Why does my laundry smell funny when I'm not doing anything differently from usual?

Question

Suddenly my laundry smells funny, as if the clothes haven't been washed at all. Some items have a really foul smell; others just smell unwashed. I'm using the same detergent and the same techniques as always.. The only variable is that it has been a very HOT couple of weeks...

Answer 1

Thats easy. Either they are not getting clean in the first place and the heat brings it out so you notice it now. (Change detergent, add some white vinegar OR baking soda to the laundry.)

Or you are not drying them completly/fast enough. If they sit in the washer overnight, and then you dry them, they will stink. As it's so hot out, that stink actually comes FASTER. So wash and dry back to back. If you have to hang dry, hang it OUTSIDE and use fabric softener liquid.

Answer 2

You need to dry them right away. You will notice the problem more with the colors then the whites if you use bleach. When it is hot and muggy out there are more mold spores in the air and they grow quicker. Mold won't grow on dry cloths

Answer 3

i love that scent too! The sparkling fragrance is from detergent and dryer sheets, yet once you're talking about that "dryer scent" it probably has something to do with the heating element. If a smoky scent, verify that the lint is wiped clean out. except that, a humorous scent could only ought to do with charged debris (ions and such)from the drying procedure:)

Answer 4

I've been havingg the same issues and I have a guy comin gout this weekend too install a water filter. Its your water thats the problem

Answer 5

I occasionally run bleach through my washing machine to avoid getting some smelly bacteria or fungus growing in there. It seems to work. Give it a try. :)

Answer 6

You might need a water softener or filter.Sometimes minerals in water have that effect.