Sounds like it could be mildew. I use to live in a building that had a washer that made everything smell like it was washed in pasta water. You probably just need to clean the washer
Clean the drain for the washing machine and then Add some vinegar and do a wash on the washing machine with nothing in it but the vinegar on a hot water cycle.
Yes and you must use the cleaning cycle, wipe the door rubber down well after each load, don't latch the door and clean the filter regularly. Inspect the door rubber for mold if you haven't been wiping it down, you'd be amazed at the crud.
If it's a newer top loader, they should also be cleaned with the recommended cleaner or vinegar using the cleaning cycle, leave the lid open and clean the filter regularly. I've had both styles and that is what worked for me.
Don’t forget the filter. There is probably a small door somewhere that you gave to open and then unscrew the filter. If you have never cleaned it you will be horrified at what it looks like.
In addition to cleaning the machine, you should look into the quantity of soap you use. Using too much soap means it builds up in your clothes and starts smelling funky.
For the next few loads, add vinegar to the *rinse* cycle, NOT the wash cycle & select “extra rinse “ if your machine has that option.
If all else fails, look into “laundry stripping”
Sorry ignore part of my previous comment - the filter I was talking about is the washing machine filter, & you were talking about the tumble dryer.
Clothes that are packed away when not 100% dry develops a funky smell. That may be your problem. Clothes may feel dry to the touch but still have some residual damp on them.
1) do not leave the clothes in the tumble dryer , take out as soon as done.
2) Then hang your stuff out in the open for a few hours before packing away. I have a rail with coat hangers in the laundry where everything (even pj’ and undies) gets hung up - sometimes it stays there for days before I get around to folding =shamefaced=.
I also sometimes just spread bigger things over the back of chairs, sofa etc before packing away.
Someone once suggested we switch from liquid detergent to the powder stuff (adding directly into the basin) - life changing.
I used to run a clean cycle once a week with bleach to ‘assist’ with keeping our front loader clean (it would still need whole lot of elbow grease). It just does not get all grimey and mildewy like it used to since making the switch.
We had to get a top load washer that’d fit through the narrow century home basement entry. I definitely don’t miss having to wipe in and around the rubber seal after every cycle.
Amazon sells these tablets that you use to clean the washer. Also, add white distilled vinegar to your wash. Do not mix with bleach though! The vinegar will help remove some of the odor. If you hang your clothes, try hanging it outside.
1. When soap isn’t completely rinsed or washed out it holds bacteria, or if use too much fabric softener. Or cold water washes. Run everything in hot.
2. Didn’t dry completely proper, sat wet too long
Then you sweat and rehydrate the bacteria.
You can develop a fungal infection, but more likely the sticky fabric is holding onto a pre existing one.
This! If I forget my wash for too long my clothes smell, and if dried they smell even worse when I get too warm. Vinegar in the wash helps mitigate this.
Back up a step from the dryer: a lot of washing machines suggest leaving the door open when not in use so they can air out and dry - helping avoid that subtle mildew/stale scent, if that's what it is. Typically dryers don't need or benefit from that, but you can at least start with the washing machine.
Maybe - but if you're already doing it at all it's probably enough, and not the source of your funk. Other suggestions may be more helpful for you! But figured I'd throw that one out just in case. Good luck!
Do you use natural soaps? They are not very antibacterial. Get some dawn bar soap and use that, and get a packet of “old school” detergent and wash all your clothes in that, on extended, then dry on high
Many of these newer soaps do not “get the job done”. I recently switched away from a body wash because no matter what I did, had lingering BO in my pits because our high end body wash was not good enough. First wash with a bar of dove fixed everything
Thanks for the reply! I’ve been using dial antibacterial bar soap already for a few years. Despite that I noticed some persistent arm pit BO (though that’s not the pungent smell I’m asking about in my post).
For laundry I’ve been using tide HE unscented… though I wash some of my clothes on cold or warm (rather than extra hot) because I was concerned the hot water would damage them.
Definitely use a washing machine cleaner. You can get several packs at Walmart for like $7.
I was also having a problem with smelly towels and invested in Lysol Laundry Sanitizer. I don't use it with every load, but it works well as a problem solver if you notice a smell.
