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!

I should say that I have NEVER cleaned my washing machine (although I do wash out the soap dispenser now and again), and my wash temperature is only 40, with the occasional 30, but none of my stuff smells even if it sits in there all night.

I might just do the odd wash on 60, and that must be enough to keep the inside clean - I've never done a 90 wash and only wash at 60 maybe once a year. So the 'clean the inside of your machine' might not be as important as people make out.

Boots do it under their own brand if you cant find Halo

https://www.boots.com/boots-sensitive-skin-laundry-liquid-1litre-10095130?traffic=paid.shopping&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21854673258&gbraid=0AAAAA-AdmwT4tkghEnRPcGALMYMd8axKA&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0qTCBhCmARIsAAj8C4ZKUvYBDn1y9-IcsB0-lt7JwBM1rRCUwcEkQ-8-3TusLsjwuWIB3RsaAiwWEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Yeah seems strange I often put mine in the morning and get out in the evening and it's not gone smelly.

I think we are suggesting that you are not doing this properly. You have been given advice that you should use dishwasher tablets, and that you should run it on a drum clean cycle.

I was sat on the bus reading this post and the man next to me (looked to be heading to work, smart clothes, well turned out) really smelt of the slowly-dried clothes stink. So your post really made me smile.

It’s exactly that - and I honestly don’t think some people can smell it from reading this thread. My neighbour’s washing smells of it on their washing line - wafting into my garden. So I reckon they leave it sitting around before pegging it out.

I also feel like I smell it more and more probably because the UK weather is so unreliable and people aren’t able to dry washing fast/air stuff (combined with the horrific cost of running a tumble drier/heating).

I’ve also had to rewash stuff if I get any hint of it! (And never wash stuff below 40).

Sorry that was supposed to be to @Vroomfondleswaistcoat

I must be nose blind as I often put the washer on before work and empty it when I get back. My cloths never smell of anything other than washing powder. Surely it will only smell if the door has been opened and air has got to it and then the door is closed again.

I hate that smell too, some people are just really sensitive to it. Once I get a whiff I have to track down the source, it's hideous. However, I agree that you shouldn't get it from washing left in the machine for a day. If you're doing occasional hot washes and using powder then my only guess is that it's the sweaty sports kit.

I had some tops that used to smell very quickly after I put them on and I worked out eventually that it was bacteria living in deodorant build-up. It happens worse in synthetic sporty clothes. I changed deodorant but never resolved it fully in those tops but washing them at 60 every now and then controlled it, not great for the clothes but they'd have had to go in the bin if I hadn't.

oh and I only wash things that aren't "really" dirty at 30, I see it as more of a freshen up wash for things that have been worn a couple of times.

Anything that I would feel gross throwing on to run to the post box and back gets washed at 40, underwear and gym clothes definitely. Yesterdays tshirt on a normal temperature day or jeans that have had enough outings go in at 30.

I can definitely smell the smell.

Sometimes I start hanging up a load and then sigh, shove the whole thing back in the machine. I find that rinse and spin with fabric conditioner is enough to refresh, but you said you don't use fabric conditioner, so that wouldn't work for you.

BUT I do agree with others about the amount of time, if a wash goes on in the morning and is hung up before bedtime, it doesn't smell.

I think the issue is more your dh's smelly kit. I could never wash sports gear on 30, the smell would not come out. In fact teenage ds school shirts used to have to go on 40 or above too, otherwise the armpits still smelled.
So I'd get him to separate his sports stuff, and then the rest on 30 shouldn't smell.