Foisty/ musty smell with Lakeland heated airer

[PurplePotatoes]

I've had my Lakeland airer for a while now and every so often seem to have this problem where the washing comes out of the machine smelling great but once dried on the heated airer it has that awful fusty smell you get with clothes dried indoors - i can smell it before i even enter the room - and I don't know how to solve it.

I've cleaned my washing machine 3 times in the past 3 weeks with special machine cleaner plus a few hot washes, cleaned the seals, drawer, drained it at the bottom, changed from liquid to powder....
I've tried not overloading the airer, only hanging every other rung, not loading the mesh shelf too much on the bottom...still can't get rid of this damn smell!

I'm torn between it being the airer (the clothes on the middle rack do seem to smell slightly worse) or the machine.

Help!! Any suggestions? I'm near the point of ditching the airer for a tumble drier it's annoying me that much!

Hopeful bump!

Hmm... I have one (a three tiered one with a cover) and don't have this problem. And I often have it absolutely loaded to the rafters with every inch of space used.

If you dry your clothes on anything else (washing line, radiator) do you still get the smell? Do you ventilate the room that the airer is in? I have mine in my bedroom and always have a window open and the door shut.

Is it not the clothes smelling? hot wash or some kind of antibac additive in the wash?

A drop of zoflora in the softener compartment works for me.

Have you got a problem with damp or condensation? I've had this and some rooms in my house have been really foisty. I suggest opening the windows wide or running or dehumidifier.