clean clothes stinking Help

[gabby34]

I live in a small flat so no room for a tumble dryer but as soon as clothes r washed I Hang them on clothes horses I have a dehumidifier on 24/7 so clothes are always dry withing 24 hours max but the thing is when they come out the washer they smell ok but once they r dry they honestly smell disgusting

What can I do, what's causing it
I can only use fair non bio (ds is allergic to anything else)

Dnt no if this is relevant but small things like socks underwear etc dnt smell bad if just seems to be the more hevier cotton/silk stuff

Does the machine smell? Are you using liquid detergent? If so, do a 90c wash with no detergent. Use a powder detergent once a week in your wash (even if it's just the tea towels)

Do you leave them in the machine for a while before hanging them up?

I agree with Fliss though, Also using a detergent ball rather than the drawer is much better.

Run the machine through when empty on the hottest, longest cycle with soda crystals in the DRUM not the drawer, in a ball. Do it about every 10 washes, and wash something like tea towels afterwards, rather than clothes.

Also, turn the clothes on the airer every few hours, and make sure you aren't overpacking the airer. I find my clothes smell 'musty' if I try to dry two bits of clothing on each rail, if they overlap.

Sometimes it is worth drying extra clothes over doors and the banister rather than overfilling the airer.

what sort of disgusting smell? Musty/mouldy, or are they picking up a smell from something else? How long's it been this way?

Oh, hello Couthy :)

Hello. I should really be getting to bed.

I only ever hang one load at a time so no over lapping on clothes horse
I had a problem with smelly washing machine last month due to going on holiday and leaving door closed Thanks to advice on here i got rid of the smell from machine but past few weeks the clothes r smelling machine doesnt stink any more

And clothes stink of just really fostiness if that makes sence my house is well aired and defo doesn't smell so its not that i will put machine on another hot cycle today

And I've only been usine liquid detergent lately is that bad?

Liquid detergent apparently doesn't have as much bleach in as powdered detergent, and it doesn't dissolve at low temperatures so builds up to make sludge in your machine. The sludge smells, which makes the machine, water and in turn, your clothes smell.

When you dry your clothes, how long are they taking to dry? If its taking a few days that won't help won't help.

Thank for the replys again think i would be lost without this board my machine is on an empty 90 degree wash just now with just some soda crystals will get soap powder tomorrow and stick to that
Will give inside of machine a gd scrub as well once this wash cycle has finished
Thank you

You can also try a small squirt of bleach in the drawer when you put the machine on the maintenance wash.
Flisspaps - Liquid detergents do not contain bleach but they do dissolve at lower temps than powders.

taking they do dissolve but not as well (thats my understanding anyway) resulting in the sludgy build up that's usually left behind.

Another thing you can try is soak a cloth in vinegar,, put it in drum and run it through hot cycle - machine smells beautifully clean afterwards and it will strip out every bit of sludge :)

As you already have a dehumidifier, my suggestions would be to give the clothes an extra spin in the machine so they're dryer to start off with and (as you already have a dehumidifier) to consider something like this.

Wipe the inside of the rubber seal with kitchen roll, getting into any joints and folds etc.

Also, take your drawer out, clean the detergent drawer thoroughly in the sink, and clean out the hole that the drawer goes into. When I do that I find the machine is much improved.

I have one of the lakeland 3 tier dryers and it is one of the best things we own, folds down when you're not using it and dries well (i do put a large towel over the top to dry which seems to speed things up a bit.

I have friends who bought one soon after their first baby was born, to cope with the constant stream of washing.

I sometimes have this problem and I find it's worse if I wash things on a hotter cycle-60 C or more, better to use a cool wash and powder IME.

halo sports wash is great for removing that nasty niff.

the hot cycle starts to dissolve soap sludge from your machine.

If you have not given it enough hot cycles for the water to stay clear and non-foamy, you are putting your washing into dissolved sludge.

the first hot wash often makes it smell worse, because you are starting to loosen it, but have not yet washed it away.

cool washes do tend to cause sludge build-up. If you have white cottons, such as towels, and give them a hot wash once a week or so, with very little powder, it will tend to clean out that sludge that builds up from your cool washes. If you add half a cup of washing soda it seems to dissolve the soap sludge faster. In my own house I have a water softener which is much better at dissolving soap, and less product is needed anyway.

Adding extra soap is one thing you don't need to do when trying to clean soap residue out.

A hot wash will also kill the existing mould spores on the washing, so they start fresher.

It's not the powder or liquid that causes the sludge, it's the low temperatures.

If you use a dosing ball, or put the powders scoop straight through the door rather than into the drawer, it will dissolve faster and not lurk in the drawer or chute (you can see laundrettes are terrible for that)

Piglet are you a scientist by any chance? You talk a lot of sense

no, I'm an interfering busybody.

but a helpful one - thanks for that!

When you remove the drawer and clean the 'hole' it was in, use a good quality, foaming spray kitchen cleaner and use a toothbrush to get into those nooks and crannies. Also don't forget the outlet at the bottom of the machine, it needs a good clean from time to time.
AND... when the machine is not in use open the door and the soap drawer, it allows for air circulation.