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DH and festering laundry - am I being fussy?

185 replies

GardenAnarchist · 10/06/2025 17:12

Important background context: DH and I both work hybrid, flexible wrt days on-site or at-home. DH has a good habit of going for a jog every morning before he starts work.

My problem is that he frequently "helpfully" starts a laundry load containing his gross sweaty sports kit plus whatever he finds in the family laundry basket - and he'll do this whether or not one of us is at home that day. So of course what happens is the wet laundry sits in the machine all day, festering and developing that "fermented wet laundry" smell that is really hard to get rid of.

Today for example DH started the laundry early in the morning and swanned off to work (I had already left), I got home from work after 4pm, opened the washing machine, nearly died of the smell, had to run an extra rinse cycle with vinegar, then had to hang out the laundry at nearly 5pm. So chances are the stuff won't even get dry by bedtime and will probably still have the lingering smell 🤢

I have reminded DH numerous times to check whether I'm going to be at home before he decides to run a laundry load or at least to avail himself of the amazing time-delay function on the machine so it finishes later in the day! (Today he definitely knew I was out because he even asked me to pick up something from the shop near my work!) Yet he keeps doing this Angry

I have a suspicion he simply can't smell the fermented wet cloth smell although he claims to understand my objection. DC and I can all smell it, our pet hate is the clothes that seem to have been de-smelled, but then when you put them on and your body heat warms them up slightly, the stench is back and wafting all around you 🤮 It probably wouldn't bother me as much if DH would just do this to his own clothes, but he always adds everyone else's clothes into the load.

IABU - What a helpful domesticated DH, and what is this smell you mention anyway?
IANBU - There was a reason why the time-delay function was invented, and that festering damp smell is one of the low-key worst smells!

OP posts:
outerspacepotato · 10/06/2025 18:17

You need to clean your washer. A load left in for a bit shouldn't smell bad.

Check the laundry dispenser and run an empty load with some citric acid.

I do a hot water wash for towels and sheets once a week and keep my gasket wiped down and door left open after a load.

IMustDoMoreExercise · 10/06/2025 18:17

GardenAnarchist · 10/06/2025 17:59

I am definitely starting to think that I'm imagining the smell Sad

I doubt it, if you are washing sweaty clothes at 30. 30 will not kill bacteria.

Burntsausages · 10/06/2025 18:17

JHound · 10/06/2025 17:16

Why is the laundry smelling that quickly?

Thats what I want to know too??!! I regularly put a load on early, go to work, come back and hang it up/tumble dry and it does not smell bad. Maybe the machine needs a wash? @GardenAnarchist have you ever actually cleaned your machine?

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 10/06/2025 18:14

I am another who is really sensitive to that sour smell of improperly dried washing. I can smell it on workmates or people just walking past. But I regularly put a wash load on last thing at night and don't hang it out until lunchtime the following day and it doesn't have that 'tang'. IME it takes a couple of days of sitting around damp for it to acquire that smell - or for it not to be dried properly.

Are you absolutely sure that it's the going through the washing machine that's making the stuff smell and that it's not actually going in already smelly? Because washing that smell out is damn near impossible without special treatments, so I wonder if his running kit is carrying that 'sour' smell all the time?

FOJN · 10/06/2025 18:14

johnd2 · 10/06/2025 18:02

I know exactly the smell OP and although leaving clothes in for a long time seems to make it worse, I am totally sure it's caused by fabric conditioner, not the washing machine itself. Once it gets into the clothes it's nigh on impossible to get out again, although any tips would be appreciated.
Since I stopped using conditioner only old clothes get the dreaded smell and newer ones are fine (even if washed together)

Google "laundry stripping". There are 'recipes' for stripping laundry detergent and fabric softener residue from clothes, they usually include soda bic and borax.

coachortrain · 10/06/2025 18:13

Dettol laundry gets rid of the smells on gym clothing, Dh goes to the gym and it is what we use. Try it and see if that helps at all.

RealEagle · 10/06/2025 18:13

Mine has a drum clean on it ,but agree washing should not smell

Houndsahollering · 10/06/2025 18:11

you need to wash your clothes at 40 & get some of that antibacterial laundry cleanser stuff in with it.
towels and bedlinen can be washed at 60
give it all a chance to get properly clean, but if it’s anything like the issue we had, the clothes that already stink might not improve (esp if you can still smell that fusty damp smell when they’re fully dried)

HeadDeskHeadDesk · 10/06/2025 18:09

Honestly, it really shouldn't be smelling that bad if it's being removed from the machine the same day. Give your machine good clean through and tell him to wash on hotter temps for longer in future.

