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?
By mary jean gerry from Budd Lake, NJ
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.
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.
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.
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?
And, when you dry your clothes, are you sure you are getting your clothing good and completly dry??
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.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?
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.
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
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.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....)
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.
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.
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!)
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?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
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!