Washing smells yukky

Lillys_mum

I know this probably sounds odd but I though I would pick your brains anyway.

Whenever I do the washing and it doesn't dry straight away it ends up smelling horrible.

If I tumble dry it then it is fine but there are some things which can't go in the dryer and they end up on the clothes airer but then they take so long to dry that they smell too.

I don't know if it is maybe the machine but I don't know how to clean it.

Any ideas what to do?

Ellidee

I have this problem sometimes too. I haven't got a tumble dryer so if damp things are hanging around without drying they smell yuk. In my case I hope that now we have the heating on (timed) any things on the airer will dry overnight. Don't know the answer really

dogcat_2

Hi, yeah I too have this problem occasionally. I think maybe that when clothes are hanging on airer they do not get air circulated around them properly. I'm buying a tumble dryer soon. Hopefully won't have this problem for much longer!:D

cowbutt

If you have outside space, and are around to bring the washing in if it rains, dry it outdoors.

If you need to dry your washing indoors, make sure it's spaced out well, leave it in the warmest part of your home (or near a radiator), and perhaps put the heating on a bit longer. In short, try to make it dry as quickly as possible.

PasturesNew

I dry things on airers. You have to move them around quite a lot. If I can, I jiggle things about (and the washing) every few hours.

Turn things around, change their position on the airers, turn them inside out. I also hang things on hangars and hang them off the airers.

When things are dry, I remove them as soon as I can, giving the rest more space to breathe.

conradmum

I think this applies to all washing, not just yours! The strong chemical perfumes in some detergents disguise this smell quite well, but generally, if your washing's been done at 40 degrees for example, there will still be bacteria on it. These bacteria will grow and excrete if left with warmth and moisture (inside your washing machine) and the excretions are what make your washing smell.
The solution to this is to get it dry as quickly as possible and preferably outdoors. Bacteria are killed by the ultraviolet rays from the sun, so line dried washing is the cleanest. Alternatively, you need to take it out and dry it somewhere warm as soon as it's finished the cycle. If it isn't dried quickly the bacteria wll have a chance to build up and even though they're eventually killed by the clothes being dried, their excretions (the smelly stuff) stays on the clothes.

belfastgirl23

I have this too.

One suggestion that I think helped was to do a boil wash once a month or so with some white vinegar just to clear any bacteria out of the machine, particularly if you do nearly all your washing at 30-40deg. The other thing that helped was leaving the door open on the machine to prevent it getting damp. Fabric conditioner seems to help too although I find i can't use it for everything...

HTH

Raspberry_Swirl

i have this problem, but only with 1 particular pair of jeans. nothing else!!

razra

I always use my airer in front of a open window, that way even if its raining outside you still get the fresh air round the clothes (the window doesnt even have to be wide open)

Find that tends to stop the funny smell

Running_Horse

Occasional boil wash with a splash of bleach in each compartment.

tadpoleuk

I had this problem for months, even had the repair man out as i was blaming the new washing machine. He said the smell was a build up of human fats and suggested i did a boil wash once a week to clean the machine. I tried many tips off the net like soda crystals, vinegar etc until a little old lady at the bus stop told me to switch back to powder (i had started using liquid to keep my new machine ungummy). It was that simple. Now even when i dry clothes indoors and without the heating on this can take a couple of days they smell fresh. I have an old clothes rail and take things straight out of the machine put them onto hangers and on the rail. This lets everything air fully as they are not folded and makes things much easy to iron. All the clothes are in one room so i can open a window without making the whole house cold and i dont get the chinese laundry effect with things draped over doors bannisters etc.