(Above post, continued) I also have very soft water. I don't use a lot of detergent -- 2-3 tbsp of Tide HE powder or Ecover. I struggled with the sweaty gym clothes when I got our first FL. They would come out still stinky in the arm pits. I tried more detergent, less detergent, different detergent, hotter water, etc. All the same stuff you tried. Nothing worked until I used a higher water level cycle (delicates on my GE). Oh and it had to be warm water (104F) or higher -- cold didn't work for some reason. I also had the stiff towels problem. Luckily it was just the towels and not our clothes. I never did solve it and it was starting to drive me nuts. It seemed to develop over time, as new towels stayed soft for a while after purchase. I started trying more water, vinegar in the rinse, fabric softener etc but wasn't making much difference. Then I moved and got a new washer (a Miele -- the last of the 220v ones which retained some of its European features). Same water supply (we moved 5 min away in the same town), same detergent, same towels. It could be my imagination, but I think my towels got softer after a few months with the Miele. I don't know what to make of that -- except that in reading your post, I kept wondering if you had tried 4 different brands/models of FLs or if you were getting them switched out on warranty and therefore kept getting the same model back? Because... (segue to my last anecdote) Because, we went on vacation and had to use a Maytag Neptune for a week. And it was there that I realized, as not-entirely-satisfied as I was with my GE, there were infinitely worse FLs out there. It was the commercial version of the Neptune in a laundromat. Most of them smelled like old socks. I didn't think anything of it and washed in a stinky Neptune. That load came out smelling like old socks. Afterwards I learned that Neptunes were notorious for having standing water left in the machine that could cause the smell. The time after that I got smart and washed in a non-stinky one. Better, but still did nothing for stains. I was washing diapers in them so I was trying every trick I knew. My conclusion after that week was that there are some truly awful FLs out there. OK back to the stomach flu you are dealing with currently. Do a pre-wash on delicates or something with a higher water level to get the vomit/poop/whatever you're dealing with out. Then wash on the hottest temp the fabric will tolerate (hope you have an internal heater) with a goodly amount of Tide HE powder (maybe use more than usual). Run another delicates cycle as a super rinse afterwards. I got rotavirus smell out of my cloth diapers this way. On one particular diaper that got it really bad, it took multiple subsequent washes, but it did finally come out. So there is hope. Sorry for such a long and rambling post. To sum up, for the stink/general clean, I would try: 1) higher water level cycle 2) warm (104F) or higher 3) 2-3 tbsp powder detergent (since you have soft water) For the scratchy towels, I guess I can't really suggest that you trade your new washer in for yet another one... so I will suggest a different detergent. Ecover powder. Whole Foods carries it if you have one of those near you. This detergent does crap for stains (I have to pre-treat everything if I want a stain out) but on the flip side, it doesn't fade colors like Tide HE does. It does not rinse out as well as Tide, but I think it is that very quality which makes my loads come out soft and nice. It doesn't sound like you are dealing with especially sensitive skin in the family, so I think it would be OK to give it a try. It does have enzymes (I am a strong believer in enzymes because my diapers never stank so much as each of the times I deviated from Tide and tried a "more natural" detergent with no additives, no enzymes, etc.).

pkguy ~ Twelve years ago we had just moved into a new home. It was out in the country. I was in the garage about midnight unpacking boxes. I had our two German Shepherds out there with me. They found a skunk in the yard and obviously tried to play with it. When they got sprayed they ran into the house through the doggie door. Before I could get in the house behind them they had rubbed against the washer and dryer then ran into the living room and did a lot of twists and turns on the sofa before flying into the bedroom. That odor was so strong. I did everything I could that night, including bathing the dogs in tomato juice, but the smell was still there. I went to the vet as soon as his office opened the next morning and got a spray bottle of something called Skunk Off or Skunk Away or something like that. I sprayed all the surfaces the dogs touched with it and sprayed it into the air as well. It had a real sweet smell to it. It was so sweet smelling that it was nauseating, but not as nauseating as the skunk smell. I used it for a few days along with cleaning with baking soda etc. Eventually the odor went away. I thought dead skunks along the highway smelled bad. Well, they do, but it is mild compared to fresh skunk spray. LOL!! Linda

Kay, Actually, I suspect the House of Hanson web page writer would agree with you. From what I read there, it doesn't sound to me like there is a huge difference between Olfa (or other name-brand blades) and generic blades. That may not have been the case a few years ago, but the manufacturers of generic blades have improved their processes (according to the web site). And even if there is a difference between the two, is there enough of a difference to be worth the extra cost? Doesn't sound like it to me. Even the most wonderful and expensive blade will eventually become dull and need to be replaced. Even if I put a new edge on the blade with the sharpening tool, it won't last forever. When I nick a blade, that's pretty much the end of it. I did that recently -- with a brand new blade, too. I think I did 2 or 3 cuts, then nicked it on the ruler. Dang. CMC Uses generic blades.

is it possible the cat peed in areas outside of the litterbox? I recall my cats would do that when they got upset - even peed inside my husband's dive bag because we went away for a weekend. I had to locate the source of the odor when that happened. These are only rare occurrences. They didn't pee on floors or carpets. I've 2 female cats and one litterbox. Outside of the litterbox there is no odor. Also if your cat was male, they have this territorial thing going and may have needed to mark certain areas. Check around the basement and more closely to where your intake vent is located. Maybe there's something there.