Smelly laundry

[Cheryl3007]

I wonder if anyone can shed any light on the fact that recently, we have noticed that our laundry is starting to smell 'sour' when we take it out of the tumble dryer, if we dry our hands on the towel a couple of times or even if we rinse a cup and leave it sitting wet for a little while?

We have not changed our practice at all, we are using the same detergents etc and did initially think it was a fairly new heat pump tumble drier (the old one was either 'hot or off' but we never had this issue), but then that wouldn't account for the cups - or anything which is left even a little damp, smelling?

We have gone through the obvious things - new towels as this is where it started - rewashing - washing at higher temperatures - adding clothes disinfectant - Calgon tablets in the washing machine - using kitchen towel instead of tea towel?

I think it must be quite a common thing as I have noticed, whenever we are in a public place I can smell it?

I believe, although I have no proof, that it is something that is in the water as opposed to one of the products or white goods I am using and I would appreciate any input other have and how they have tackled it?

Do you tumble dry your tea towels/cloths? I stopped doing this as I noticed it seemed to make my washing smell like damp cloths!

I had this with my heat pump tumble dryer and it turned out there was a bit of smelly wet lint stuck somewhere. I couldn't tell you where exactly as my husband got it out but it wasn't just in that bit at the front that you defluff yourself.

My DDog once hid half a pork chop in the rubber seal on my washer.
Just in case you have a DDog

Every single pair of jeans I have smells wierd. They wash fine, they're hung on the line and they just smell when they're dry. The rest of the washing smells nice/normal! Do jeans (in particular) retain smells?
I have cleaned the washing machine with soda crystals on a 90° wash. Next step is to soak the jeans in water, white vinegar and more soda...

Quick update. 5 pairs of jeans, one garden trug, one whole bag of soda crystals, one cup of white vinegar, filled up with water and soaked overnight. Cleaned out washing machine in the meantime. Then spun the jeans, didn't rinse (forgot) and washed with Tesco bio lavender scented liquid, no fabric conditioner and line dried, they don't smell any more! At all! 😮

I noticed a sour smell on my clothes after they had been in the tumble dryer. It kind of smelt like swamp water!

i could also smell it in the water container, which I always empty after every use but there was a little water left in it. I now shake it to get rid of all the water and pop a few drops of Zoflora disinfectant in every few months and I now longer have any smells.

I also googled how to deep clean my particular model and realised there is a “ hidden” drawer at the bottom with a filter. I’d never opened it so was horrified to find it full of wet fluff and gunge, like you get out of the shower trap! That area now gets cleaned occasionally.