To ask how to stop my jeans smelling?

[Ilovenyfan]

HELP! It doesn’t matter how often I wash my jeans, they all dry with a horrible smell.

No other clothes, bedding, towels do, they all smell strongly of detergent. It’s just my jeans. Washed a pair for the second time this week yesterday, this morning I’ve gone in and smelt them on the airer and they smell so bad of foisty/ mustiness. It’s driving me insane as I can’t really wear any of them atm due to this smell.

Anyone had anything similar? How do I stop them from smelling?

Everything goes out on the line whenever possible. I never tumble dry anything with Lycra in because it wrecks the clothes.
Today I put everything out on the airer in the sun and it’s all dry. Very happy me!

Why did you get rid of your washing line?
Hanging washing outside in dry weather is the best, most environmentally friendly way to dry your washing. It will smell much fresher if it's been outside. You could get a retractable washing line that you just pull out across the garden when you need to use it.

PP's are probably right and it is the drying time but if resolving that doesn't sort it then it might be your machine. Mine is ancient and I can't afford to don't use calgon so was all gunked up with limescale etc inside which eventually led to stinky washing. The smell was most noticeable on thicker stuff like jeans because they hold more of the (obviously not very clean) water so watch out for other items going the same way as the problem gets worse.

I've since had to have a new drum on mine as it broke down and the engineer said they basically have to replace all the parts that get gunked up so my machine is effectively brand new on the inside now, even though the outside looks like it's been through a war I'm using the indesit limescale stuff now (available on Amazon) which you just use monthly to dissolve the limescale and give it a good clean so hoping I can keep on top of it and stop it happening again. Just thought I'd mention it in case quicker drying doesn't help but fingers crossed it's just that.

Long 60 degree cottons wash.

From experience, once clothing gets the fusty smell, there's no getting rid

Even if you do, it comes back with the next wash

You hate washing lines?

How bloody ridiculous 🙄

Yep

Lazy!

You need to get them outside airing properly. It will make a huge difference. Even if it's not that warm the breeze will still air and dry them enough that you can finish them on the airer. My towels dried outside always smell aired and fresh when I use them, the ones dried inside don't. Get a retractable or rotary drying line if you don't like lines but that's your answer. Airers inside are ok but they aren't perfect because they don't give your clothes a good 'airing'.

I cant understand preferring clothes hanging inside the house over an outside washing line.

How bizarre.

It’s line-dried or the dryer for me - I never have things hanging inside - looks awful, takes forever and creates moisture in the house.

You have to be very careful drying jeans in a dryer. Some have elastene (stretch) that can give and ruin the shape of jeans. All cotton jeans will shrink in a dryer. You are best off hanging them inside out in the garden on a dry day. Jeans will look good and age much better this way.

Indeed!

We've had a dairy number of threads recently berating others for destroying the environment - and then this one, where people "can't bear the faff" of pegging washing out.

I have both a dryer and washing machine but would never machine wash or tumble dry jeans anyway. Soak wash (inside out) and drip dry. As infrequently as possible. If they are 100% cotton they won’t go musty even if they take a while to dry.

Why do you hate washing lines?

Well that's a proper daft thing. Who hates washing lines?!

I don’t mind retractable washing lines, I just don’t like the old school huge circular ones and that was what we had bang in the middle of the garden when we moved in.

We also have a lot of trees in our garden and A LOT of birds and I worry about birds crapping on the washing, our garden furniture regularly gets crapped on!

Anyway, left jeans outside all day. They still smell a bit musty so tomorrow I’ll wash again with dettol stuff and try putting them straight out to dry and see if that makes a difference.

Why do you hate washing lines?! Clothes smell so fresh when they're dried outside. I did a load today and they smell wonderful. I don't like the smell when we use our tumble dryer though!

Are they dark wash jeans?
If so it’s probably a combination of the smelly heavy dye and the thickness of fabric.

Wash them inside out, so the dye re-deposits itself and you’re washing where the fabric was touching your skin.
Dry them inside out, zip open and pegged from the ankles so the pockets and belt area dry first.

Halo

@wednesdayatone

Or maybe I just live in a country where it rains more than the sun shines.
I only get time to do washing on the weekends as I work full time and have to do school runs with a 3 year old dc.
It's raining this weekend so i have to use the dryer, I use the clothes horse for delicates though.

As much as I would love to spend the little of my free time hanging up a full weeks worth of washing, while minding a 3 year old in the pouring rain, I'll just bung it in the dryer thanks.

@WalnutBlue

We all do though

Is it a damp smell?

I would put some white vinegar in the wash to get rid of the smell and then dry outside.

I find DH think jumpers get this damp smell even after a few hours when left to dry on the heater airier so when this happened last time I put them outside to finish drying and they were fine. We also do not have a dryer.

Not sure if Zoflora is suitable for clothes and might irritate your skin..

I've used Zoflora in my washing for years. Started using it on sheets and towels and then got in the habit of addi a capful to every wash. Although I have sensitive skin, I've never had an issue with it and it's a sight cheaper than the special laundry disinfectant that is available. I put it in with the powder, not the softener.

A few soda crystals in with the detergent gets rid of the smell.

This thread had been useful in that I've never thought of adding zoflora. I have a few sports kits that have a bit whiff as soon as you put them on, even fresh out of the wash, so I'll give it a try.