My Clothes Don't Smell Clean

Have you tried about a cup of ammonia and laundry detergent? That is the only thing that works for me on my husband's stinky workout shirts.

I have the same problem a lot and I think it's because being so busy with baby I leave the clothes in the washer too long before I switch them over which makes them musty. Also I have found Tide to cause a bad smell. Good luck!

I have the same problem. I thought maybe I was leaving them into long. I cant wait to hear the answers.

B.

we had the same type of problem, but it was coming from our washer...like dirty water smell or something. We tried cleaning with bleach, etc. We finally asked someone at Lowe's about it since I was to the point of replacing the washer even though it's pretty new. She advised to get washer tablets. I can't remeber what they're called exactly, but it's like a deoderizer/neutralizer for the washer. We put a tablet in once a month or so, full capacity, hot water and let it run with the tablet. It seems to have done the trick. I don't know what's in it to make it better but it works! Our washer was to the point of stinking up the laundry room. It's 3 to a pack and we just use 1 a month. It's worth a try...

I know it sounds weird and my husband still makes fun of me for it but it works :) Try adding about a cup or more vinager to your wash. My towels always used to smell musty but I heard that vinager was a natural germ killer and since smells are really just germs I tried it - it works awesome. And your clothes do not come out smelling like vinager just fresh and clean. Let me know if it helps!!!

Put 1 cup of household white vinegar in your wash water - every load! And ALWAYS double rinse. Many colthes hold bacteria which causes an odor. The bacteria get's passed around in the wash water and remains in your laundry. A sure sign is when you get hot, your cloths start to smell. Or, your towels have an odor when they get damp. Your washer will start to smell better also. Believe me, it works.

You may need new towels. I had the same issue with towels. I can't explain the other clothes, except maybe wash towels separate from all other clothes.

A couple of tips I've heard that worked for me: one, make sure you leave your washer door open after you wash (when you take the clothes out) because sometimes it gets musty inside when it's still damp. Two, try using warm or even hot water, especially during the summer when things get humid and musty very quickly-- this helps remove the smell that seems to stay in the towels, no matter what you do. Three, try using a little (1/2 cup or so) of baking soda in the wash with the detergent. You can buy big bags at places like Sam's. Also, this is really weird, but once, years ago, my parents had a problem with a smell in their dryer, and it turned out a mole had crawled into the outside vent and died in the hose! Gross, but worth checking out as a last resort. Good luck!!

It could be your water. When I was first married we rented a house that was not far from a fish restaurant (we were down the hill from the rest)we all had septic and not sewers and our water was smelly! I never noticed it in our clothes but I didnt drink it. We moved shortly after b/c I couldnt stand it! Make sure you dont leave your clothes in the wash for long periods. Maybe try oxyclean, or do a search on the web for stuff you can add to neutralize smell. Our water company tests our water from time to time so I would know how much it would cost to have it tested. Good luck and good smells;)

Hi J. -

Try adding 1/4 cup of vinegar to your wash - works every time!If it is really stinky - even 1/2 cup would be fine!

Well, I would say try some vinegar. The elders in my family would put just a splah of vinegar with the white clothes, but, only after putting bleach in a load of just plain water. As if you were rinsing out the washer. How long do you let your clothes sit in the washer before putting them in the dryer. I am also a stay at home mother and i know when I get side tracked I have to rewash sometimes... But, what i did find was I also like the off brand of dryer sheets too. of you think it's your water, it could be too harsh, but, then someone may have changed the temperature of your water as well. Good luck.

Try washing your towels in warm water.... your bed linens too. If they are white, use bleach every so often. Hope this helps some :)

Hi J. I used to have the same problem sometimes and a friend told me maybe I was not drying the clothe long enough so I started drying longer about 30 minutes depending on how big is the load and it worked. If clothe stays damp when you put it away it starts to smell as it sits on your drawers. hope it was helpful. One more thing. I am a stay at home mom also I have two kids 6 and 2 and want to work from home what kind of work do you do at home any help I can use to star will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks A..

