Clothes have horrible cheesy smell after washing them :(

MrQuimps

This only happens on certain items of clothes, namely T-shirts.

Unfortunately it's T shirts that I wear when I go out socializing to bars/clubs so these are the ones I want to be most fresh when Im wearing them!

I thought it was the detergent (Daz); I thought it was maybe cos of it being biological, but I washed with a new non bio the other day and last night I was out and after a bit when the t shirt got warmer I noticed the pungent smell starting to rise again.

It made me really self conscious of it such that I kept my coat on all night.

The smell is best described as a cheesy odour like some fermented kind of smell.

How can I stop this horrible smell from occurring cos all my t shirts are unwearable in this state!

I live in a small apartment with no outdoor drying so I have to dry my clothes indoors.

I dry in a dryer but that doens't do them completely so I put them on a rack inside after.

Thing is tho like I said not all the clothes get this odour only the t shirts. everything else smells fine. Its almost like theres bacteria that have a party on the t shirts only.

Any ideas how to solve this embarrassing malady?

I'm not 100% the new detergent did it as well, maybe it was jsut that the t shirt retained some of the old detergent in it or the machine itself? I will have to test a bit more on that front.

Just for the record I also wash my sheets at 90 degrees and they smell great and fresh after a wash but it's the 40 degree washes that seem to cause this issue.

TimBuckTeeth

It is bacteria or mold causing the smell.
First of all make sure the machine is clean. 90C wash with some soda crystals and bio washing powder. Then clean the filter.

To stop the smell you need to wash at 60C or more, preferably with some oxy bleach powder. Then dry the clothes quickly (on sunny day outdoors or in a hot tumble dryer) until thoroughly dry. Most of these will not do the clothes much good (shrinkage or fading) but I only do a few delicate synthetic items at 40C now.

MrQuimps

ok, but is it ok to wash coloured clothes at 60 degrees? i thought they will run into each other if i did it over 40?

BitterAndTwisted

They shouldn't run if you separate the loads into whites, lights and coloureds. If you don't have enough of each then combine whites and lights. The colours most likely to run are black and reds, so never wash these with much lighter ones. The combination of biological powder and a sixty degree wash should sort it. You could add some vinegar to the final rise instead of fabric conditioner of you wanted to try the belt/braces/piece of string option. Or, of course, a much more powerful antiperspirant so you don't infect your clothes with bacteria in the first place. Try Linden Voss or Odaban

samwich1979

I'd also suggest leaving the door of the washing machine open for an hour or so after use if you can to air it.
We have had a problem with clothes smelling after washing and this has rectified it, i presume it was a build up of water which has turned mouldy over a period of time.

MrQuimps

so are you saying biological is actually BETTER to remove odours than non bio?

Could I go even up to 90 degrees then with colours to really destroy the smell or is it too much? I do that to kill dust mites with my sheet cos im allergic to them 60 they say kills them but I dont wanna take any chances so blast them at 90.

I imagine colours fade more the hotter you do them is that so?

-taff

Dry them as fast as you can, and they won't smell if ti's the extended drying time at fault and not the machine.

Do a couple of loads and take them to a laundrette to dry .

closed

add conditioner?

Mojisola

Why would it be anything to do with the washing machine or washing powder if it's only the T-shirts that are affected?

Is there anything that you do with the T-shirts that you don't do with other clothes - wear a different deodorant, keep them in a separate drawer?

MrQuimps

I think it's more to do with the material cos most of my clothes are either denim or shell type material which I guess don't hold smell as well as cotton.

And its not due to me not wearing deodorant, i always wear anti antiperspirant and i hardly ever wear the t shirts- only a few hours each month for each t shirt when Im out on the town. i wear other shell tops around the house due to my dust allergy and wear those for weeks even months- including sleeping in them so pretty much 24/7- without washing and no smell there.

chunkychocky

MrQuimps wrote: »

I think it's more to do with the material cos most of my clothes are either denim or shell type material which I guess don't hold smell as well as cotton.

I always thought denim is cotton.