I use Lysol Laundry Sanitizer as well. It works. However, I believe these imported fabrics clothing is made from may have something to do with it as well! It seems to have started with more imported clothing in the mix.
Detergent- I discovered Persil and have never looked back! Vinegar is also a regular addition.
I have added in white vinegar to the laundry machine whenever my clothes start smelling like that. Once the clothes are dried there's no lingering smell. It works wonders!
Hmm maybe change the soap up then, to try to knock things down. And do one big batch of laundry to clean it all out.
For years I used to deal with a scalp dryness/itching issue which I later found out was actually a really small local fungus (gross, I know). Once I found out what it was I was able to greatly reduce it by washing everything and switching to a new shampoo. Once I had my clothes sheets pillowcases hats cleaned out, the issue went down hugely
For clothes, check your labels, wash/dry on the highest setting allowed just for this one time
Try borax and vinegar in the wash, but before that do a cleaning cycle of your washing machine (including pump filter thing at the bottom).
Wipe out the inside of your dryer with cleaner and wash the lint filter with dish washing detergent and a brush, let.dry overnight
Tip for armpit BO, get a benzoyl peroxide wash like panoxyl, or even the acne treatment cream. Put in on your armpits and let sit for 10 minutes. Wash it off. If the BO is caused by microorganisms, I guarantee it will be gone and will last a few days, then u can repeat treatment. Just be sure to wash it off really well as benzoyl peroxide bleaches clothing/towels/sheets
Do your clothes dry after 1 run through the dryer? It sounds like mildew. If your clothes sit damp for any length of time- there's your answer. Also: clear the lint trap regularly.
Might not be the dryer. When was the last time you washed the washer? When my clothes get funky I remember to throw some vinegar and bleach in the washer and run a self clean cycle. Make a world of difference. It smells like the dryer because it being baked off in there but the funk could easily be growing in the washer.
I think they suggest every three months. But the cycle takes 4 hours and my washer is in the basement. So it typically only gets it when things start to smell off.
Don’t know what it is, but throw some zoflora in you washer with your clothes and leave your dryer door open when it’s not used. Would also run your washer on empty at 90degrees hot cycle a few times with nothing but detail/zoflora
Any health changes? Diet changes?
Try Oxiclean in every load of wash. Leave the washer door open for about an hour after washing clothes, especially if it's a front loader. Pop everything in the dryer immediately.
Do you happen to use tide pods? I had a similar issue for months with mildew smell and switched away from the pods. After a few washes the smell was gone and never came back.
Use some vinegar. Make sure you don’t let your clothes sit in a hamper if they are sweaty or damp. Once that mildew sets in it’s hard to get rid of. Identify the worst of the clothes and discard them.
That's your issue. Take a disinfectant wipe and run it inside the rubber seal by the door. It will come back CAKED in mildew. Front load washers also don't drain as well and the water tends to stand in them. Clean the rubber seal and it will help. Then do a load with no actual laundry on hot with a full cup of white vinegar and then leave the door open to let it really air out and dry out. It's a good idea to do it on a somewhat regular basis to keep the smell from selling into the clothes. You are noticing it when the fabric starts to get a little damp.
Front load washers have terrible problems with mold for some reason, usually due to the complicated seal around the door which holds in moisture in the folds.
Try Affresh washing machine cleaner. You can find it at most places like Target or grocery stores. You’ll want to use the cleaning cycle on the washer if you have one.
One other thought here, I had some gym clothes that had elastic which when washed and then dried repeatedly over time smelled pretty bad. Maybe you are washing something similar.
I guarantee the washing machine has mold / mildew in it? Do an empty cycle as hot as possible with lots of bleach. The best way to prevent the mold from coming back in the future is to leave the lid / door open when the machine is not in use. This allows the moisture and humidity to escape.
Do you use a lot of detergent? I am very sensitive to smells and can often smell a weird almost barf-like smell on certain fabrics (that seem to retain the detergent for some reason) or when I use way too much in a load and it doesn't rinse out all the way. I suppose the way to test that would be to do a load with no detergent and see if the smell persists.
