In a month? No! Are you using anything other than regular laundry detergent and additives? Do you leave the door open to dry it out? Could the flakes have been there all along and you are just noticing them now?

Did you wash anything with a rubber backing like throw rugs? Any sand in kids pockets?

It looks more like the drum is rubbing against the gasket causing it to wear and flake off.

You can see the rub mark in the rubber where it's making contact. The drum might be out of alignment. You can slowly turn the drum with your hand and see if there's any movement with it coming close to (or contacts) the gasket.

If the drum is out of alignment, I would try my best for a replacement of either the whole machine or the drum itself (which would be a tare down of the machine).

It probably be more cost effective to replace the machine. It's covered under warranty for material or workmenship defects.

Perhaps someone is overloading the machine. Causing items to drag on the gasket before spinning ramps up.

MRB

I use Tide HE or Woolite. That's it. It's just started because I wipe out that gasket at the end of every laundry day. I usually leave the door completely open all night after using the machine, and close down to where it is just propped open the rest of the time.

Is that pitting in the metal below your Thumb? Sounds like a call to Sears needs to be made soon if you didn't wash rubber backed rugs. Do you hear any kind of rubbing or banging when it spins. If it were me, I'd want a new machine. It shouldn't do that ever. Have your receipt available when you call.

The tub is for sure rubbing. Not a good sign. Good luck with Sears. Be persistent so something is done. You spent lots of money for a good product, now demand one.

Still curious if you've washed a rug. I have seen what looks just like this on my neighbors FL after she washed a rug and the backing flaked off like sand.

No, I haven't washed a rug. just regular clothes, towels, sheets. It's not pitting, that's just water droplets on the larger gasket.

Close up of the rubber coming in contact with the drum and wearing away.

Agree. Send it back. The drum is wearing the gasket. Bearings or something else is defective.

Wow. Just . . . Wow. That looks frightful. Good luck and keep us posted. I want to see how this gets handled.

I wanted to follow up with you all. I don't know what was in my washer when this happened, but after the next couple of washings all of the debris disappeared. Everything looks fine and their is no sign of wear on the gasket. All I can think of is there was something in the washer I was not aware of.

That's always good news.

I had that happen to me. I was a piece of clothing to far out of the drum tuching the rubber during spinn. I also opened the drum and al that rubber stuff all over the place. It only needs to be a corner of a big towl and during spincycle it gets pressed against the rubber.

Damn, front loaders are so finicky. I will never ever own one, never ever ever.

@gregkl...hehehe...you will some day.

They really do give the best wash you can get in an high efficiency machine.

Traditional full fill top loaders and HE top loaders can't compare to what a front loader can do and how surprisingly clean your clothes can get (providing you use hot, Allergen, Sanitize temps. most of the time and warm as your cold).