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!

The OP has already said she is doing one every month…..

It's the new 'cancel the cheque'

This.

OMG I'm going to try this!

That would annoy me, the fact he knows it smells and still does it anyway. Enraging. But also I do think there might be something wrong with your washing machine because it shouldn’t smell after a day.

Do you use eco washing sheets as well as eco temperature? I used to but have stopped and gone back to non bio because our washing really smelled using the eco sheets I had been using. I gave it a thorough clean and now also use the Dettol laundry sanitiser in the fabric softener tray (which we never used), as it does a double job of keeping the pipes clean as well as our clothes fresh.

We also add soda crystals to white washes and things like the dog towels.

All this in combo has stopped the horrid smell. We still wash at 30 degrees.

i always thought my machine was clean till I saw someone pull back the rubber seal and wipe round the inside. I did the same and it was rank 😫

I'm also thinking.....how are the drains outside? Is there a possibility the machine is draining slowly and standing water is backing up from the drains.

Sounds like the machine is faulty if it’s making washing smell.

I feel like I live in an alternate universe. My laundry can sit in the machine for half a day without smelling like that.

How old is your washing machine?

Now deep clean it monthly and it no longer has that slightly fusty smell

Tbh, I don't wash really smelly gym or running kit with the rest of the clothes. It goes in a special laundry bag and DH does it separately. I might be being ridiculous, but I don't like to think of all that sweat and grime in with my little kids' lovely fresh pyjamas. One of my pleasures in life is when they snuggle up on my lap on the sofa in completely clean pyjamas, so I'm not letting DH's rank, practically crawling gym stuff anywhere near the family wash.

This! I have ADHD and sometimes forget waking, it doesn’t smell that bad. Do you leave the door open to air? And do you clean the seals and such?

You need to wash at a higher temperature especially as you are sensitive to the smell. You can still be economical by using an eco cycle but just make sure that it’s set to at least 40 degrees. These cycles tend to be longer (ours is 3.5 hours) so the washing will spend less time sitting in the drum once it’s finished. Also make sure you are using washing powder and not liquid.

wash sports stuff separately and definitely no fabric conditioner or combined washing liquid/fabric softener. If you have an express wash just get him to put the gym stuff on that on its own and hopefully it’ll be express enough to finish and hang up before he leaves home. Even a 15 minute cycle on items worn that day will be fine.

One other really important point OP - sometimes if you got out with something like a washing machine on and the machine causes a fire it can invalidate your insurance. People have been caught out by this, so it’s best to check to ensure you won’t lose everything by having a machine on whilst you aren’t there….

I got home from work after 4pm, opened the washing machine, nearly died of the smell

You nearly died of the smell after a few hours in the machine? I might suggest you get your machine services. It’s must be pretty dirty if things smell that quickly.

We have a system here where any sweaty gym stuff is quarantined in a plastic tub in the garage until there’s enough for a full load. It’s never mixed with normal clothes. Then it can be properly washed to remove the stinkiness! I would assume that as OP isn’t complaining about all their laundry smelling, it’s the sweaty stuff contaminating everything else.

You need to change how you wash clothes mate.

We have smelly jobs/hobbies. DH is a builder, I have ponies, we have an allotment, ds is 11 and hormonal, dd works in a fast food restaurant. Everything goes in together. I often wash in a morning, then dry at teatime. Sometimes I forget and its the next morning!

Nothing ever smells when it comes out. I use big box wash powder, fabric conditioner and dry on 40 for darks 60 for whites. Full length wash cycle, about 2.5 hours.

I know the environment benefits from lower temps but honestly, it just doesn't get stuff clean on a quick cycle. I occasionally use the daily wash function (about an hour) and I can tell the difference.

I knew before I got to it that the wash temperature would be the cause. I do a 90C wash of towels and bedding once a month, the rest of the time it’s the economy 40-60C wash, delicates wash for jumpers etc. I can leave it in the machine overnight without it smelling.

This stuff is AMAZING its a thick gel and clings right around the seal so you can get it clean all round. Wipe loose crap away, treat the seal with gel, leave overnight. Wear rubber gloves and wipe as much of the gel off as you can then give the machine a long hot wash. If the machine still smells bleachy, wash something like teatowels, dishcloths or towels that you don't mind getting bleached but I've never found it a problem. The product really does work like the pictures shown, no I have nothing to do with the company. https://musthaveideas.co.uk/products/mould-magic

Your low temperature is definitely the problem. Wash at 40, with biological powder.

We used to live off grid so I had to wash at low temperatures - there simply wasn't enough power for hot washes. This experience taught me that being eco about washing is a complete con because my husband gets very sweaty at work and I had to replace his work clothes so often. Notihng environmentally friendly about that. It definitely made a big difference and I now wash his things at 60c with biological washing powder and white vinegar in the fabric conditioner drawer. Even 40c isn't really hot enough on very sweaty clothes. By all means use the eco cycle, which will take a long time, but set it at at least 40c.

This must be your problem because we all do know that smell but it shouldn't happen after just a few hours. It can only be that the washing isn't clean enough.

There was a detergent I used to use that I always felt my clothes had a fermented smell after, I wish I could remember what it was, once I changed it hasn’t been an issue since maybe it’s that, who knows 🤷‍♀️
I’m also very sensitive to the damp clothes smell but I can leave them in overnight with no issues.

I think you need to disinfect your machine. I’m shocked laundry is smelly after only a couple of hours damp in the machine?? I’ve never had this ever. A couple of days yes but not hours. I think your machine is all gunked up!

You need to wash things like sports kit and anything that has developed a pong at at least 40 degrees. The cool thing ashes have been the problem and some of the garments may just need binning now.