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Clothes Smell Bad After Washing?

October 18, 2010

Smelling clothing in the washing machine.Sometimes I forget I have a load of wash in the washing machine that has begun to smell musty. How can I get rid of the smell that sometimes remains in the cloths even after washing them again?

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By mary jean gerry from Budd Lake, NJ

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October 18, 20102 found this helpful
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When I've done this, I re-wash the load, adding Oxy-Clean. Just in case you use cold water when washing, Oxy-Clean needs hot water to dissolve. I let the load sit and soak for a while before finishing the cycle. This seems to take care of the problem for me.

 
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September 25, 2008

My clothes smell real bad. I have tried washing them twice each time I visit the laundromat. I followed your instructions regarding vinegar and today when I on the train everyone started sniffing around me. When my fellow employees past my desk the smell themselves. I am desperate and need advice ASAP.



I sometimes ask people if I smell funny, they say no but it doesn't sound sincere. My sense of smell is poor so I can't even tell if I do smell funny. I used to wash my clothes 2-3 times a week. I cry sometimes because I don't know what to do. I know its not B.O, my clothes just smell sour. I am afraid to wear perfume.
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I am becoming more depressed every day. Today I went straight to the nearest clothing store and purchased a whole outfit and then on my lunch break went out and purchased bras because I noticed they smell really bad. Please help me or I might just lose my job.

Debbie from NY

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September 25, 20082 found this helpful
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One thing you might consider is where you are storing your clothes. Could that possibly be the source. Have you tried a different laundromat? If the water in your area is pretty hard try adding some Arm & Hammer Washing Soda to each load to help your soap work a little better. You could also try adding about a 1/2 cup of 20 Mule Team Borax to your wash load. And before you go crazy find a close friend to confide in who can help you tell if the smell is your "not so good sniffer" or a real odor.

 

Silver Post Medal for All Time! 255 Posts
September 26, 20082 found this helpful
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Could it be your car seats?? Have they gotten wet or mildewed and you are sitting in it? Or, maybe it is mildew in your dresser or closet??

Can you try opening up all the windows in the area where you store your clothing and air it out good? Is it carpeted? If so, how does the carpet smell? Do you maybe live in a damp basement?

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And, when you dry your clothes, are you sure you are getting your clothing good and completly dry??

 
By June (Guest Post)
September 26, 20081 found this helpful
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I have had that problem sometimes. I have finally resorted to washing every load for about 15 minutes with about a tablespoon of baking soda. Then I just wash them as usual. I found that we were piling our clothes (including our wet towels) in the hamper and letting them stay for a day or two until I could get the laundry done. This was causing them to sour. We started to spread out our towels in the laundry room to dry between laundry days, too. All of this has helped dramatically.

 
September 26, 20080 found this helpful
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Wash your clothes and towels separately. Put a quarter cup or LESS of bleach in with the towels. That's probably where the odor is coming from. The bleach will kill any mildew spores that have started to grow. Hang up the towels to dry in the bathroom until your next shower. Then toss them into the laundry basket.

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This should prevent any mildew from starting. Borax works well, too, but it's kind of pricey. Stick with the less expensive products like the bleach or baking soda first. Arm and Hammer makes a laundry detergent with the baking soda already in it. Again, not very thrifty.

 
By Uncle T'Dub (Guest Post)
September 27, 20081 found this helpful
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We have had this problem in the past and along with the other ideas above, I have found that washing the garments (clothes or towels) in the hottest setting your washer has along with a good detergent I.E. Tide w/ Bleach or equivalent and approximately 3/4 cup of Simple Green cleaner/degreaser works wonders. I personally think the body oils cause most of the odors and the "degreasing" action of the Simple Green (which is also biodegradeable) and hot water remedy the problem.

 
By (Guest Post)
September 27, 20081 found this helpful
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Nine and ten, sour smelling clothes are because you leave them in the washer too long after the cycle is over before drying them. Even for just 15 minutes, they will sour especially if you are doing them in a hot local laundromat. GET THOSE CLOTHES OUT AS SOON AS THE CYCLE IS DONE!

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The weird thing is, you can't tell it until you put the clothes on and they warm up from your body. I can't STAND that smell! I am highly allergic, it makes my head hurt. I had a kid in my class that had sour clothes and I had to talk to his mother. She was none to pleased but I just couldn't take it any more. I was sneezing my head off!

 
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May 15, 2006

I have some foul smelling clothes. I tried vinegar, fabreeze, lestoil, baking soda the works. I have to wash my clothes 2 times a week and the smell is still there. Any ideas.



