Damp smelling clothes

[Doretaball]

Hi.
Basically I can't get the damp smell out of some of my darks (jeans, tops, boxers and socks). I think the smell started when there was all that wet weather in the summer and I couldn't get things dry.

Since then, I've washed and dried them many times, they've been out on the line and I now have a dryer. Nothing seems to get the damp smell out.

Any tips would be very gratefully received.

I don't think it's my washing machine because its only these dark clothes, whites, bedding, towels etc all come out smelling lovely.

Thanks again

you need to wash them as warm as possible, add white (distilled) vinegar to the last rinse (don't worry, the smell will dissapear when drying).
and don't use softener.

Wash as hot as they will take.
Rewashing DDs fleece blanket she has in the car at 60° seems to have worked.

have you given the machine a service wash?

empty, no powder, no fabsoft, add a cup of washing soda if you have it. Run a hot hot hot (white cotton) cycle and the hot water will start to dissolve and wash away the sludge of old soap, dirt, grease and bacteria. If the water goes grey and foams up that is the old soap sludge dissolving. Do it again until it stays clean

scrub the sludge out of the grooves in the door seal

scrub the powder drawer and its aperture (especially the upper surface) with a nylon brush, and kitchern-cleaner-with-bleach if there is black mould

clean out the pump filter per makers instructions

Thanks very much everyone. Will round up the rogue items and try these suggestions!

We've been struggling with this too and have resolved it today! Big yay! Way more washing powder was our answer. Couldn't go hotter with much of it, and we don't have a tumbler, but then I remembered I'm really tight with washing powder. Whites improved when washed at 60deg.

Good luck - let us know how you get on?