AIBU? To think that a lot of people aren't drying their washing properly these days?

[Oobiedoobiedo]

I notice a lot when I'm out and about people who haven't dried their washing properly *, and so it has that sour musty smell washing gets when it's wet too long or isn't getting enough air. To me it's a really "loud" smell, and I just wonder if people don't notice it? Or maybe don't care?

*disclaimer: I'm not critiquing people whose circumstances mean they can't dry them any other way, I have been there myself, but the people who could dry it correctly but don't.

It just puzzles me.

For anyone struggling

I have a lake land heated airer

Yes it was about £140 originally but I've now had it 12 years and it still round the same as they day I bought it

I have used it literally pretty much every day bar the really hot summer days

It's cheap to run, dries clothes and towels and bedding fast and can have bits folded up or down depending on what you're drying etc

It's highly recommended

Well, a heated airer or a dehumidifier would be a very good idea, for a start.

This is the one I have… bought it second hand though

https://www.meaco.com/products/meaco-20l-low-energy-dehumidifier-and-air-purifier

I agree, stupid rules like that make me angry. People should be encouraged to dry their laundry outside rather than being forced to use a dryer, or as you said, dry everything inside with a potential damp problem. Honestly, I sometimes think the world is going mad!

I go to the opposite extreme. The minute a load has finished, out on the line it goes - and when I worked one of those times was in the evening, but it still went out. I have an absolute horror of washing being left in the machine even for a few minutes, and I believe that is the main cause of the 'smell'.

All these posters talking about the water temps, it has been mentioned several times on this thread already that in some parts of the world people wash in only cold water - where I live is one of those places. I can assure you that our clothes do not smell, and they are clean (mostly, there are people here also who don't seem to wash their clothes properly).

I can't help but think it must be an absolute nightmare trying to dry washing in the UK climate. Here I line dry all year around, and in winter finish off over a clothes airer, which only takes overnight.

@givemeasunnyday what kind of detergent do you use for cold temperatures?

@MorvernBlack thank you. I didn't realise they cost so much!

I live in a flat so I have lots of evergreen bushes in large pots that grow to the top of the balcony barrier, this allows me to dry clothes on the clothes horse hidden behind them.
When washing bedding, towels, etc. I wash at 30 with an eco-egg and add half a spoon of powdered Sanytol but not clothes.
Sometimes we are not free to empty the washing machine as soon as it has finished the cycle, this causes the musty smell.

Not just daft - outrageous. These property companies are actually forcing people to use more energy by banning outdoor lines.Terrible for the environment, as well as making life more difficult for people in a really petty way.

It isn’t always about the drying.

• Leaving washing in the machine after the cycle has finished.
• Not cleaning the washing machine. are other factors that contribute to whiffy clothes.

This was supposed to be a reply to someone talking about landlords banning outdoor washing lines. Is the reply function not working?

Reply just adds a post to the thread. You need to use the quote function to respond to someone directly.

@AngeloMysterioso Thanks but where is the quote function? I can't see one. I'm on my phone

I can't afford to put the heating on to help dry the clothes. We're sitting wrapped up in blankets etc to try to keep warm (Scottish Highlands isn't the warmest place to live and trying to make ends meets at the moment isn't easy) so my apologies if I come across you and my clothes smell foosty, I don't enjoy it either! 😂

Tap the three dots in the top right corner of the post you want to reply to.

This was a real problem for me… this period of the year when the weather is too unpredictable to line dry (out at work all day so frequently rained on… ) the heating isn’t on… but the air is not warm enough so drying clothes inside on airers takes 2-3 days and then they smell before they are fully dry… we invested in a dehumidifier… and it’s a game changer… clothes on airers, plug in dehumidifier… much less electricity… and I station 4 clothes airers.. 2 loads around it… can be dry in 4-5 hours… and much cheaper than buying 4 electric airers…

Many thanks! Can't believe I never looked there!

Things in my wardrobe smelt like that, and I couldn't decide what it was. I've been using Aldi liquid, stuff was washed ok, but I no longer used highly scented conditioner. I think it's the washing liquid. I changed to pricey Ariel, it washes no better, but smells nicer I think.

I'm not in the UK, sometimes I use Persil or else I use one called Cold Power mainly because it is cheap, not because I think it works any better for cold water washing.

It is so daft. I'm not even a tenant, I own! But because it's an apartment they can have all these ridiculous rules

For a start - really isn't anyone's business how other people's clothes smell.

People cant afford to run a dryer and the weather has been rubbish for drying outdoors.

Maybe they havent run a machine cleaner through it for a while because money has been too tight.

Maybe like me they are ADHD and forget they put a wash on and leave it in the machine too long!

Or maybe to save money they are just washing less often.

Maybe also like me, they never got their sense of smell back after covid.

As far as smells go, damp and musty isnt the worst. Not like it's poo or stale sweat.

Give people a break - times are tough and a lot of people are struggling mentally and physically to keep it together.

Fabric conditioner.
That adds to the issue. Take that away and you're all good. That's what makes towels get smelly and stored clothes smelly.

I think there are two reasons. 1. People can't afford to heat their homes so everyone is starting to suffer from damp, musty, houses. 2. Washing detergent seems watered down and you seem to need more to get clothes actually smelling clean. My husband just did some hand washing of clothes and they smelt dreadful afterwards.

You must have different fabric conditioner to what we have here is all I can say. I have used it for decades, as did my DM - our towels most certainly were not smelly, nor our stored clothes. In fact the one I use barely has any smell at all.

I’ve been struggling with my towels the past couple of weeks. The smell is driving me mad. 🤢