Laundry help asap please?

Question

for some reason all my clothes, etc. are coming out of the washer smelling like mildew? i just washed my down comforter and it too smells like that. i did wash a couple of mildew smelling dish towels with a load of towels, but i used bleach.(that was like was like 7 loads ago) it is ruiening my clothes. Also, can anyone please throw some suggestions my way on how to get the smell out of the clothes it is now on. thank you

Answer 1

Do you by chance have a front loading washer?

If so, there's a rubber gasket around the front where the door closes- you want to clean that- use detergent and some hot water to rinse it, don't use anything that could dry out the gasket.

If it's not a front loading washer, there's a good chance that your drain hose isn't doing it's job very well. So just like a trap under a sink keeps nasty water away, your drain house should not be too high above the washer, it needs to naturally drain down- so not too much of an 'arc'. That way you don't have any nasty water getting into your wash cycle.

It also wouldn't hurt to run an empty load, and pour a box of baking soda in the washer- use hot water. That should eliminate any odors that are in the tub..
I don't think you are referring to an issue of letting the clothes sit too long in the washer, but if you are, then drying them right away (the warmer it is the quicker they will start to smell) will keep them fresh.

Answer 2

2 cups of baking soda in the wash should do it.

Fabreeze may smell great but that's a lot of chemicals left in your clothes to do the same thing as baking soda.

Vinegar only works if you have very hard water, and it doesn't work on all smells.

Anytime you wash down, use baking soda, if you knew what was involved in making a down comforter, you would never buy it again; it's gross. So down will always stink when you wash it if you don't use something.

If the smell is on all your laundry it could be your washing machine. Take an old white wash cloth and do a full warm wash with just that washcloth and about a quarter gallon of bleach. That should kill whatever might be growing in the machine's tub. Be sure to use warm water with bleach; bleach becomes ineffective in hot water. After that do a rinse or two to get the bleach out before washing your clothes.

If you're leaving your clothes in the machine for a full day (24 hours), the problem is most likely mildew from them being wet and dark for so long. In the summer, that time is cut in half. If your laundry room is in a damp basement, cut the time in half again.

Anytime you leave the washing machine empty, leave the lid open to air out between washes.

If the smell is not from the washing machine and it's not going away with 2 cups of baking soda , go to 3 cups, but baking soda really is the answer for stinky laundry.

Answer 3

Clothes can smell bad without being mildewed. Sometimes a "sour" smell occurs if clothes aren't put in the dryer quickly enough after washing. That can be fixed by putting them through a fresh rinse cycle and prompt drying. If strong odors are a continuing problem, try adding 1/2 cup powdered bleach or water conditioner to the wash. You can also use vinegar in the rinse. Scrub your washer out with a paste made up of vinegar and baking soda. Then run it empty through a cycle to wash out the cleanser and to freshen every part of the washer

Answer 4

If your washer is in a basement, check under the washer for any water leakage. Sometimes stagnet water will lay under your washer which you can't see and needs to be cleaned out. This smell will stay with the washer until the water is cleaned out. Disconnet the electric from your washer. Turn off the water to the washer, pull it out and have someone help you tip it up to check under the washer and around the outside of the drum. Use a flashlight to look inside for any water. You will probably see water and mildew/mold. Another place to look for mold/mildew in a washer is under the rim just above the drum. This area stays moist all the time. It is a good idea when you are done washing to leave the lid open to allow the inside of the washer to completely dry before the next use. To clean you washer of mildew/mold, use 1 cup of armor baking soda to 1 gallon of water wipe down and use a toothbrush if necessary to clean all rubber gaskets and belts. Let dry completely inside and out before using.

Answer 5

Ok... clean clothes smelling like mildew you wash them if you can in hot hot water with a strong smelling laundry soap such as Tide Spring/Pine Fresh (if they are white, use Javex fabric guard bleach as it will not deteriorate the fabric and if they are colored, same thing again, wash them in hot hot water and use strong smelling soap and add Javex bleach for colors. If its hot where you live, line dry them as the sunlight helps to kill the bacteria growing on your clothes. If not, make sure you put them in the dryer right away after the wash is done on a high heat and dry them until they are dry and not still damp. Seriously, the liquid Tide (Green Lid) - I think its spring or pine scent and it is great, takes the smell of smoke out of your clothes from camping and it takes the puke smell out of my kids clothes when they get sick. As far as the down comforter, hot water can damage the feathers, so I wash it in warm water and even though you are not supposed to, I always add a little bleach (might discolor the fabric if its not cotton) and then line dry outside in the hot sun or put on low heat in the dryer - it might take a few cylcles but its worth not having a moldy duvet.....Or if you can afford it, take it to the dry cleaners. I am a laundry freak and these tips seem to work for me. Also, it is good to run an empty washer with bleach using hot water for a cycle and always remember to leave the lid open after you are finished, lets the air at the inside of the washer to dry it out. Good luck.

Answer 6

Don't let it sit in the washer wet for too long. That would make your clothes smell like mildew. Febreze helps, it's worked on a coupla sweatshirts of mine, but every 2nd wash or somethign, they'd smell like mildew again and I'll have to Febreze them again.

Answer 7

You can use a fabric softer.... makes it smell mmm mmm good

Justin

Answer 8

Frebreze...