Help! Smelly washing

[positivedreams]

Hey everyone, so I dry my washing inside. We live in an apartment and although it is big, we still lack the garden/washing line malarkey. I use the air dryer things to hang the washing on. I was having windows open to reduce condensation etc.. I've tried putting the heater on in that room (it's too hot for the central heating to be on fully still 😩). My husband is getting sick of the washing smelling damp. I use the normal non bio and I put more than I should of the fabric conditioner. I also use Lenor unstoppables (clearly are stoppable😂). Whether the washing takes 1 day or 3 days, it still smells horrible and I'm getting sick of it too. It never used to happen in the winter, which made me think it was because I had the heating on. We have a tumble drier but I'm trying not to use it to save the money to be honest as it takes hours and hours! HELP! What can I do to make my washing smell nice while drying inside? Anyone else dry washing inside and have cracked the secret? Thanks!

Just to add, the washing smells amazing when coming out of the machine. Which makes me think it's not the machine? But I've just found another thread about this and have seen some tips on cleaning the machine so will try that!

I have just stopped using Lenor (the gold one) which I had used for ages, but it suddenly was making certain clothes smell really horrible. I became obsessed and thought it was me, but got my neighbour in to smell them and she agreed . I don't know if it was synthetic fabrics as the cottons were mainly ok.

Mine is def not washing machine, and using other fabric softeners doesn't leave the horrible smell.

Try changing your conditioner to see if that works. What kind of dryer do you have that takes so long?

Gel washing liquid and fabric softener makes my machine and washing absolutely stink for some reason.

I switched to powder 2 in 1, no separate fabric softener, and did my first few washes at 60 degrees and it's completely sorted it out.

I think you need a heated airer. I have the Lakeland one (it's pricey but worth it) a load of washing dries overnight (even jeans & towels etc!)

Wash your stuff hotter, with powder not liquid.

Ok so from my weird knowledge of laundry that comes from washing cloth nappies and a Facebook group that does a shit ton of testing to get the best clean on them.

When was the last time you did a maintenance cycle on your washing machine and checked and cleaned the filter?

How are you doing you washing atm? Cycle length?
Cycle type?
Temperature ?
Brand of detergent?

Our washing used to start smelling fun king if it wasn't dried quickly but now aside from some of DPs tshirts, I can leave it wet in a pile for days (shhhh toddler doesn't like me hanging up washing) and it doesn't smell.

Napisan - put a bit in the wash with your other detergent (except for delicate washes). I had a smelly washing problem a fe W years ago and this fixed it (though never really worked out what caused it).

I have to dry indoors and it’s not smelly even though some things do take a while. I have a dehumidifier that I put on if there’s a lot of washing hanging up.

Oh and agree with the hot wash - do the hottest possible wash once in a while, like for white Cotton sheets or towels, and that keeps the machine clean.

You need to

Put machine on empty at 90c for a cycle, with bio powder. Do this monthly.

Get powder instead of liquid
Stop using fabric softener
You could also add a. Laundry cleanser such as the detol one.

I also use cloth nappies and these things will help.

Also have you thought about a dehumidifier? I use one overnight and it will dry two loads of washing on airers by morning.

Dehumidifier - you can get ones with laundry settings that will dry a rack of washing in a small room in 5-6 hours or less. Clothes that are damp for 1-3 days while drying indoors are going to smell musty.

Other than that, hot maintenance wash and use powder rather than liquids.

I second the dehumidifier. It's best placed in smaller room as it will take moisture out of the room.

ecoballs well worth a go

Use bio wash powder
Wash your whites at the hottest possible temperature, and use white vinegar instead of softener when you do whites.
Clean gunk out of all the crevices, clear out the filter.

That will keep your machine in decent condition and hopefully get rid of bacteria/mould that like to breed in washing machines.

Then you need to make sure the clothes dry quickly. Take them out of the machine as soon as they are finished. Use a tumble drier if you need to, or run a dehumidifier. If you dry clothes indoors make sure there's enough ventilation to prevent problems with damp and mould.

I had a similar experience and realised it wasn't the drying that was the problem, just bacteria that has grown in the clothes.
To get rid of the smell from clothes they need to be washed at at least 60 degrees and then they should be fine to wash at normal temps as the bacteria has gone. But I read not all modern machines actually get to 60 for long enough, that's seems true of my new one and I have to use a hotter / longer cycle to get rid of any smells .
I've also used a washing machine cleaner on hot cycle before to properly clean the machine

Unfortunately drying washing inside always smells but a dehumidifier helps I found

Wash hotter, with powder, extra spin. Space washing out more to dry. Do smaller loads. And don't just leave it out, you want to rotate it, move things up/down the airer, tip then upside down or sideways, pull pockets out so they get dry quicker.

If you can then dehumidifier or heated airer.

My washing smells fine, but I find that my machine smells after a hot wash, to the extent that it makes my kitchen smell until I close the washing machine door - normally I leave it open to air it out. Any ideas?

Stop using fabric conditioner and switch to powder. Do an occasional very hot cycle , I do this for the cleaning cloths. No need to use bio powder every time . Always leave the machine door open. I wash almost everything on 30 or at most 40 and dry inside in winter without a problem.

I've had this problem and agree it can be the clothes or the machine. I would do a hot wash regularly and try a washing machine cleaning product - only a few pounds in supermarket. As for the clothes, sometimes if they take too long to dry, it's hard to get rid of the smell even after they have been washed again. I think your washing smells ok coming out the machine as all the perfumes of fabric softener and detergent at that point are at their strongest and are masking the smell temporarily. I would try washing the clothes with a Dettol or Napisan product to kill the germs in your clothes - again only a few pounds. Not all the time. Just when the clothes start to smell.