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.

The heated airers are huge though. We have a reasonable sized house, but wouldn't have room for one.
We do have a downstairs loo (where the washer is), the room is the width of a shower curtain rail, so I have a few across the room to hang washing on, then I shut the dehumidifier in there overnight. I don't hang directly above the dehumidifier as that would be a fire risk if it falls.

@TheBluntTruth my tumble dryer cost £170 from Argos, or do you mean the running cost of a heated airer compared to a tumble dryer?

It's more likely to be that people don't clean their washing machines and washing capsules and fabric softener leave a residue and mould build up.

Would love to dry outside but the management company has a stupid rule that we can't

So if you imagine a row of houses, all can dry washing outside
But the end garden, because it's an apartment (4 flats, only mine has a garden) aren't allowed
I'm also not allowed to bang a rug outside or do anything immoral

I can lift my airer into my neighbours garden but I hate asking them

I iron things. I know I’m in the minority these
days! If something is still very slightly damp then ironing will dry it off. If something is still a bit damp I will put it in the heated towel rail.
I do wear primarily natural fibres though , I loathe polyester.

"Is your machine a Siemens/Bosch, by any chance. I could have written that post about mine. Plus the lack of a pre-wash. It's driving me potty"

It's an AEG 7000 series. We should name and shame it is beyond useless!!

I agree, certainly the last 3 months.
It takes a couple of days to dry indoors without heating on, hence the musty smell.

I dry on the line year round. A useful guide is that if the road/ pavement is drying,washing will dry. I don't have an airing cupboard,but have a mechanical heat recovery and ventilation system so put anything that needs it on an airer in the bathroom overnight and it's dry by morning.

Im another person who has gone back to laundry powder & 40 degree washes.

It is possible to line dry all year round in the south of the UK. My garden gets very little sun in winter but if its breezy and the path is dry then the laundry gets almost dry. Then it comes inside on the airer to finish.
I'm slightly obsessive about it tbh. Always watching the weather, happy to leave it overnight, 3 x Socktopi for smalls.
I use my tumble dryer once or twice a year.

I open the window, stick the dehumidifier on and pop the clothes to dry in there.
You need to close the window @Mumofone201104 - otherwise the dehumidifier will be working to dehumidify the outdoors too, taking longer to dry the clothes and costing more to run.

I have just been using my tumble dryer again for things that take a while to dry. I use the airer in the garden when it’s a bright and breezy day and things dry in a day which is fine outside.
i don’t mind leaving a load on the airer in the utility over night and then putting it outside in the morning to finish off but generally I cba and am using the dryer.
I too have smelt musty damp clothes recently (tube travel and being far too close to people!) and it’s rubbish. For the people who are struggling to dry their clothes, not for me.
We bought dd1 a humidifier for uni last year as she was having a damp clothes problem. She refused to pay to use the dryer but then her room was already damp and the washing machines didn’t even spin so she had sopping wet clothes hanging on the airer in her room for a week and still being wet (obviously!!). The dehumidifier worked well but also she had a mess about with the washing machine settings and found out about the spin cycle 😂😂

shady "Would love to dry outside but the management company has a stupid rule that we can't".

See, if I was in charge those daft property management rules would be banned. Everyone should be drying outside.

Mine goes out on the line all year round, then if l need to l put it in the airing cupboard, and it dries a treat.

If you’re lucky enough to have outside space then washing will dry outside even if the temperature is freezing. The temperature is irrelevant, it’s the humidity that affects the drying.

I'm a bit of a messy cah myself, but there is no point in going to the effort of washing and drying clothes if you don't dry them properly by whatever means. Out, in (ventilate), however.

But, having lived in extremis myself at various points in my 60+years of life, it is too glib an explanation to assume that wearing damp, musty clothes is a personal failing rather than a necessity of the many working poor people also burdened with a dress/uniform standard to obey. The current economic/job availability landscape is as varied as our natural landscape..

As a self-employed admin/physical worker I'm happy to wander around town as a clean body under dirty, work-ready clothes.

I don't care what other people think - only today I was again, unexpectedly, 'congratulated' on my abilities to 'do things' - and these sorts of comments are not sought at all by me. But it definitely helps....

The weather is so hit and miss at the moment, I love outside drying, but everything is always slightly damp when it comes inside

So how do you dry your clothes properly to make sure they don’t smell?

Pray tell OP, given your expertise, how should people dry their clothes?

How do you know the difference between those who can and those who don't?
Should we just accept this as part of life? Somethings smell bad, somethings smell good..

I use a separate spin dryer.
It can remove up to a litre of additional water from a washload, so they dry on an airer tons faster, and because you can fold things flat before you spin them, it removes any creases too.

Yes, but maybe it's that time of year? I am struggling myself with the weather (even if it feels warm, my washing isn't drying on the line), the amount of washing I have, and a useless tumble drier! Have just bought a heated airer and cover so will see how I get on with that.

Heated Airer

I think it also can be cheaper washing liquid. I went through a weird phase in perimenopause when my body odour changed (despite deodorant) and I couldn’t wash it out of clothes - until I traded in my Lidl own brand laundry detergent (which isn’t the same as yours, I’m out of the U.K.) for one which made promises on odours

The heating has barely been on as yet - the odd half hour on a few days. So that means the temperature in there hasn’t dropped below 19 degrees.

Any how…. I initially read drying “properly” as “doing it right”. I’m now wondering whether the OP meant drying them thoroughly or completely.

Still feels a bit judgy, though.