Laundry stinks after washing - help!

[HaplessRhombus]

For the past few weeks, our laundry has started to smell. It’s an overpowering sweet but not right kind of smell, mouldy or mildew. Not like it's completely unwashed. Once it starts to dry (on racks in a well ventilated bathroom with dehumidifier), it absolutely stinks. As in, overpowering as you walk past the room or open the drawer.

We always leave the machine door open to air out and dry after use. We don’t use powder but I’ve cleaned the drawer anyway. We’ve cleaned the filters, door seals and drum thoroughly by hand. I’ve tried every brand of washing machine cleaner I can find on Ocado and in our local shop. Sometimes I’ve run several in a row. We’ve tried home made alternatives (vinegar, soda crystals, bicarb etc) and just running the machine clean cycle. But every load of laundry is coming out smelling that awful. Our detergent is fairy non-bio, but we’ve been using it for years without any issue.

We’ve called a repairman to come and have a look, but he doesn’t seem to understand. He seems to think the issue is that our clothes don’t smell nice (he suggested using fabric conditioner), not that they smell like something is wrong.

Any ideas what else we can try?

For all PP recommending powder, does it dissolve ok on a 30 degree wash cold fill? Thanks!

Yes I use 30⁰C washes for some of my clothes and powder dissolves fine. I mostly use 40⁰C though

The smell is in the clothes, not the washing machine. It’s because they haven’t dried quickly enough. Once the smell is in the clothes, no amount of normal washing will remove it, you need to soak them in a laundry disinfectant like Napisan.

Thanks, but fortunately that wasn't true in this case.

We've done the 95 degree bleach clean in the machine, switched to the bio powder and sanitiser and the last three loads of laundry have come out smelling great. Not sure which part of it made the difference (or if it was all three) but I'm so pleased. Thanks everyone!

Is your washing machine in your kitchen? We had this problem a couple of years ago. The washing machine shared drainage with the sink and a "flap" (don't know the technical name for it) that was supposed to separate the two lots of plumbing was trapped open, meaning that anything that went down the sink was mingling with the laundry.
It was a 5 quid fix

This is so helpful just wanted to say thanks! I’ve been having exactly this issue for so long so will try this.

You're meant to clean the machine. Run a 95°c wash with the machine empty and put powder in the drawers.

I find this happens with liquid detergent or pods. Never with powder and the powder smells lasts longer.

We've noticed the same smell with our clothes over recent months and I started to use fairy non bio wash and fabric conditioner liquid around this time. At first it didn't make any difference but over time the clothes are drying with a musty/dirty, sickly smell. It's as though the fairy isn't taking sweat and other grime from the clothes well enough. I've just changed back to using a bio powder and already we're noticing an improvement. Given other posters comments, I think Ile also start adding an antibacterial element to the washes to see if it improves things even further.

I agree, or you could also use Dettol laundry sanitiser in a 40 degree wash along with your usual detergent (although I also agree pods are crap).

I don’t use powder on my colours though because it fades them. I use Persil liquid in the drawer.