Help! I have an enormous mountain of washing that has been piling up during a hectic period. And I have now had a disaster with my fairly new tumble dryer.
I washed an old coat that OH bought in a charity shop for work (he works outside). Which didn't smell when it went into the wash but when it came out it smelled awful - like a combination of mothballs and mould - very strong. Weird as clothes normally come out smelling clean. Stupidly and in a rush I just bunged it into the tumble dryer. 15 minutes later I couldn't breathe and the room the dryer is in was filled with the horrendous smell. Had to open all the windows for the rest of the night. I am asthmatic so am sensitive to mould anyway.
So late last night I was putting the washing machine through an empty cycle on 90 degrees with bicarb in it. And cleaned the filters on the tumble dryer with vinegar and rinsed it off.
Today I tried drying the next load and it still smells - not as bad but enough to affect my breathing a bit. I am so upset! I don't want a mouldy smelling house. And the tumble dryer was expensive and only a few months old. I am now not even sure if the clothes in the washing machine will pick it up still.
The main issue right now is resisting using the tumble dryer when I desperately need to get on with all this washing and need to get it dry. But I am not going to use it until I find a solution - because I don't want to instil all our clothes and bedding with that mould smell.
Honestly I could cry. I have googled and read about putting wet towels with vinegar in the dryer. Tried that. Vinegar smell has now gone but the dryer still gives off fumes.
Any suggestions? The coat has been binned.