Horrendous smell from washing.

tomstickland

I've been drying washing on an airer in my flat, usually leaving it for a few days. I've had a few occasions of it smelling damp and had to rewash it.

A few times over the last year I've had an altogether different smell. Very strong and, well, it smells "sweet". Another way of describing it might be onion or garlic like. The smell of someone who'd eaten too much garlic. Odd smell and not at all like damp clothes.

At first I thought that the bathroom had got too damp and water had worked its way into woodwork and some sort of odd fungus or other lifeform had developed.

Well tonight I was ironing things and the steam iron seemed to bring out this smell from washing. For example, a pair of trousers smelt fine and they were totally dry. I ran the steam iron over them and was assaulted with the "sweet" smell.

All this stuff has been washed at 30 or 40 degrees.

I'm wondering if anyone else had ever experienced this. I don't think that I smell like that!

Anglea

Have you tried a much lower temperature?

I'm saying this because I had some dreadful smells in my washer at 40 deg, and when the clothes came out they had bits in them. I blamed it on a new denim skirt (as they often have odd smells) and thought there must have been a tissue in the pocket. So re did everything on the lowest temp (small load) and there wasn't a smell.

Next time I used it I forgot about it and did it at 40 again and the smell was back this time worse. Mystery solved. Bits of rubber seal fell out and got tangled with all the clothes. Now it's packed up!

The oniony smell, that's really strange you mentioning it as the other evening I phoned a relative to come round and look at my boiler as I thought it might be gas but it smelled different. I think it must have come from outside as the windows were open and it wasn't in every room. It started downstairs and seemed to whoosh up the stairs and stay on the landing near the boiler.

So have you checked your rubber seals and do you have open windows?

hollydays

I put a question about a funny smell in my kitchen post called "Washing machine blockage/" and the reply came back that it could be because I was washing on a low temperature,and it can cause bacteria to build up in the washer.Do a high temp wash to clean the machine,then do one once a month.Look at the post,but not sure if this would cause a sweet smell.

Zazen999

It's not the water in your iron is it?

froogirl

I'm not sure about the sweet smell, either, but the first thing I would do in this situation would be to run the machine (empty) on the hottest wash with some white vinegar in the detergent drawer. This should clean out any nasties in the machine that could cause a weird smell. And ditto the suggestion about the iron - might be worth giving that a good descale and clean, too.

mardatha

I once lived in a flat which had that smell all the time.Exactly as you describe--oniony verging onto garlicky. It seems to come mainly from the bathroom but I never found out what it was. I would try a hot wash with a good detergent and maybe even do an empty wash with a touch of bleach, in case it's waste water lying in the trap of the WM. And use a lot of Lenor in washing, that might help too.

tomstickland

OK, thanks for the replies. It does sort of suggest something thriving in water somewhere. I think the washer needs a good clean out.

Purple_Sparkles

I have a similar problem with bed linen, smells fine when it's just come out of the washing machine but once it's dry it smells like bad feet, I line dry our washing.

I've since thrown the smelly stuff away but I was told that it's to do with the chemicals that are used in the making of the fabrics, they have not been washed out properly and they linger in the fabrics. To be honest the bedding that smelt was a bit on the cheap side. My good bedding doesn't smell at all and it's all washed the same.

janeym8

ive had this problem and get it on and off and its when i need to clean in ,around and behind the door seal its amazing what lurks there

janey xxx

Butterfly_Brain

As well as running the washing machine empty on a hot wash with white vinegar - remember to then wash the clothes again but add white vinegar instead of softener in the rinse cycle - this is because the residue of countless washes has built up in the fibres of the fabric - the white vinegar will strip the residue and it is a very good softener -no it doesn't leave your clothes smelling like chips!

Beccah_3

Have a similar problem..for the last couple of years every so often we get an oniony smell coming out of the shower head. I'm convinced that its something in the water itself, as the water comes straight from the mains not sitting around in water tanks and we've changed showers in that time. Its soo odd.