PassingStranger · 10/06/2025 18:08

A t-shirt got left in the machine overnight, it was missed. I found it this morning and hung it out, it didn't smell at all, no problem.

As said, do you run a maintenance wash sometimes to clean the machine?

IMustDoMoreExercise · 10/06/2025 18:07

RobinStrike · 10/06/2025 18:03

I know the smell! It’s exactly as you say, caused by washing left in the machine for hours. If I forget it and leave it in overnight I have to wash it again to get rid of the smell.

I don't and I regularly leave my washing overnight. There is no smell.

IMustDoMoreExercise · 10/06/2025 18:06

I wash my bedsheets and towels on before 4pm on Sundays bc of half price electricity but don't hang them out until Monday as there is no room on the clothes horse.

My washing never smells.

crumblingschools · 10/06/2025 18:05

@museumum I was going to ask what people use to wash sports kit as most of DS's stuff says wash at 30. We did get him some cheaper sports kit for uni which can be washed at 40 or more as then could be bunged in with everything else (on the odd occasion he does a clothes wash!)

GardenAnarchist · 10/06/2025 18:04

Coconutter24 · 10/06/2025 17:59

Apparently not lol. That’s what Op is trying to get him to do by the sounds of it

Exactly this!! Thank you!

OP posts:
RobinStrike · 10/06/2025 18:03

I know the smell! It’s exactly as you say, caused by washing left in the machine for hours. If I forget it and leave it in overnight I have to wash it again to get rid of the smell.

Mymanyellow · 10/06/2025 18:02

WhereHasMyPlanetGone · 10/06/2025 17:53

Why are you ‘afraid’? And why would anyone be saying anything?

Because I’ve been castigated before for saying this.

Branleuse · 10/06/2025 18:02

If your laundry smells after sitting for such a short time, then that's a sign that it isn't clean. The musty smell is the bacteria.

Sweaty bloke gym clothes shoud be washed at 40 or 60 with a biological detergent and a capful of laundry sanitiser

johnd2 · 10/06/2025 18:02

I know exactly the smell OP and although leaving clothes in for a long time seems to make it worse, I am totally sure it's caused by fabric conditioner, not the washing machine itself. Once it gets into the clothes it's nigh on impossible to get out again, although any tips would be appreciated.
Since I stopped using conditioner only old clothes get the dreaded smell and newer ones are fine (even if washed together)

stubbornhabits · 10/06/2025 17:59

The "wash at 30" thing is a bit of a scam. A modern, energy efficient washing machine uses less than 1KWh per cycle so the energy savings are a few pence, probably outweighed by rewashing loads of smelly laundry.

Rinse hold is a good option if he wants to start the laundry. Then the drain and spin should take about 15 minutes when you get in.

Coconutter24 · 10/06/2025 17:59

Mightyhike · 10/06/2025 17:52

Could he put the wash on a timer so it starts a few hours later?

Apparently not lol. That’s what Op is trying to get him to do by the sounds of it

Daftypants · 10/06/2025 17:59

I’m quick to get laundry out of the machine and hung up whether outside on the line or indoors on the drying rack .
It would be better if he left leave his things in a basin soaking with Dettol antibacterial laundry add in or one of the detergents available for washing sports clothes and then put them on a quick wash when he’s back home ..then hang to dry .
Your washing machine will also begin to smell because it’s been closed with wet stuff in it all day 😩
I try to leave the machine door open as much as I can

GardenAnarchist · 10/06/2025 17:59

I am definitely starting to think that I'm imagining the smell Sad

OP posts:
GardenAnarchist · 10/06/2025 17:58

museumum · 10/06/2025 17:54

What do you wash with? All of our sweaty sports kit washed at 30 because of technical materials is washed in special halo sports wash which kills microbes.

Most things with supermarket own-brand bio liquid or powder, depends what has been on offer. Whites also get a dose of Vanish Gold. Have never used conditioner, I don't like the way it makes the clothes feel.

OP posts:
viques · 10/06/2025 17:57

My machine has a special programme for sports stuff. Never gets used as the only sport I do that needs special clothing is swimming. I also have a programme for denim. That one is redundant too.

🙂

Bearbookagainandagain · 10/06/2025 17:57

We do the same as your husband and generally put our washing before going to work or before bed. Our laundry doesn't have that smell, and we also do several loads a week of reusable wipes 💩💩💩

I'm not sure whether the temperature is the issue (we adapt the temperature to how dirty the clothes are, from 30-60), but if you clean your washing machine regularly then there is definitely something wrong.

If you're not already, you should use the "machine care" cycle to clean your machine, or the hottest program a available.

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