Deborah from NYC

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May 16, 20060 found this helpful
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First, find out the source of the odor and try to eliminate that. Unless it's the water itself- high iron content? Try presoaking and prewashing, in Gain Detergent with bleach- then a regular wash, and two rinse cycles, using extra liquid fabric softener on the last rinse. Better yet, (IF you can hang clothes in fresh air to dry) is to rinse with a cup of white Vinigar added to rinse cycle.

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Seeing as how you live in NYC, I'm wondering if the odor is from environmental industrial air pollution, especially if you live near or work in an industrial park area?

 
By KarenP (Guest Post)
May 16, 20060 found this helpful
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I always use a little Pinesol in my wash water. You don't smell it on your clothes when dry but they smell fresh & clean. My towels always smelled mildewy until I started doing this.

 
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December 2, 2016

My clothes seem to smell okay when they are washed. The problem I run into is that when I start to sweat or my clothes get wet by rain or moisture from any sort, they stink.

The smell is an awful sour smell. I tried borax and vinegar and new detergents. I even cleaned my washer as instructed. No luck so far. Please help.

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January 24, 2019

One day I was going to school and I realized that people were covering their noses and sniffing when I walked past them. I didn't really think about. Once I went home I took a sniff of my clothes and they smelled horrible. I used vinegar, baking, and borax. I still to this day don't know why my clothes smell even though I put them in the laundry.

Please does someone have some advice on what to do. Also when I put my clothes in the washer and then I put them in the dryer, my dryer smells weird. Is it my dryer that needs a fix?

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Gold Post Medal for All Time! 677 Posts
January 24, 20190 found this helpful

If it is body odor than detergent should take it out. Make sure you are showering daily and washing clothing that touches your skin every wearing.

 
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April 13, 2010

Why do my clean clothes smell after awhile? I rewashed clean clothes because they smelled and now they smell again after being in the laundry basket. Please help

By Barbara from Youngstown, OH

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August 20, 2019

I am in Phoenix AZ where temps reach over 100 consecutively. My husband works outside, so sometimes when he gets home his shirt smells sour. I thought it was from sweating and the shirt drying slowly. Anyway, I noticed that sometimes after a few hours my clothes smell sour.

I always check them before I put them on, but they start stinking. I am not sweating. I am wondering if there could be something wrong with the washer. This is maddening. I really hate that smell.

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April 19, 2004

How do you get the smell out of nylon shirts? I've worn one twice and now the stench is unbelievable. (None of my other clothes smell this way....)



Lee

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By Lois (Guest Post)
April 19, 20040 found this helpful
Best Answer

My Fashion teacher who is involved in theater told us to keep costumes fresh from daily wear. They would spray the underarms with a mix of water and vodka. I don't know the portions but it would kill the smell and freshen the garment for daily use.

 
By julie walker (Guest Post)
April 19, 20040 found this helpful
Best Answer

Place your shirt in a bucket and fill 1/2 full with cold water. Shake in 2 cups baking soda and stir. Add 1 cap ERA liquid landury detergent and stir. Leave in cool place for 24 hours and then wring out by hand. Launder as usual with warm water laundry. In future, remember that some NYLON garments don't allow for body breathing and should not be purchased. It is a good idea to purchase a washable blend.
Good luck this worked for me in the same situation when I was younger.

 
By Becki in Logansport, Indiana (Guest Post)
April 26, 20040 found this helpful
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I would soak it in a mix of 1/2 cold water, 1/2 vinegar, then let it drip dry outdoors. If you can let it hang in the sun and fresh air (on a clothesline or balcony) for a day or longer, that would probably be a big help! (I never heard of the vodka suggestion -- interesting!)

 
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August 25, 2015

I washed my clothes and later used a hand towel to clean my face with. It had a bad sour smell to it. I had a cut so I used a towel again and poured hydrogen peroxide on it and noticed it started bubbling. Doesn't that only happen if there is bacteria present?

I need help with this matter. Do I change detergent or try vinegar or ammonia to clean the washer? Why do my towels have bacteria on them after washing?

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October 19, 2011

I have well water and all the laundry after a wash and dry is fine, but if it ever gets damp again from sweating or anything it then has a very rotten spoiled smell to the clothing. My husband's shirts after work smell like rot, what can I put in the wash to keep this from happening?

By Stephanie

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April 11, 2018

I live in a rental unit. The laundry room is shared with 2 other families. Most of the time after washing and drying my clothes they smell like they where washed with sewer water. The clothes are apparently stain free and washed with good detergent. I never let the clothes sit in the machine after washing, they go in the dryer. The clothes after being dried feel greasy and have a bad sewer smell to it.

I go to bed and if my sheets have that smell I do not sleep properly and often have headaches. We exposed the situation to my landlord and he doesn't care. My question is, is it possible my clothes are washed with sewer water some how? and can that be the cause of my headaches?
Thank you!

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