How do I get rid of this smell?

[Purplehonesty]

I do the little old lady next door's washing once a week as she can't manage.
All her clothes, bedding etc have this very sweet damp mouldy smell and when I have washed and dried them they smell exactly the same!
My washer and drier then smell awful as does the house while I am drying her washing and it makes the next load of our clothes smell musty too.
It's driving me mad, what can I do to make her clothes smell nice and fresh?
Her house is quite damp and despite us cleaning it reguarly and doing lots of repairs this is where the smell comes from.
Help!

I've actually chucked a duvet cover away because of a musty smell but I think the idea is to cut through the odour with something acidic like soaking in a white vinegar and Lemon solution then washing in machine .

try 20 or 30 drops of tea tree oil in with the powder

Have you tried a pre rinse? Or giving it a little soak first before machine washing

No I haven't. What would I soak it in?

a couple of capfuls of zoflora disinfectant in with the fabric softener?

PH how lovely of you to step in and help your neighbour.

Is drying on the line at all feasible, or does she only have one set of bedding that has to go back on the bed the same night? Does she ever open her windows? You could try subtly encouraging her to air the place out...

I wonder if it's mothballs you can smell. Fresh air and sunshine are the best thing for getting rid of the smell.

Oh dear. I would do a presoak in a baking soda solution, and add a good amount of white vinegar to the wash. (Perhaps a baking soda, then a white vinegar soak, then a wash with vinegar.)

I second a subtle encouragement of her opening the windows and airing out the house. Is there a chance it could be a personal health issue? Some sort of fungal infection?

Would soaking the washing in napisan help?

Half a bottle of white vinegar in the wash. It is a miracle worker for getting rid of smells.

Thanks all - will try the white vinegar and baking soda suggestions on the next wash.
It's the house that's really damp, it never gets the windows opened and its a tiny cottage backed into a hill.
We clean and get rid of the mould but it never goes away. She has the council coming to install a new shower and steps but I doubt they will do much about the damp as its private house.
She really needs to go into care as she can't get about but is hanging fiercely onto her independence.
It's so sad as she has no family and just a couple of families nearby who visit.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone

Have you tried a dehumidifier in the house? DH's grandparents had a lot of damp and mould, mostly because of a refusal to open windows and paranoia about draughts. We "lent" them a dehumidifier and it made a massive difference both to the house and their health.

Great suggestion thanks