks on my whites. Mine does not always come out, even with Oxyclean! In December 2005, I called everyone at Sears Corporate (all the way to the President), to complain about this dryer problem. NOBODY AT SEARS CORPORATE CARED!!! Poor, poor customer relations! I will never buy another Kenmore product. However, my dryer is only 3 years old so I would rather replace this part instead of buying another dryer. I am totally interested in filing a class-action suit against Sears. Can someone help us out here!! If we all stick together, we can make something happen.

I kept thinking the brown streaks were being cause by the washer. Glad to find this site.
I am fed up with Sears noCustomer Service as well. If anyone wants to get a class action suit started on this, by all means count me in!!
I have had major problems with washers as well.

Thanks for all the info!

I have spent my weekend looking for a new dryer. After two years of what I thought was rust coming from my washer, I replaced my washer, only to find swipes on my clothes again. I really can't get excited about buying a new dryer and hope that there is an answer to this problem. I'm tired of Sears......customer no service! Would love to hear if anyone comes up with a cheap solution to the problem. I'm going to buy a clothing bag right now!

Hi,
After reading all of your posts and having this problem myself, I contacted Sears with no help. I believe this is a fire hazard. It began approx. 1 year ago in moderation and now is everytime I use the dryer. One of my sons shirt got stuck in the seal leaving a burn mark on the collar I used a bleach pen on it & the pen went right through the collar this confirms to me even more that this is truly burning our clothes. I called the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. It was very easy to file a complaint call them at 800-638-2772. Hopefully this dryer will be recalled.

Had the same problem. Fortunately the dryer was still under the extended warranty that we had purchased. The service technician said the solution was to replace the dryer drum since the seal in the front had worn away.
Merely days before the warranty expired, the drum arrived, was replaced and solved the problem.

However, now the dryer won't run unless the start button is pushed in and held in. There are 17 pages of discussion about this problem. Hopefully replacing the relays will work.

Bottom line is ... avoid this dryer.