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Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Housekeeping

A laundry powder question and a car dehumidifying question.

21 replies

SurlyCue · 27/10/2015 19:31

i have noticed my laundry isnt smelling "fresh" after being washed. The machine is 6 months old and gets a monthly 90 degree empty wash with vinegar. The washing smells "fusty" and i'm having to rewash everything 2 and 3 times. I wash at 60 on a long wash that is for a 9kg load and i am not filling the drum. But i am then having to rewash. I have a notion this has coincided with changing washing powder from surf to asda own brand lavender scented one. But i cant be sure if it is that. What washing powder would you recommend. I have Asda, Lidl, and B&M bargains available to me.
i had the car valeted today and i didnt realise the seats would be left so wet! I have bought two of those 1ltr damp traps and one of those rice bag type windscreen dehumidifier and will leave them overnight but will they dry it out for tomorrow? I am supposed to be collecting a friend and her baby tomorrow. Baby would be fine in a car seat but i cant have friend getting a wet bum (like we all did earlier ) any suggestions what i should do?

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Missingsleepandthecat · 27/10/2015 20:18

With your washing machine question, I'd suggest Fairy non bio or Lidl Formil (bio or non bio), DS2's skin had some issues with switching from Fairy and Ecover so we've gone back to them, never had any nasty niffs on our washing.
Is the smell more apparent after drying? and if so, how do you dry your clothing?

VulcanWoman · 27/10/2015 20:34

You could put some bin bags over the car seats if they're not dried by tomorrow.

VulcanWoman · 27/10/2015 20:37

My Sons clothes smell fusty, adding a cup of white vinegar in the drum seems to have helped. Washing powder and conditioner added as usual too.

PigletJohn · 27/10/2015 20:41

has the car got air conditioning? If so, turn it on, with the heater on max heat and recirculating rather than fresh-air setting, and the windows shut. It will suck the water vapour out of the air and send it round again, quite hot, to help evaporate the water away.

If no aircon, leave all the windows open as long as you have a safe spot, preferably in the sun and/or wind, and it is not raining. Remove all belongings, even from the boot, and deadlock the doors if you can.

Put towels on the seats for now, to sit on.

The car valeting co ought to have used a powerful wet-and-dry vac to suck the water off the seat covers. Complain to them.

It is important to dry it as fast as you can or it will smell mouldy.

SurlyCue · 27/10/2015 20:59

With your washing machine question, I'd suggest Fairy non bio or Lidl Formil

thank you. Will try one of those.

Is the smell more apparent after drying? and if so, how do you dry your clothing?

yes it does seem stronger after drying. I dry all laundry in the hot press on a tower airer with the dehumidifier. I have been doing this exactly the same for years with no smelly issues. I'm starting to think it is the powder.

You could put some bin bags over the car seats if they're not dried by tomorrow.

Yes i was thinking something like that too.

adding a cup of white vinegar in the drum seems to have helped.

will try that too.

If no aircon, leave all the windows open as long as you have a safe spot, preferably in the sun and/or wind, and it is not raining. Remove all belongings, even from the boot, and deadlock the doors if you can.

no aircon, the whole heating/aircon system is broken. Also the car doesnt lock and its parked on the street. it is lashing here too so cant leave windows open.

I am definitely complaining. I am going to ask them to come back tomorrow and suck out what moisture is left. It is far too much for what i expected.

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PolterGoose · 27/10/2015 21:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FinestGrundyTurkey · 27/10/2015 21:09

Try using bio (any bio, but Aldi liquid capsule things are good) at 40.

Bio doesn't work at a higher temp, & IME non-bio just doesn't clean as well.

I always used to use non-bio but a lot of stuff got musty.

SurlyCue · 27/10/2015 21:13

Thanks i will try bio then.

I use a pink vanish scoop for laundry and always level it so it is one level scoop of powder but actually thinking about it i have noticed the powder is clumping hard and staying in the drawer and i am having to scoop it out after each wash so clearly not all of it is going in. Its all becoming clear now. Its the powder.

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PolterGoose · 27/10/2015 21:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FinestGrundyTurkey · 27/10/2015 21:22

Also the given dose for any detergent is for a 4.5-5kg machine

Mine is 8kg so I've started doubling the dose & that makes a big difference too

dodobookends · 27/10/2015 21:24

Drawer/powder gungy blobbing issues here too - I solved the problem by putting the powder straight in the drum.

FinestGrundyTurkey · 27/10/2015 21:24

(I'm probably wasting some, but I'd rather that than not use enough & have things not properly clean & a bit whiffy)

rabbit123 · 27/10/2015 21:27

Any biological powder (not liquid or liquitabs) will be help. Powders contain oxygen based bleaching agents which helps with hygiene and odors. Liquids don't.

Persil, Ariel, Daz, Almat & Formil all get good reviews. I use whatever bio powder is on offer (except Bold), with Persil being my first choice. Never had a problem with musty smells. Stick to the dosing advice on the box. You can order a free plastic measuring scoop online from Ariel.

What washing machine do you have? You could try using the extra rinse option to remove more residue.

FinestGrundyTurkey · 27/10/2015 21:30

I've used Almat powder & liquitabs

Prefer liquitabs

Just IME obv

ChunkyPickle · 27/10/2015 21:32

I use Arial liquitabs - straight in the drum.

Anything that goes in the draw seems to result in residue, and eventual stinkiness - bizarrely that includes fabric softener, so I've stopped using it.

I have a 9kg AEG, and it does seem more prone to going fusty that my previous Bosches (and by god it takes an age to do anything!).

I've never managed to actually get 9kg in mine, so I stick to one tab, unless it's particularly awful. Teatowels/whites get the full 90 degrees with a big scoop of vanish and an extra rinse.

ChunkyPickle · 27/10/2015 21:34

Oh, and make sure you're getting all the filters - washer and dryer - I didn't realise I had a secondary set on the tumble dryer until it started taking even longer than usual and I realised they existed and were totally gummed up.

SurlyCue · 27/10/2015 21:42

Its a 9kg indesit. I am not happy with it. I had a Bosch before it and i loved it, never any issue until the motor went. But no fusty washing. And the cycles were far faster. This indesit takes 3 hour to do a 9kg 60 wash. I really wish i'd spent the extra on another bosch.

For tonight i have put two scoops straight in the drum so will see how the wash goes tomorrow but i'm going to replace powder anyway with bio.

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rabbit123 · 27/10/2015 22:15

Make sure it's a powdered bio you get, CurlySue. Liquids don't have any kind of antibacterial or bleaching agents so they can make the fustiness worse and make your machine mouldy over time.

SurlyCue · 27/10/2015 22:18

Will do, thanks rabbit

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PigletJohn · 28/10/2015 00:24

bacteria and mould thrive and multiply in warm, damp conditions, so draping wet washing around the house or over radiators will make things worse.

SurlyCue · 28/10/2015 09:24

Oh well i dont, so no problem there.

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