why do my duvet covers smell?

[lucydogz]

When I get washed duvet covers out of the cupboard, they smell really unpleasant. A bit like someone's been sick on them. The smell goes away after a while, but they don't smell when they are put away. Is there something I should know about that's causing it?

Like the charity shop clothes smell?
Do you wash them at 60 degrees?

Wash with powder at 60°

Dry thoroughly

Don't store in airless cupboards.

And investigate cleaning your washing machine maybe.

This happens if you put them away damp.

This sometimes happens with my towels. The dc will sniff them and say they smell of sick. I don't know what I must do as it doesn't happen all the time. I use Lenor Unstoppables, Costco washing powder and usually dry outside.

Some of our laundry gets this sick smell too. My theory is that it's caused by powder, softener and any other fragrance involved in the washing process which smells beautiful when fresh but not when stored for a few weeks. Eg when the weather breaks, I imagine I'll smell it off my jeans, long sleeved tops etc that I haven't worn for a while. I never get it off my bedding which is stored for a week in a plastic box under my bed so I'm sure it's the longer storing that causes the problem.

Don't use fabric conditioner either, it coats fabrics with a layer of stuff which traps the bacteria????? or something like that.

I get the sick smell sometimes, I assumed it was from clothes that may have been a bit damp when put away

I wash them at 40 degrees (60 seems unnecessary). No conditioner. Dried outside. Kept in airless cupboard. But it's only just started happening.
We have changed the freestanding shelves from wooden slatted to plastic recently.

The lower wash temperature might not be killing everything, so I’d definitely up that regardless of the smell.

Have you investigated the cupboard itself for any issues? Are you sure that laundry is completely dry before putting away?

I get this sometimes, I have found it improves a bit if I use a wee bit of zoflora instead of conditioner.
If bedding is really manky because of teen dc not changing the bed often enough or dh's sweaty head; I wash things twice before drying. Scuzzers!

60 degrees is necessary. Lower temperatures don't kill off the bacteria that cause the smell.

60 degrees is necessary. Lower temperatures don't kill off the bacteria that cause the smell.

Exactly. I've heard it said that washing at 40° just ensures the bacteria are nice and clean!

I wash most bedding on 60 and occasionally on 75. Dh used to wash pillow cases on 40 and the greasy hair smell never went!!

60 degrees IS necessary and so is a good amount of non biological powder detergent. Don't use fabric conditioner.

40 degrees works to clean dirt because the enzymes in the powder of biological washing powder work best at 40. It does not kill any bacteria.

A good long wash at 60 with a NON bio (which just gets better as it gets hotter) will kill most things.

Brilliant. Thank you all. I was henceforth do a hot wash.

That happened with mine so I upped the wash to a long 60deg wash, extra dry setting if they go in the tumbler. The smell has gone so I can 9nly assume it was the bacteria not being dealt with on a low, short wash.