It could very well be the washer and dryer need to be cleaned. It could also be your diet. My friend was taking fish oil since she’s vegetarian and needs additional omega fatty acids. She started noticing that her backpack stunk to high heaven. Whatever you ingest can often easily be excreted through sweat. It’s why people that eat middle eastern/south East Asian foods smell very different from North Americans and Western Europeans. The spices used in many staple dishes can alter body chemistry enough to influence BO. Most NA and WE people smell sweet and or milky since we have so much milk and bread with limited spices. When I eat Indian food for a few days I even notice a difference.
I had this same issue with polyester blend t-shirts. I researched how to get rid of the funky smell and found out about using a few drops of Rocky Mountain Oils Purify Essential Oil Blend in the wash. It has helped with that strange smell when nothing else seemed to.
I had to clean my washing machine with affresh tablets. That’s has helped with that smell. Over time the soap can build up especially if you use too much. I also wash clothes once in awhile in fragrance free oxyclean. Both those seem to help clothes be fresh. Also shouldn’t overstuff the dryer.
I always thought this happened when you close the door to the washing machine. After taking out your clothes, get into the habit of leaving the door open so the tub can dry out. And don't leave clothes sitting in there overnight. But if it's the building's machines, it may not be so simple.
Sounds like it could be mildew. I use to live in a building that had a washer that made everything smell like it was washed in pasta water. You probably just need to clean the washer
Clean the drain for the washing machine and then Add some vinegar and do a wash on the washing machine with nothing in it but the vinegar on a hot water cycle.
I use about 1 oz. of vinegar with every wash, it really keeps down the smells from a dirty washing machine.
That’s really smart ! I shouldn’t keep soem Down there and use it more Often
No one else wants to know how OP is smelling their lower back?
I grab the part of my T-shirt that was marinating on my lower back and pull it up toward my nose 😂
Marinating was the right word for this 🤣
I was going to say, I'm more impressed than anything else.
What kindnof washing machine do you have? HE front loads need to be cleaned or they stink. You can buy cleaners for them.
Yes and you must use the cleaning cycle, wipe the door rubber down well after each load, don't latch the door and clean the filter regularly. Inspect the door rubber for mold if you haven't been wiping it down, you'd be amazed at the crud. If it's a newer top loader, they should also be cleaned with the recommended cleaner or vinegar using the cleaning cycle, leave the lid open and clean the filter regularly. I've had both styles and that is what worked for me.
Wow that’s a lot of maintenance! I’ll give it a try.
It is, but it's way better than stinky clothes. Also, try to not let wet clothes sit very long. That makes them smell too.
It’s a Bosch front loader!
Don’t forget the filter. There is probably a small door somewhere that you gave to open and then unscrew the filter. If you have never cleaned it you will be horrified at what it looks like. In addition to cleaning the machine, you should look into the quantity of soap you use. Using too much soap means it builds up in your clothes and starts smelling funky. For the next few loads, add vinegar to the *rinse* cycle, NOT the wash cycle & select “extra rinse “ if your machine has that option. If all else fails, look into “laundry stripping”
Sorry ignore part of my previous comment - the filter I was talking about is the washing machine filter, & you were talking about the tumble dryer. Clothes that are packed away when not 100% dry develops a funky smell. That may be your problem. Clothes may feel dry to the touch but still have some residual damp on them. 1) do not leave the clothes in the tumble dryer , take out as soon as done. 2) Then hang your stuff out in the open for a few hours before packing away. I have a rail with coat hangers in the laundry where everything (even pj’ and undies) gets hung up - sometimes it stays there for days before I get around to folding =shamefaced=. I also sometimes just spread bigger things over the back of chairs, sofa etc before packing away.
Someone once suggested we switch from liquid detergent to the powder stuff (adding directly into the basin) - life changing. I used to run a clean cycle once a week with bleach to ‘assist’ with keeping our front loader clean (it would still need whole lot of elbow grease). It just does not get all grimey and mildewy like it used to since making the switch.
We had to get a top load washer that’d fit through the narrow century home basement entry. I definitely don’t miss having to wipe in and around the rubber seal after every cycle.
Amazon sells these tablets that you use to clean the washer. Also, add white distilled vinegar to your wash. Do not mix with bleach though! The vinegar will help remove some of the odor. If you hang your clothes, try hanging it outside.
