How do you get rid of the "sour" smell in clothes that it has after sitting damp.?

Question

The odor occurs when clothes sit damp, like towels. Some things like baking soda take it away when the article is dry, but as soon as it is damp again, the smell returns. Any definitive treatments, or is all lost?

Answer 1

The answer is easy. Each and every wash, add to the water (never to dry clothes) one tablespoon of chlorine bleach (I use a the cap as a measure). Do not use a bleach substitutes. Use Clorox or a store brand chlorine bleach. This tiny amount will not damage your colored and synthetic clothes at all and is enough to kill all the bacteria and fungus in your wash. You can leave the laundry for 24 to 48 hours before you dry it. Just a tablespoon. When you do white wash, of course a cup of bleach is better because you want to whiten the fabric. To kill germs, a tablespoon is all you need.

Answer 2

Get some powdered Oxy Clean and add one or two tablespoons to your regular wash water with detergent - in other words, rewash and use this stuff. Then immediately dry your things in the dryer. The main trick is to never leave your items in the washer for more than a few hours before drying, and you won't have the problem again. Unless your clothes tend to get alot of body odor on them all the time. Still, I use OxyClean in just about every load of wash and have no odors, unless I forget and leave them in the washer overnight.

Answer 3

I always use just plain ol white vinegar in the final rinse as the fabric conditioner, not only does it stop that damp, musty smell, but it's also better for my grey water than using fabric conditioners full of perfume and chemicals and cheap too.

If I have left the washing sitting too long and it does get smelly, it just goes back for another full cycle. The vinegar, sun and fresh air fix the smells!

Answer 4

Vinegar and all of the laundry products listed work well, but there is one product I've found that works GREAT! It's a liquid additive made by Febreze, especially for lingering odors! Problem: very very expensive! It's worth it in the summer, when wet towels are "forgotten''! I found it at WalMart in the detergent/fab. softener section! Good luck!

Answer 5

Lysol used to make a product called a "laundry sanitizer" which could kill mildew and bacteria and other "living" junk in laundry.

Otherwise, try those"oxy" bleach powders, which bleach by an oxidation process and may also kill the mildew.

If the items are white, I'd let good old fashioned chlorox have at it.

Answer 6

Put your sour smelling clothes in the washer with some plain vinegar. Set your washer to the rinse cycle and let it do it's stuff, that should take the smell out for good.

Answer 7

Soak in the wash with tons of tide, shut lid and let the process continue. That's the only way to get that horrific smell out.

Answer 8

I add a little pinesol to the wash. It seems to kill the mildew and the clothing no longer smells. It gets rid of the smell of cat urine as well.

Answer 9

If your clothes are white bleach them. For colors i recommend BIZ or soaking them in any other very strong detergent like tide with bleach for colors. Best of luck!

Answer 10

you need a new washing machine, or more or better detergent if the smell stays with the towels after you wash.
you are washing in hot? right?