I know this may be a stupid question, but you're not filling the washer too full are you? I've noticed that if I put too many of my son's clothes in the washer, they really don't get clean and that could be part of why they wouldn't smell good. If you're not filling it too full, I don't know what to tell ya! It certainly seems like a dilemma. Are you close with neighbors to maybe ask them about their water? I hope it's nothing major and something you can figure out soon! That's got to be frustrating! Good luck!!

i had an issue with stinky laundry a little while ago. although i have no idea what caused it, and i don't know if it's the same thing that's causing yours, here's what i did.

i used to sometimes leave my clothes in the washer for an hour or two after they were finished - i stopped that and now i move them to the dryer ASAP.

i bought a water softener product (can't recall the name, but it was in the laundry section at my publix) to add to my wash.

i started using detergents known for their scent (not to advertise, but tide with febreze was really nice).

i used fabric softener that i liked the smell of

i got the clothes out of the dryer immediately.

so that's what i did. one thing you could do to find out if it is your washer or your dryer is to line-dry a load of clothes outside either on a clothesline or a drying rack. if they stink after fresh air dried them then it's probably your water...? that's just a thought.

good luck! my problem went away on its own.

I kind of have the same problem... I find that if I leave the clothes in the washer for any length of time, they just don't smell that good. If I get them into the dryer right away, it's okay. However, I do have some towels that just never get rid of that sort of musty smell. I think it's time I buy some new towels...

Clean out the vent line that runs from the wall behind your dyer to the outside of your house. We had a really long vent line at our other house and I had this issue. Turns out that about 3 feet inside the vent line, it was almost completely clogged. So the air wasn't circulating out and the moisture was just getting 'stinky' and making our clothes stink (the towels were the worst). Our line was so clogged, we ended up just buying a whole new vent line and replacing the whole thing.

Is it a front loader? Have you cleaned out the secret drain thingy that noone tells you about until your washer backs up? Stuff typically starts smelling musty BEFORE you have drainage issues. if it is a front loader take the lower front panel off (usually 2 screws) and get a bucket and some towels and open up the drain thingy they are slightly different on all brands Ihave a whirlpool duet though and have great complete instructions for that but not other models google can be a help here! then I cleaned out the drain trap thing really really well and my clothes were smelling clean and great again! Good luck

I had the same problem recently. Tried "doing a load of laundry" using only water and a cup of apple cider vinegar in the water -- NO clothes! Solved my problem. Hope it solves yours too.

N. Loucks
Angels at Your Feet

I found this to be true as well. I discovered the detergent GAIN caused my clothes to smell sour- especially towels. I have talked to others as well and they mentioned the same thing about GAIN. (Ironically my mother does not have this problem and she uses GAIN). I would also question how long you let the clothes stay in the washer before placing them in the dryer? Clothes will tend to smell sour if you leave them in the washer for a while before actulally drying them.

Have you tried 1/2cup of baking soda in your wash? That has worked for me!

Blessings!

I use both downy with febreeze liquid and snuggle sheets on our laundry to get great smelling clothes. It is double expenses but it is worth it. Try it!

this is probably redundant, but have you added baking soda? good luck!

I'd love to hear the responses you get on this one. I too am having a problem with my laundry (especially towels). I think it is the water because I do not allow things to sit in the washer. They go straight to the dryer. I have tried various detergents and have a new washer and dryer. I have found that if I wet a washcloth, wring it out and allow it to dry flat, it has a musty smell afterwards. I can only conclude that it is the water. Please be sure to update everyone on the outcome of your question.

I'm from the west where the air is so dry and I never had this problem, but I think it's because it is so humid here and the bacteria starts growing no matter where the clothes are. I have been using warm water instead of cold and try to get the clothes from the washer to the dryer immediately when it's done. Here you can not let wet clothes set around for any length of time before they will smell. I've used bleach or vinegar to get the smell out or I should say I tried to get it out. I also just bought a new front loader and it spins everything so dry that I can dry them in a much shorter time and I have not noticed any sourness since.

