Smelly washing! Help!

[SusieB13]

Hello All,

Please be kind I'm a newbie to this site!

I would really appreciate some advice before I throw away a load of mine and DH's "smalls".

My washing machine died and in it was a large load of washing that sat damp and festering for over a week....... I know bad me but that's what happened.

It stank when I got it out and put it in the new machine.

I've done 2, 90 degree washes and now tumble dried with numerous "bounce" sheets but the smell whilst not so stomach churning is still very much there.

I'm no domestic godess and I can't afford to throw this lot out, is there anything I could add to another wash to get rid of the mildewy smell?

Any advice?
thanks

Try Halo sports wash. I got some in Tesco after seeing it recommended on here and it's really good at getting smells out :)

I would soak the clothes over night in a solution of nappisan and wash again.

Thank you, both sound very good ideas and products I've never heard of!! so going to give which ever I find first a go!

Whilst not wanting to sound like a 1970's washing commercial there is another issue that I haven't got to grips with.

Why are my whites, well gray? is there some magical potion that I can put in my wash to sort that? (I use Persil Bio that was recommended on here with calgon in each wash).

Thanks again.
SB

have you got a washing line? Fresh air and sunlight wil help.

If you use Persil Powder (not the coloured one and not the liquid) it contains bleaching agents (which is why it's true that Persil Washes Whiter) and then preferably the line, if sunny, otherwise a tumble-drier, should do the trick.

Draping wet washing around the house or over radiators encourages growth of bacteria and mould, so will make the smell worse (it also causes condensation and damp in the house)

Do you wash your whites separately from the rest of your washing?

The main thing (this is the smalls, not the whites) is not to wash them with anything else until the smell goes away.

DH took DD2 for a walk and she fell over in some toxic mud. When he got her home, he got her changed but left it to dry on her jeans in the washing basket rather than wash it off. It contained a fairly vigorous ecosystem so when I put that load of washing in, it colonised every garment in the wash. Foolishly, I noticed the smell on a couple of the infected items so chucked them in with the next wash...

It took a couple of months before all our clothes stopped smelling mouldy.

Re: the whites - any washing product labelled "whites" contains a small amount of bleach. So that takes care of any greyness from dirt or being washed in with the wrong thing from time to time, though it obv means you have to do a specific "whites" wash. I think some synthetics can also go grey if you wash them at too high a temperature, and I don't imagine the bleach will fix that.

IME, Nappisan bleaches, so be careful with that, though of course, if the things are white... :)

Bicarbonate of soda or washing soda gets rid of smells and it's cheap too.

Try washing with white vinegar in your rinse instead of softener. Vinegar will deodorise (really!) and soften.

Thank you all,

No I haven't got a washing line and even if I had I wouldn't want my smalls out there. (I'm using "smalls" as an indication of the type of clothes we are talking about; sadly that does not directly relate to their size!!)

I couldn't find nappisan or halo sport in my local super markets, but do have white vinegar in the cupboard!

Do I put the vinegar in the calgon slot?

I really have to sort this today as DH in his wisdom put all our other smalls in with the grotty wash and they too now stink but as penance he is down to a jokey thong that was a novelty christmas gift!!!! :-) I do hope he doesn't get run over or the ambulance crew aare going to get a laugh ;-)

Have you got a "quick wash" setting that runs in 15 mins or something? You could try just bunging it on eg 5 times in a row. It's not very eco, but it's only this once.

put the vinegar into the softener compartment, as much as fits in there.
don't worry about the vinegar smell, that goes away when the clothes are drying. make sure they dry quickly, maybe do an extra spin before hanging them to dry and open the windows.

If you are looking for Napisan at the supermarket, you won't find it with all the washing powders - they generally put it in the baby aisle next to the Milton. Otherwise, lots of chemists sell it too.

The mouldy smell comes from bacteria so you need an anti bacterial element in whatever you wash the smalls in. I am fairly sure napisan is anti bacterial. I would pre-soak for at least four hours in a warm to hot solution of napisan, do another long intensive wash on a high temp with sports wash and definitely dry outside if you can. Tumble drying just warms up any lingering bacteria to the point where they can breed again.

I second using white vinegar for eliminating odours/mild anti-bacterial agent!

Re: washing whites

(a) separate washes and only wash whites with other whites

(b) pre-treat stains (I swear by old-fashioned Vanish stain stick)

(b) I have two white loads - one you can wash at high temp (cotton pants, towels, sheets) one you can wash at low temps (delicate blouses, white leggings, anything white that's not 100% cotton)

(c) it's a myth that washing things on very high temps get things v. white

• they turn grey after a while - which is why you need a brightening agent in your detergent

Good luck!

the mouldy smell comes from bacteria feeding on the sludge so you need to remove the sludge.

sorry, my mistake, in this particular case, it is not the machine that has the smell.

You need to look in the baby section of supermarkets to find Napisan - it's not with the normal detergents. I agree it's great for getting rid of smells and stains.

Again thank you all,

Before I finally destroy my smalls can I clarify that the clear Sarsons vinegar I have is "white" vinegar?

Oh it's a retorical question really as the smalls are in as is the vinegar!

I'll let you know how it goes in two hours or so !

(I can't get to the supermarket for any other items now and I can't let the items dry outside; so fingers crossed!!!!; on the plus side I think it may be fish and chips for dinner ;-) )

yep, that is the white vinegar we are talking about.
good luck!

Getting all a bit tense now! my laundry room smells a bit vinegary and DH popped in for lunch and when leaving said "YOU PUT WHAT IN THE WASH?" "ARE YOU MAD?" before scratching his head and leaving!!

I didn't believe it either about the vinegar but it is great. If the smell is really ingrained you may need to soak them in vinegar for a while.

It is also great for cleaning windows.

I can't bear the smell of vinegar so could never bring myself to put it anywhere near my washing.

But I love my Ecover kitchen cleaner in the spray bottle and that probably has a lot of vinegar in it - it just doesn't make the house smell like a chip shop!

The smell doesn't last long though.

OK everyone the machine has beeped; I'm going in...... I maybe sometime

OH WOW, YES, YES, YES!!!!

I'm just waiting for the tumble dryer to work it's magic and then the final verdict.

Thanks everyone.