Washing smells of wet dog HELP

[zara5897]

For the past few months our washing (weirdly predominantly white loads only) stinks of wet dog once washed. Less so when tumbled dried, but even through that it smells faintly. Tried doing smaller loads, larger loads, tried bi-carb soda and white wine vinegar and washing machine cleaner, air dryer, tumble dryer. Nothing works!!!

We use fairy bio and sometimes vanish.

Any ideas??? driving me nuts! My scrubs stink of wet dog it's so embarrassing. I don't know what to do.

Take them out to air dry immediately after the cycle finishes

I know you said white wine vinegar didn't work for you but I swear by spirit vinegar both for softening clothes and for getting the damp smell out of anything that was left in the machine overnight/was left damp in the laundry basket. I discovered it when my youngest was dribbling on bibs at an incredible rate and we didn't have time to get things dry before they were damp again 😂

Dettol Laundry Cleanser is good, a massive bottle is around £5 in Costco.
I also discovered (through forgetting I’d put a wash on the other day and it sitting in the machine all afternoon) that another final rinse with extra fabric softener makes it smell really fresh.
I can smell that I smell of clean washing and I don’t normally notice.

never said smell so many times

Oddly this was happening on our darks wash; whilst using bio pods. I couldn't for the life of my figure out why it was only our darks that smelt. None of the towel washes, bedding washes, kids laundry smelt. I did notice that if I used non bio; it didn't smell. So I stuck to that; however we've changed to powder now, so I'll try with bio again.

What PP said about the residue from the pods sounds interesting and a viable reason!

Uh pod residue this sounds vile and frustrating for you. I use non bio powder anything else makes me itch as does conditioner. Never had a smell. I do miss the perfume smell though.

I'd use powder.

Bad smells indicate a build up of bacteria in the machine which can transfer to the laundry.
Golden rules
Powder only, not liquids.
No fabric softener, use a slurp of cheap disinfectant in the middle compartment instead,

One hot wash per week, 60℃ - perhaps for the towels.
After use, pull out the dispenser drawer completely, allow to dry and dry the cavity with a cloth . Dry the rubber seal. This prevents black mould growing. Otherwise, all the rinse water passes over this mould.