I've got the same problem with just 1 set of towels. Part of the problem was that we came from Florida. We had 3 dehumidifiers in the house and still the mildew hung around. I've tried cleaning my new front loaders with vinegar and hot water, bleach and hot water... My friend tells me that it will never come out. But, I'm not convinced.

I've just read that switching to powder detergents will take it out. I'm also going to wash those towels in ammonia and detergent once to see if that works. And, I normally wash them in cold water since they are dark. But, I will try warm water to see if that takes it away.

You're not alone.

Have you tried the arm and hammer podwer since it has baking soad in it? My late dh sweated ecessively so I used it to make sure the sweat smell didn't retain in his clothes.

I have the same problem with my towels. I think it happens over time. Try putting some essential oil (like Lavender or Sweet Orange) on a washcloth and putting that in the dryer with your clothes.

Definitely could be the water. Are you on a well? When we first moved in our new house, we had a whole house filter put on our well system due to the sulphur in the water. We have to keep the filter changed out every 3 months or so, or things start to get a bit stinky. I totally did away with my dark towels and wash cloths. Even with the filter, they always seemed to smell musty. I have to be real conscientious about taking the wash out to dry right away, not leaving it in the washer, or it can smell funky. Best laundry soap I've found is Arm and Hammer... and a 1/2 cup or so of white vinegar in the rinse can help with odors too, and soften the clothes without softener.

I had the same problem, I recomend to move your dryer, and clean it all the way ....we discover there was a bird nest at the end where the air comes out of the house....so check ...after that it dryes faster and no more bad smells...

I read all the great answers and think you have a lot to mull over. I have a front loading machine and have some of the same issues as mentioned. Anyway I also have had friends that don't have the front loading machines and still have this issue and nothing had changed and they never let laundry sit..you know those efficient types... like I am not! Anyway we all tried some natural laundry products and that seemed to help. Many products leave a residue and the natural ones we started using don't. Many think clean is a smell or fragrance and clean is really the absence of an odor but most of our products try and mask the clean or lack of clean with smell. I felt that over time this not really being clean and the residue had built up in our clothes and especially the towels. It seemed to take a couple of washes to get it gone but it worked! I can tell you what we used as I now sell it if you are interested. I truely think my clothes are cleaner than they have ever been before...now if I can only remember to keep my washing machine open when not in use..not that that is very often with our 9 kids at home!

Good luck!

My towels do that if i let them sit to long moist before washing them, I recently changed my washer and dryer for the same reason. I lighted my load in the washer and that helped to. Plus I change between tide and gain to keep them smelling fresh and new.
Let us know how it turns out

I guess it could be your water, but that doesn't seem like it would matter (you can have your water tested--I think it's fairly inexpensive...). The only things I can think of are: 1. do you hang your towels to dry in a ventilated area (versus leaving them on the floor etc.)? 2. Do you ever forget to move the clothes from the washer to the dryer right away--if they sit in the washer they start to smell funny... or 3. If anything wet or even slightly damp gets into a hamper, it can stink up the whole bunch. You could maybe try washing the mildewy smelling stuff with 1 cup of vinegar through 1 wash cycle, then wash as usual. Vinegar gets rid of a lot of smells. That's all I can think of...

If you're using a front-load washer, keep the door open when you're not using the machine. If you keep the door closed all the time, the moisture stays trapped and will create all kinds of mildew and can make your towels (and the rest of your clothes) smell bad.

Do the vinegar trick that several people mentioned. Then keep the washing machine door open between loads and see if that takes care of the problem.

Good luck!

I had the same problem, and I noticed that big, thick colored towels were the problem. They hold too much moisture for too long. They don't dry out well between uses and you can't use chlorox or hot water on them. Eventually you will get bacteria growing in the fibers.

You need to make sure that when you put them in the hamper that they are completely dry. Otherwise the bacteria in them will grow during the few days they are just sitting there.

Even after my big, thick towels come out of the dryer they were still slightly damp. I found I was double drying them and wasting more electricity.

I now only buy white towels that are not as thick. They dry out completely within a few hours after use. Plus, I can bleach them and wash them in hot water.
Happy house keeping!!