Shirt left in washing machine for 10 days - what to do!

[SallyCinnamon92]

My DP washed a shirt just before we went away for 10 days and in the stress our taxi cancelling our airport drop forgot to take it out to dry!

Just gone to start our MOUNTAIN of holiday washing and found it festering 🤢 he’s back at work today so out of the house and he’s just survived the first Xmas without his lovely Dad, so I’d rather just sort it and get on with the washing without palming it off on him when he’s home, and be able to start getting our washing done.

Google has A LOT of varying tips but wondering if anyone has any lived advice! I started out just thinking white vinegar and a very hot wash would be ok but fell into the hell of Reddit where everyone basically says you need a new machine / new house / to move country etc etc.

Shirt is 100% knitted cotton. Was a gift from his mum so would like to save it if possible but if it’s likely to be full of mould and germs that can be forsaken! Worried about how to ensure washing machine is clean and ok to use going forward, it’s fairly new.

Tips welcome! Thanks x

I would just rewash it on hot with plenty of laundry detergent.

The shirt will be fine if you rewash with some dettol or similar anti bac laundry rinse.
The machine will need a very hot wash or maintenance wash if you have one. Maybe a couple. In similar circumstances I did an initial wash with baking soda and vinegar and then a subsequent one with a washing machine cleaner. Was ok then

What is it actually like? I would think at the worst, mouldy; quite possibly just a bit damp and smelly. I agree, I would wash it on a hot wash (60 is fine for most things tbh, certainly a cotton shirt) with bio detergent.

Maybe give the machine a run through (by which I mean the maintenance wash – ours asks for one every so often anyway) afterwards if it smells tho tbh I imagine it will be fine.

I would do as above, other than a hot wash since it's 100% cotton knitted. I would probably do it on an eco wash on 30 degrees as they take ages with a good quality detergent. If it still smells, I would do it again, then do a final rinse and spin with some fabric conditioner.

Good luck.

This link is to advice from Persil. Obviously it recommends Persil Caps but any bio clothes detergent with stain remover would work, I imagine.

https://www.persil.com/uk/laundry/laundry-tips/fabrics/how-to-remove-mould-from-fabric.html

Thanks all - normal advice. Sometimes Google is not your friend! Will report back 🫡

Just rewash it on 60 with bio detergent or ace bleach for colours or similar strong smelling prewash and peg it out to dry

If your washing machine stinks then do a 90c wash with some soda crystals or a washing machine cleaner from lidl etc

For the shirt might also be worth buying some nappiesan and doing a cold soak for a couple of hours while you run a hot mauntainence wash on the machine? I used it for baby stuff in wash and as a cold soak but have kept using it as it is great at shifting smells and stains for my primary ages children. Also really good for a pre soak in a basin for white clothes and socks etc so would possibly be used again?

I would

Wash it with biological washing powder on the shirt’s preferred cycle.

Remove and do an empty machine cleaning cycle (hottest possible), clean seals and drawer etc.

Re-wash the shirt and dry thoroughly, in the tumble dryer if possible.

Do another machine cleaning cycle if still a bit worried.

I had similar recently and after multiple attempts my recommendation is
Pre wash with vinegar
Sports wash
Odour remover - dr beckham

I would probably stick it outside on the line to blow some of the smell off and freshen it a bit while you do your holiday wash, then re wash.

Wash it with bio detergent with zoflora in the fabric softener bit of the machine. I regularly do this with gym clothes

Have you actually got it out and looked at it? Is it mouldy, or just damp and a bit whiffy?

I'd just wash it again in with other similar items with a dash of Dettol and a good dose of your usual detergent (bio detergent, if you don't already use that) in the machine. Use a 60⁰ wash this time. It will probably be fine, and if it isn't then at least you tried, but the damage was already done.

Best thing for mould is sunlight so I would definitely move to the Caribbean (or maybe just a lovely holiday there!) if you can arrange it by tonight.

Failing that I would go with all the other far less fun advice.

Soak in dilute bleach/zoflora for a bit
Rewash on a hot wash
Sniff it, and check it and rewash if necessary
Dry outside on a sunny breezy day (hard to arrange, I know, at this time of year). I'd also leave it outside to get frost on it too, I find the cold kills off much of that mouldy smell if there's any left.

Good luck.

This is excellent advice.

This. Prioritize your post holiday laundry but after a hot wash it will be fine

Don't follow the advice to wash on hot or at 60°, that will shrink knitted cotton. Especially given it's precious to him.

Bio wash at the recommended temperature for the shirt, then on the line to dry. Good luck.

If you haven’t started it might be worth doing an empty self clean cycle for your machine (or the hottest wash if it doesn’t have self clean) with a bit of biological powder in, just to refresh your machine, as it’s likely a bit stinky too. Then the shirt wash.

I find odours tend to dissappear if dried outside in sunshine and fresh air- even if cold. The cold can kill the odour just as effectively as hot washing!

Interesting those saying a 60 wash will shrink knitted cotton. I guess I was thinking of like T shirt material, which I have certainly washed at 60 with no issues. But if it's a more delicate loose knit then yes, maybe stick to 40. See what the label says and if it has a low temp limit, try that first.

Agree re outside drying btw. We have sunshine forecast for next couple of days.

napisan in a normal wash

It’s a bit smelly no obvious mould. It’s knitted cotton, says wash on a 30 so I’ve rewashed then will put outside. I cleaned the seals, the drum and the draw. I have got some washing machine cleaner so will then do a long hot wash to clean the machine and rewash the shirt (after my other washing if the machine seems fine). Thanks all!

Half a bottle of white vinegar on a 90 degree wash in empty machine and don't forget to put some in the drawer too. Follow with a cold rinse and machine will be ready to go for normal use and will smell of nothing.

Oh, as for the shirt - if there's no mould staining then wash it on it's own with white vinegar at the highest temp it can be washed on. Then do it on it's own on a normal wash and it should be smell free. It may need a couple of normal washes but you should be able to rescue it for DH.