DH and festering laundry - am I being fussy?

[GardenAnarchist]

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

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!

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?

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.

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)

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

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.

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

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?

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?

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

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.

Why are people asking if there is a delay function. OP CLEARLY states there is, but her DH doesn't use it 😑

Dettol laundry is ace for gym stuff/towels etc

You might be imagining the smell. You might not. Either way, he needs to start listening to your needs and just use the delay function. My DH is barely house trained and even he can figure this one out when he puts washing on 🙄

Freshly washed laundry doesn’t smell. It doesn’t matter where you leave it after you’ve washed it.

I don't think you are, but it shouldn't happen so quickly.

It's OK, people are still asking if I've ever cleaned my machine too!

This thread is what you need... info from a laundry expert! She gives great tips on correct temperatures and detergents for different loads

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/AMA/3308661-I-developed-laundry-detergents-AMA

I think it's pretty normal to put a wash on before work and dry it after work and it shouldn't get that musty smell.
I often put a wash on in the evening and hang it out in the morning.

I know the damp 'mouldy' smell of forgotten laundry - but it takes some time before that happens.

I often chuck a load on at 8am then totally forget and hang it up at 6pm. Or chuck one on before bed and hang in the morning - our laundry always smells fresh and clean.

I wash at 30 or 40 though, I'd not wash anything at 20 other than sportswear with numbers etc on like ds's football kits.

You need to wash at 40 especially nasty sweaty clothes. 20 or 30 is not going to clean them properly. Nowhere near hot enough

Why would he need to use the delay function. The washing is clean but sounds like the washing machine is either faulty or a cleaning cycle not run regularly.

20/30 degrees? That’s clearly the problem.

I wash most things at 40 on a ‘mixed load’ so the cycle takes about an hour.

Can stay in the machine overnight with no repercussions.

Often I will wash overnight, and nanny will dry when she gets in at 2 and clothes never smell. Even stinky stuff like cauliflower sodden tea towels.

I know exactly the sort if smell you’re talking about @GardenAnarchist
But I have to say, I haven’t noticed it after such short time (we often put the washing to go in the evening to hang up in the am, which is similar?).

Im going to say it has somethimg with washing at 20oC.

Having said that, seeing you wash things at 20oC, then he needs to put it to go with the timer on. Or just his stuff in the machine/on the side and wait that someone is in to put a wash on.

The washing machine shouldn’t smell after a few hours of being finished. Have you completed a machine clean? I would do this regularly.

I'm going to do a soda hot wash right now

Try dishwasher tablets instead. Two in the drum on a hot wash...they work brilliantly.

According to Google, soda crystals are better for limescale and detergent build up but dishwasher tablets are better for 'grease and grime'.

Btw @GardenAnarchist id ignore anyone who tells you you’re imagining things.
Youre not. Remember your dc can smell it too!

But somehow people 1- have issues imagining their experience isn’t everyone experience and 2- really love to find things to pull people apart and find fault.
So yes, ignore people telling you ‘it’s in your head’. It’s not you, it’s a them problem

Give him his own laundry basket and demand he leaves yours and anyone else’s well alone. Keep your laundry basket in the wardrobe or a cupboard out of sight, I’m sure he won’t have time to run around emptying several baskets.
Hope this helps OP, stale water absolutely stinks 🤮 Good luck