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Removing musty smell from towels and clothes

sweeterthanhoney

16 years ago

ok, I will admit that doing laundry is not my strong point. I do do it, but I sometimes, ok, OFTEN, forget to take it out of the washer and put it in the dryer.

So, I got musty towels and some musty smelling clothes :(

How on earth do I remove this smell? I've tried vinegar, vinegar and baking soda, both in with the wash cycle, and vinegar in the rinse cycle. I can't get rid of it!

I need some HELP! I am sick of smelling strong musty towels when I dry off after my bath!

Featured Answer

summiebee

16 years ago

We had this issue. I stopped useing liquid soap and switched to powder. I also added 20 mule team borax to the loads then once or twice and we have no had it returned. I think it was a build up of liquid detergent in our case.

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Comments (13)

reeree_natural
16 years ago
rewash towels with HOT water, detergent and add bleach..you might also want to run your washer with one cup of bleach and hot water ( empty, no clothes) to clean the machine out as well and get rid of any musty odors (and bacteria)
Ree
franci37
16 years ago
I had the same problem and started putting less clothes in my washer, and using less detergent. That did it. Once in a while I get that same smell and realize I need to go back to putting fewer clothes in. Worth a try.
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Try putting them in a large zip lock storage bag with a few handfuls of baking soda. Shake the bag and let them sit for a few days. Then run them through a rinse cycle with some white vinegar like Christine1950 advised, followed by a regular washing. I have found that it's best to hang them to dry for all future washings, as the heat from the dryer tends to bring out the odors a bit more. That method helped salvage some vintage tops from my Mother that my daughter wanted to wear. My daughter said that even after a few washings she'll still catch a faint odor from time to time, but it doesn't bother her.
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I have an older Duet WFW9750. I always wash my towels using the Whites cycle on hot and with the extra rinse. Generally the light soil level is enough. I usually wash 10 towels per load. No odors here, even with wash cloths. However, I will say that when I attempt to wash the same load using the same setting but using warm water, my towels do not smell nearly as clean. Also, the Normal cycle is a no go for towels! As always, I highly recommend washing your towels as we all have suggested, but also adding 1 cup of ammonia to the dispenser after the machine is done filling, approx 5 minutes. It should remove any body oils or other residue in the towels. Just be sure you are not using chlorine bleach in the same cycle! Keep us updated!
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We order the win detergent on amazon.com in 3-packs. It also can be ordered directly from the website, or purchased at a sporting goods store (most sports authorities and some dick's). It's made specifically for athletic clothes, and is not supposed to fade or weaken the lighter weight fabrics, so I think it would work well for you lkplatow. My DH usually does the laundry, but before I found the Win his undershirts bothered me so much that I would take them out of the washer, soak them in oxiclean or a bleach solution, and spray the pits with spray & wash and then scrub the armpit area, before running them through a wash cycle. Now I just let him throw them in the washing machine with win and the smell is gone. Here is a link that might be useful: Win Website
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ellied
16 years ago
I get a product from SAMS club called OdoBan. It comes in a gallon jug usually with a full spray bottle attached.
I fill my fabric softener dispenser with it and use a little less detergent and the towels come out soft and fresh smelling.
albert_135 　 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
16 years ago
Are you in a location where you can try natural outdoor direct sunlight?

Cautiously, it may bleach some materials.
reeree_natural
16 years ago
Also..front loaders are known to get a sour smell..( I am not sure if this is what you have) it's because the door is sealed tight when shut..no air gets inside, after you do a load, you naturally close the door and the inside is not dry, so it will smell after a while...It is also good to clean out you machine as I have posted earlier on..also vinegar after a bleach wash (empty) will help it a long as well as clean out the hoses..
Ree
zjdeere
15 years ago
How about this? I have a moldy smell in some of my clothes but not others. More specifically in some of my polo type shirts but not others. It's bad enough that I can't wear them. I can wash two shirts in the same load - one will smell, the other will not. I should also mention that it's the same 3 or 4 shirts that smell every time. I'm guessing they got moldy at some point and the mold is still there. Any help would be much appreciated.
wantoretire_did
15 years ago
"OFTEN, forget to take it out of the washer and put it in the dryer."

Run that load through again with hot or warm water and a cup of ammonia. Usually works for me. (BTDT) Or, set a loud timer to let you know when the load is finished so you can get it out before it smells ;-)
groomingal
15 years ago
zjdeere- I had the same problem with a pair of jeans- the smell increased over a short period of time. The jeans were practically new and I didn't want to throw them in the trash. I got on the Laundry forum and several people recommended Charlie's Soap- after a few washes with that detergent they quit smelling and I keep using that detergent and they haven't smelled since.

The only thing we could think of was maybe something used in the manufacturing process of the clothing.
jannie
15 years ago
I can also recommend Charlies Soap and multiple washes. It even gets rid of the smell of feces. Don't ask how I know, but it does.
shelende
15 years ago
Add a little Lysol all purpose cleaner to your detergent and let it soak for a little while.
wiredgirl
15 years ago
I'm with summiebee, my sisters and I were all complaining about our towels and thought it was the dye maybe. Ditch the liquid soap and go back to powder. We have had no problems since.
lindac
15 years ago
Dacron or other fibers of that family ( it's been too long, I forget it it's a polyester or another classification) hold smells and stains more than cotton or other man made fibers.
That may be an explanation for why some shirts smell and others don't.
Linda C

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