Musty smelling sheets

[JacqueslePeacock]

I have been a-googling merrily but failing to find the answer, and then it occurred to me: Mumsnet will know!

So, why do my sheets (& pillowcases, duvet covers etc) smell so unpleasant? The freshly washed ones are fine, and if I put them straight back on the beds when dry there is no problem. The problem is the ones that aren't used so often. I put them in the linen cupboard freshly laundered, and if they spend more than about a fortnight in there they come out smelling horrible - really musty and sort of sour. The cupboard itself doesn't smell, is not damp (I don't think) and - what's really weird - I had the exact same problem in our previous house! I assumed it was related to the damp, and would be resolved in our lovely new non-damp house, but we moved last year and it's almost as bad. :( Any ideas?

are the sheets completely dry when you put them away?
opening the cupboard door occassionally to keep air circulating helps

how do you dry them?

Is your washing machine clean? I was horrified, literally, to find mould in mine- underside of the powder tray- which seemed to be the cause of my smelly laundry at the time.

Are you able to dry things outside?

I also get this problem - bedding that has been left for a while in my airing cupboard really does not smell nice ! I tumble dry everything and they are definitely not damp, so watching with interest to see if someone has a solution.

well the questions to ask are, how do you dry them (draped around the house and over radiators encourages mould growth)

what temperature do you wash them (low temperature washes do not kill mould or bacteria)

is your machine clean (without service washes, the machine will harbour bacteria and mould feasting on the sludge. If the filter has not been cleaned it may harbour rotting socks and fluff)

if none of those, the run of the waste hose, if it attaches to the sink waste, must loop higher than the water level in the sink when full, or dirty greasy water can run down into the machine.

I line dry them. I have a new washing machine but the problem continues, so I doubt it can be that. And I don't seem to have these issues with clothes or towels, just bedlinen, which really baffles me. I usually wash at 60 as well. I will make sure they are completely dry before putting away, but tbh I think they usually are already.

PigletJohn, how do you do a service wash on a machine? Is it a special symbol?
Thanks

Sorry hit post too quickly.

Is it really true that hanging washing up in the house really causes mould growth? :(

We dry all our stuff indoors. Hanging stuff outside is lovely but definitely makes our hayfever much worse. We don't have a drier?

I have noticed an odd smell on somethings as things seem to be taking longer to dry than usual. Is that because of the weather even though they're inside, iyswim?

Thanks again

service wash is fundamentally very hot water, with no soap or fabsoft. Usually a 90 degree cotton wash.

the sludge is old partially dissolved soap, fabsoft, dirt and grease that accumulates inside the machine, paricularly from doing lots of cool washes, but may also be aggravated by using excessive amounts of powder. Bacteria and mould feast on it.

If you run it HOT HOT HOT and empty, you may see the water in the machine turn grey and foamy. This is from the old soap that is being dissolved. Do it again until the water stays clear and clean.

You can put some old white towels in if you have them, the very hot wash will do them no harm.

You can add a cup of washing soda to the service wash if you like, it will probably help dissolve the soap faster.

Scrub the powder drawer and its slot with hot water first. If there is black mould in the slot use kitchen spray with bleach and a toothbrush to get it off. Clean the grooves in the rubber door seal.

This is also a good time to clean the pump filter and remove the lego, sludge, money, bits of tissue and bra wires.

It's my belief that putting the measure of powder through the door of the machine, rather than into the powder drawer, helps keep the machine cleaner.

p.s.

Anything that is warm and damp will go mouldy. The longer it is warm and damp the moulder it will get. Line drying is usually cold because of the chill caused as the water evaporates in the wind, and the sun (if any) kills some bugs. I get hayfever too and sometimes finish off stuff in the drier after it has been on the line, this seems to blow the pollen away, or possibly cook it. That doesn't use much electricity, because the washing is not wet.

Cool washes do not kill the mould or bacteria, so there will be plenty of spores on the damp washing ready to burst into life.

I put vinegar in mine when i do an empty hot wash.

Thanks Piglet.

What, if any, is the difference between drying things on radiators and using a heated airer? There are some good reviews,for example of the lakeland heated airer, but if it's not good to dry things on radiators, then would this be better?

We don't have a dryer so can't try hanging outside and then popping into the drier :(

What is the best option for us? I was considering the lakeland airer but its quite expensive.

Many Thanks

homeaway, I ran a hot wash today but will try vinegar the next time I do one. How much and what sort do you use?

Many Thanks

I suppose with an airer, there is at least air all around the wet clothes so the damp can get away. I don't know a satisfactory way of drying clothes indoors, a very common problem I come across is excess humidity, damp and mould caused by draping wet washing around the house. If there is no alternative, I suggest one of those roll-away washing lines, hung over the bath, and the bathroom extractor fan run constantly (they use very little electricity) with the door and window shut, until it is dry. This removes the water vapour from the home, which is important, and the evaporation cools the damp fabric.

Some people like to use a dehumidifier, but that will use quite a lot of electricity so I prefer spending the money on a tumble drier. dehumidifiers must also be used with the doors and windows shut, otherwise they will try to dehumidify the world.

BTW vinegar in a service wash will help remove limescale, but the main problem is usually soap sludge, not limescale. Don't use vinegar and washing soda at the same time, as they will neutralise each other.

Thanks Piglet. I ran the hot wash today and there were a few bubbles in there and the water was almost clear. No grey water so hopefully that's a good sign.

We live in a very hard water area so the vinegar would be good for the limescale. Thanks for your help by the way. :)

It sounds like your machine is pretty clean. UK powders (not liquids) usually contain some bleach, which I presume would kill mould. In the wholesalers I've seen "professional" Persil which says something like "kills 99% of germs" but you can also add some dilute bleach to a white wash, but find and follow the instructions, see if that helps with the smell, and tell us the results. It seems to be quite common in America but I would be cautious of bleach on delicates, elastic or colours.