Laundry - starchy smell like pasta water?

[BertieBotts]

This is driving me nuts. For some clothes I can get them smelling nice and fresh - either of the washing powder or just a nice clean smell. But for some things they come out smelling neither good nor bad, but weirdly sort of starchy, almost like pasta water.

It seems to mainly be dark coloured things for some reason. Cotton/polyester doesn't seem to make a difference. Taking the clothes out immediately doesn't make a difference. Products used doesn't make a difference.

Has anyone else had this and worked out what caused it?

My washing machine was smelling funny (earthy smell) due to using gel tabs and low temperatures. I bought the Dettol cleaning solution and it's gone away now. I am using liquid detergent now (Method) but will go on powder once it's used up

I don't think it's the machine because it only affects some items of clothing and not others.

I hope you will get some replies here as I have the SAME problem. Just dark colored clothes smell strange. It's not a bad smell, just not pleasant. And it disappears once dry.

Try a scoosh of white vinegar in your conditioner compartment see if it makes a difference,

I've had this happen to my washing too. Mostly towels and tea shorts just left with a strange rice like smell? It seems to have stopped but I haven't done anything different with the washing so don't see why.

Yes T-Shirts in particular.

White vinegar is a bit hard to find where I live but I have tried no fabric softener or changing the fabric softener for a kind of antibacterial rinse. Neither really did much.