My Laundry Question
My clothes don't smell clean after washing & drying. What can I do to correct the problem?
Share a Little Background Info
It is not a stain. When I wash clothes and dry them they never smell clean. In fact, they have a residual smell almost a bit sour. I'm wondering if there is some sort of water treatment that will help or is it the detergent. I've tried using less detergent, more detergent, a different detergent, just cannot figure it out!
Lessons Learned
- I'm trying to learn a lesson. Once I figure out what the problem is I can correct it.
Fabric Content of Item (if appropriate)
various
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Laundry Guide, says:
Since the odor problem seems to be occurring in every load of laundry, my first point of attack is your washer. Both top-load and front-load washers can harbor odors that transfer to your clothing. Front-load machines are particularly susceptible to harboring odors because moisture can get trapped inside and become stagnant.
With either type of machine, begin by running a cycle without any laundry. Use hot water and add 2 cups of white, distilled vinegar. If you have detergent and/or fabric softener dispensers, pour the vinegar through those to remove any build-up. Follow this link for more information on how to clean a washer.
When your washer is clean, add 1/2 cup of baking soda or 1 cup of distilled vinegar to your wash water to remove odors from your laundry. Line drying your laundry will also give your clothing and linens a fresh, sunny smell.