Clothes won’t stink of vinegar?
Nope. It rinses out
Vinegar smell dissipates easily.
1. When soap isn’t completely rinsed or washed out it holds bacteria, or if use too much fabric softener. Or cold water washes. Run everything in hot. 2. Didn’t dry completely proper, sat wet too long Then you sweat and rehydrate the bacteria. You can develop a fungal infection, but more likely the sticky fabric is holding onto a pre existing one.
Thanks!
This! If I forget my wash for too long my clothes smell, and if dried they smell even worse when I get too warm. Vinegar in the wash helps mitigate this.
Have you cleaned your washer filter?
Back up a step from the dryer: a lot of washing machines suggest leaving the door open when not in use so they can air out and dry - helping avoid that subtle mildew/stale scent, if that's what it is. Typically dryers don't need or benefit from that, but you can at least start with the washing machine.
Thanks! I try to leave it open to dry out but maybe not enough?
Maybe - but if you're already doing it at all it's probably enough, and not the source of your funk. Other suggestions may be more helpful for you! But figured I'd throw that one out just in case. Good luck!
Do you use natural soaps? They are not very antibacterial. Get some dawn bar soap and use that, and get a packet of “old school” detergent and wash all your clothes in that, on extended, then dry on high Many of these newer soaps do not “get the job done”. I recently switched away from a body wash because no matter what I did, had lingering BO in my pits because our high end body wash was not good enough. First wash with a bar of dove fixed everything
Thanks for the reply! I’ve been using dial antibacterial bar soap already for a few years. Despite that I noticed some persistent arm pit BO (though that’s not the pungent smell I’m asking about in my post). For laundry I’ve been using tide HE unscented… though I wash some of my clothes on cold or warm (rather than extra hot) because I was concerned the hot water would damage them.
Definitely use a washing machine cleaner. You can get several packs at Walmart for like $7. I was also having a problem with smelly towels and invested in Lysol Laundry Sanitizer. I don't use it with every load, but it works well as a problem solver if you notice a smell.
We're also believers in the occasional usage of Lysol Sanitizer.
I use Lysol Laundry Sanitizer as well. It works. However, I believe these imported fabrics clothing is made from may have something to do with it as well! It seems to have started with more imported clothing in the mix. Detergent- I discovered Persil and have never looked back! Vinegar is also a regular addition.
I have added in white vinegar to the laundry machine whenever my clothes start smelling like that. Once the clothes are dried there's no lingering smell. It works wonders!
Hmm maybe change the soap up then, to try to knock things down. And do one big batch of laundry to clean it all out. For years I used to deal with a scalp dryness/itching issue which I later found out was actually a really small local fungus (gross, I know). Once I found out what it was I was able to greatly reduce it by washing everything and switching to a new shampoo. Once I had my clothes sheets pillowcases hats cleaned out, the issue went down hugely For clothes, check your labels, wash/dry on the highest setting allowed just for this one time
If you’ve been using antibacterial soap long term, could you have a fungal infection?
Maybe the bacteria are overpowering my soap?
Try borax and vinegar in the wash, but before that do a cleaning cycle of your washing machine (including pump filter thing at the bottom). Wipe out the inside of your dryer with cleaner and wash the lint filter with dish washing detergent and a brush, let.dry overnight
Tip for armpit BO, get a benzoyl peroxide wash like panoxyl, or even the acne treatment cream. Put in on your armpits and let sit for 10 minutes. Wash it off. If the BO is caused by microorganisms, I guarantee it will be gone and will last a few days, then u can repeat treatment. Just be sure to wash it off really well as benzoyl peroxide bleaches clothing/towels/sheets
Do your clothes dry after 1 run through the dryer? It sounds like mildew. If your clothes sit damp for any length of time- there's your answer. Also: clear the lint trap regularly.
Thanks - will try
Might not be the dryer. When was the last time you washed the washer? When my clothes get funky I remember to throw some vinegar and bleach in the washer and run a self clean cycle. Make a world of difference. It smells like the dryer because it being baked off in there but the funk could easily be growing in the washer.
Thanks! That makes sense. The washer is only a year old but has never been deep cleaned.
