Laundry ~ Tips & Tricks

[TheWoman]

What do they smell like? If bleach doesn't help it probably isn't mildew or mold, unless you aren't using enough bleach.

I have found that some scented detergents can leave a nasty smell in things after using them for a long time--and this smell is much worse when they are wet. The scents are designed to NOT wash out, so you are left with old remnants of the chemicals that stick around forever, morphing into something strange. If this is the problem, washing them with washing soda or baking soda and unscented detergent several times would help. Vinegar in the rinse would also be a good idea.

[luvacop]

I always use vinegar, just put a cup or two in when you add the soap but never use it while using bleach.

[niftyneon99]

I just start pouring LMAO!

Seriously though, I have the front loaders, so I have 3 slots for stuff (detergent, bleach and softener) I put it in the bleach section or the detergent section.

[mindymc73]

1/2 cup to the softener compartment is what I use.

[crownline266]

They just smell musty, I guess. Like I said, it's only our towels and dish rags. DH showers sometime two or three times a day and is bad about reusing the same towel over and over unless I put it in the dirty clothes pile. So I don't know if it's from him reusing towels over and over...but even my towels seem to smell. None of the other clothes I wash with this type of laundry smell, though, but again we don't wet them and then smell them (like t-shirts and PJs). The dish rags, after wetting one and then maybe it will sit a few hours, I'll go to reuse it to wipe the table or something and my hands smell and the rag smells terribly! I've tried changing detergents and nothing has happened. Like I said, I tried the bleach on the dish rags, but maybe I didn't use enough. I'll just try the vinegar tomorrow and see how that goes! Thanks!!

[bluedaisy]

Yes, vinegar helps w/ the sour smell. I do it frequently. One cup is all I use in addition to my laundry detergent.

[misse]

i have always heard that adding vinegar when you wash new dark clothes will keep them from fading. i do not know if this is true or not.

[Cynthiabutterfly]

Try running a full cycle with no laundry, on max water level, and 2 cups of bleach. Then run a second rinse cycle.

1/2 to 1 cup per load, in the softener dispenser with your laundry.

I had this problem after the tab that is supposed to stop the spin cycle broke, so the washer just stopped after the wash cycle and the water was stuck there for a day and a half until we got it fixed.

[couponfanatic]

I had the smell problem once. Everything smelled and towels seemed to be worse than other things. Seemed to stem from my washer. I "saved" up a lot of pure whites (socks, etc.) and bleached the daylights out of 2 loads in a row. Problem went away. I figured it was something growing in a cranny someplace in the washer and the beach killed it.
I've used vinegar as a softener. Seemed to acutally make my clothes smell "fresher".
I'd try bleaching the machine as mentioned above, or do it w/ laundry (I couldn't bring myself to "waste" an empty load). Then as the stinkys get washed again, add vinegar which kills just about everything. I put it in where the liquid fabric softener goes.

[Izzybeff]

I use vinegar instead of fabric softener. I just put it in the same compartment that the softener usually goes in.