Musty smelly laundry

Dr_M_2

Hi All

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this but here goes.

I am having issues with laundry (mainly jeans) smelling VERY musty after being washed and I was wondering if anyone had any good washing/drying tips to help me a) rescue the clothes that already smell and b) stop it happening any more.

I have just moved flat so am using a different washing machine and drying with poorer air flow so the problem could be a combination of the two.

Some details: I don't have a tumbledryer or a garden so all laundry has to be dried on an airier in the lounge (I might try keeping the window open while drying now that I think about it)

It could be the washing machine itself (it is very old and battered) but the chances of getting my landlord to change it are zero - can they be cleaned at all?

Are there any tips anyone could give me? I use Surf Small & Mighty Concentrate liquid which I think is biological - would a non bio be better?

I have also heard about people adding vinegar and/or bicarbonate of soda to laundry. Is this a good idea?

Thanks for your help in advance. Not sure what I will do if I can't sort this. I hate my clothes smelling and can't afford new ones each week!

It seems VERY silly just to move flat because of the washing machine

Pink.

Hi Dr M,

Welcome to MSE and in particular to the Old Style board. :hello:

You aren't the only one with this problem but these threads may help you sort it out:

Smelly Washing Machine!!!

Cleaning a washing machine

Any suggestions for drying clothes indoors

Horrendous smell from washing.

How do I make my washing smell scrumptious?

Pink

greenbee

There's lots of advice on the other threads, but my suggestion would be:

• Clean out the filter - make sure you put it back in properly or you'll have a flood
• Take out the WM drawer and wash it thoroughly (the top rack of the DW works well, as I discovered this week thanks to the flylady thread!)
• Run you machine with its hottest wash using soda crystals to de-gunge it (you can put cleaning cloths in while you're doing this if you use washable ones)
• Use vinegar in the final rinse rather than fabric conditioner, as this descales the machine, and stops the clothes getting clogged (fabric conditioner coats the fibres, vinegar softens them). Don't do this if you use soapnuts though.
• Use an unscented washing powder
• Use the highest spin you can to get the clothes as dry as possible in the machine
• Space things out on the airer, and make sure you open as many windows as possible to avoid condensation
• Dry heavy stuff like jeans on the bathroom towel rail as the smell can be from them taking too long to dry.

Hope this helps!

Dr_M_2

Cool, thanks a lot

There is a nice bit of lunchtime reading for me to do

chunky79

Dr_M wrote: »

By soda crystals do you mean bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) or caustic soda? I am thinking bicarb but don't want to get it wrong

No soda crystals it says it on the packet.
You can get them from stores like wilkinsons tesco asda for about 60p a packet!

Dr_M_2

Heh, I realized as I posted that I was being daft so I deleted the post, thanks anyway though

Pink.

This thread may help with the soda crystals: Advice - where do I get soda crystals etc?

Pink

Caterina

One thing that I think keeps my laundry smell free (after all the filter debris issues etc. have been addressed) is to add a couple of tablespoonfuls of borax (sold in boxes in Boots the chemist) in the conditioner drawer. I do this when I have soggy musty towels to wash that have been sitting in the basket for a few days, and wash them at 40 degrees.

My regular clothes washes are at 30 degrees for things like shirts, jeans etc. and I do not bother with borax.

The only hot wash I do (50-60 degrees and also add borax to this for disinfection purposes) is bedding because I want to kill any possible dustmites and also because we have cats and you never know if they carry unpleasant creatures when they manage to sit on our beds!

Caterina