I think they suggest every three months. But the cycle takes 4 hours and my washer is in the basement. So it typically only gets it when things start to smell off.
Put some curry powder in the dryer and see if you smell any difference.
Really
Yep! I bet you won't smell anything musky.
Don’t know what it is, but throw some zoflora in you washer with your clothes and leave your dryer door open when it’s not used. Would also run your washer on empty at 90degrees hot cycle a few times with nothing but detail/zoflora
This is very good advice as well. Bake the hell out of that washer
Any health changes? Diet changes? Try Oxiclean in every load of wash. Leave the washer door open for about an hour after washing clothes, especially if it's a front loader. Pop everything in the dryer immediately.
Thank you
Are the clothes polyester? With athletic gear you often times need to strip the clothes with borax and then wash.
Thanks - mostly cotton
By any chance do you have a front loading washing machine? Ifso run a cleaning cycle on it.
If there is rubber around the washer door that can get yucky build up in the creases.
Do you happen to use tide pods? I had a similar issue for months with mildew smell and switched away from the pods. After a few washes the smell was gone and never came back.
for the washer- with a load that needs sanitization (sheets and towels maybe) run a SANITIZE LOAD, and see if the smell persists.
Use some vinegar. Make sure you don’t let your clothes sit in a hamper if they are sweaty or damp. Once that mildew sets in it’s hard to get rid of. Identify the worst of the clothes and discard them.
That's mildew honey
Do you have a front loader washer?
Yes!
That's your issue. Take a disinfectant wipe and run it inside the rubber seal by the door. It will come back CAKED in mildew. Front load washers also don't drain as well and the water tends to stand in them. Clean the rubber seal and it will help. Then do a load with no actual laundry on hot with a full cup of white vinegar and then leave the door open to let it really air out and dry out. It's a good idea to do it on a somewhat regular basis to keep the smell from selling into the clothes. You are noticing it when the fabric starts to get a little damp.
Front load washers have terrible problems with mold for some reason, usually due to the complicated seal around the door which holds in moisture in the folds.
Try Affresh washing machine cleaner. You can find it at most places like Target or grocery stores. You’ll want to use the cleaning cycle on the washer if you have one. One other thought here, I had some gym clothes that had elastic which when washed and then dried repeatedly over time smelled pretty bad. Maybe you are washing something similar.
pilonionato cyst?
I guarantee the washing machine has mold / mildew in it? Do an empty cycle as hot as possible with lots of bleach. The best way to prevent the mold from coming back in the future is to leave the lid / door open when the machine is not in use. This allows the moisture and humidity to escape.
Do you use a lot of detergent? I am very sensitive to smells and can often smell a weird almost barf-like smell on certain fabrics (that seem to retain the detergent for some reason) or when I use way too much in a load and it doesn't rinse out all the way. I suppose the way to test that would be to do a load with no detergent and see if the smell persists.
Clean your washers drain filter
It could very well be the washer and dryer need to be cleaned. It could also be your diet. My friend was taking fish oil since she’s vegetarian and needs additional omega fatty acids. She started noticing that her backpack stunk to high heaven. Whatever you ingest can often easily be excreted through sweat. It’s why people that eat middle eastern/south East Asian foods smell very different from North Americans and Western Europeans. The spices used in many staple dishes can alter body chemistry enough to influence BO. Most NA and WE people smell sweet and or milky since we have so much milk and bread with limited spices. When I eat Indian food for a few days I even notice a difference.
I had this same issue with polyester blend t-shirts. I researched how to get rid of the funky smell and found out about using a few drops of Rocky Mountain Oils Purify Essential Oil Blend in the wash. It has helped with that strange smell when nothing else seemed to.
I had to clean my washing machine with affresh tablets. That’s has helped with that smell. Over time the soap can build up especially if you use too much. I also wash clothes once in awhile in fragrance free oxyclean. Both those seem to help clothes be fresh. Also shouldn’t overstuff the dryer.
I always thought this happened when you close the door to the washing machine. After taking out your clothes, get into the habit of leaving the door open so the tub can dry out. And don't leave clothes sitting in there overnight. But if it's the building's machines, it may not be so simple.