Why do you hang your washing outside when it always ends up smelling like damp?

[lilybit2025]

Apart from the obvious cost savings compared to using a tumble dryer, I don’t understand why people hang their washing outside because no matter what I do, mine always ends up smelling damp and completely unpleasant!

If it's not your machine, or poor washing or hanging technique, then you must be bringing them in before they are fully dry.

Line-dried laundry smells the opposite of damp.

The only times I heard of washing smelling awful from being hung ouside was many many years ago when I lived in an area that had a Chemical Works and an Iron and Steel Works in the area. Occasionally there would be a discharge from one of them and if the washing wasn't brought in straight away it all had to be washed again. But I've never heard of outside line dried washing smelling unpleasant otherwise.

Mine smells of sunshine and way better than that chemically fabric softener smell. Are you using enough washing detergent and washing at 40 degrees (higher for bedding and towels?) and spacing them out properly and not overloading the machine?

I don't hang mine outside. I have hayfever/allergies, it smells like outside when it comes in, which I hate, it's stiff and also smells like damp. I can always tell when someone has air dried their clothes, either on the radiator or outside, because it smells like mildew when they walk past and it makes me gag!

That’s really unusual…I’d be interested to know why that’s happening to you. I’ve never had a tumble dryer, so can’t compare but the washing always smells really nice after it’s been put on the line. I don’t use any fabric conditioner.

Op, do you take your washing in before the sun starts to drop? This time of year, about 5pm is the latest really before the air starts to get damp again.
Otherwise, my washing smells of cut grass and blossom, not damp. 🙂

Do you live in a city or very large town?
Any chemical/industrial operations nearby?
Are you 💯 sure your washing machine doesn't have mould?
If none of the above I can only conclude that your sense of smell is broken, very sorry 🤣

I find stuff from the tumble dryer smells damp. Everything looks a mess as well. We get a nice costal breeze in our garden, everything smells amazing and dries nice and wrinkle free

I never clean my drum, although tbf, I’m past the age of washing teenage socks and football kits, and my washing always smells great when dried outside, providing the weather is good drying weather. I don’t hang out for hanging sake if I’m not guaranteed it will dry.

I also dry on a washing line with a prop, and not a whirly gig thing which I feel lets washing just hang, a bit like putting an airer outside.

I especially like my washing when it’s been washed in powder, and it’s quite hot outside, and the towels come in crusty 😂, love a line dried, crusty towel, seriously I do.

Some people don’t have dryers. My washing never smells damp.

I don’t think what you’re describing is the smell of washing outside. Fresh, air dried washing smells lovely.

It sounds as if you are not cleaning your washing machine properly.

Mine doesn't normally smell damp, but it does sometimes smell smoky in winter due to people's chimneys, which is why I mainly rely on the dryer in those months.

If it smells damp you are bringing ut in before it is fully dry.

How regularly do you clean your washing machine?

In over forty years of hanging my washing outside to dry, perhaps twice it's come in smelling of damp, mainly because I had left it in the machine after the cycle finished.

Are you in the UK? Humidity isn't an issue for drying washing outside here

Like everyone else has said OP this sounds very much like a you problem. Is the washing damp when you bring it in? I'm not sure what smell you mean, wet washing doesn't have a particular smell one

Line dried laundry does smell very different to tumble tried laundry but it's not damp and shouldn't be.

It can't smell damp.- it literally smells of fresh air and being aired outside!

I'd second regular tub clean cycles and using powder rather than gel/liquid/tabs.

I can only smell musty (damp) after line drying if it wasn't fully dry before bringing it in or if the machine has mould build up in the pipes.

Never had this.

I think you are smelling the washing and thinking the smell is damp. How can it smell damp after being outside all day?

You’re obviously bringing it in when it’s not fully dry. I always make sure my washing is 💯 dry before ironing and putting it away

Because it doesn’t?

Op do you dislike the smell of your garden? Do you live in a city or the country?

If you dislike smells like cut grass, blossom, you may not like the smell. Its not typically a damp smell though unless:

• your machine needs cleaning
• you are overfilling your machine
• you are not using enough detergent
• you are not letting the clothes dry fully

My friend does not like line dried laundry but her sense of smell is a bit fucked, she wears massive amounts of perfume, her house is full of strongly scented plug-ins etc. She basically has trained her nose to expect a strong artificial fragrance and dislikes the absence of it.

How strange. I line dry my washing every day of the year, and it always smells beautiful and fresh. I live on the coast and the regular breeze works better than any tumble dryer.

You’re doing something wrong, maybe not pegging it out correctly, or not using the right detergent.

Because it doesn't smell damp.

In summer, where I live it usually smells faintly of freshly mown hay. In winter and spring though, it can be a bit damp with all the rain, unless I finish it off inside in front of the dehumidifier.

IME it’s the washing liquid. We were using smol and washing smelt revolting (mildew). Boil wash, sunshine- nothing got rid of it. Was less intense when tumble dried. Switched to powder and no probs.

We don’t line dry much as 3/5 of our household have allergies to pollen.

Its your washing machine - do you ever clean it?

I hang washing out all the time and it always smells really fresh and clean.

The only time my laundry has smelt musty and damp was when I accidentally left a load in the machine and forgot to take it out.

Also, biological powder cleans clothes of bacteria more effectively than liquid which can leave a slimy residue so switch to powder and see if that helps

Mine never smells damp, and I have a very sensitive sense of smell

it smells nicer (fresh) after drying outside, it doesn’t waste energy, and it avoids having damp clothes hanging around my house causing damp problems inside.