clothes smell musty... how can I resolve this issue?

[HHandbasket]

I agree with others regarding vinegar and/or baking soda. Having been a single mother with 2 teenage sons at one time (they're all grown now), I have to say that from the time the oldest one turned around 12 until the youngest one left home, two little boys who had been previously very clean, hygienic, and SPOTLESS little angels turned into the smelliest, most vile, filth-mongers the world has ever seen, which I understand in talking to other moms is par for the course for teenage and pre-teen boys.

I swear, their room smelled like FEET for years. It was worse when they played soccer and engaged in other sports... they smelled, their clothes smelled, their beds/sheets smelled, couldn't get the smell outta the mattresses, the whole 9 yards. I think it must be hormonal because when they hit about 21-22, they stopped smelling like that.

 

[AngelzFyre]

Have you tried rinsing the jeans and hoodies twice?
We had an issue with jeans and towels smelling after they were washed <Front load washer> and I started adding OxyClean and also using an extra rinse cycle along with the "plus water" cycle on my machine. Even though they say you can put a lot of clothes in each load, I found that they don't rinse as well in the water saver machines. The thicker items are the ones that always got so smelly! I know the object is to save water with these new front load machines but it does do way better to use extra water and rinse them the 2nd time.
This completely solved our stinky problem.

PS. The additive packs of washer cleaner made our machine smell worse than it did in the first place!

 

[Tala]

The only thing that works for me on musty/moldy smelling clothes is bleach. Run the water and when it's almost full add a cup of bleach let it mix in the soapy water before it touches the clothes. (or just use the bleach portion of a front loader, it mixes automatically) Of course, the source of my musty smelling clothes was forgetting to hang them out after they were washed.

 

[Dar]

I cant use bleach.. its ALL black clothing... or reds or navy blues

I dont leave stuff sitting in the dryer.. I have the chimes and every time it goes off the the dogs bark like mad...LOL so at max 15 minutes from end of cycle to in the dryer or on the line.

I have not had the not drying problem on the line.. we have been nice and cool with a breeze most of the time.. we have had 3 heat days this summer thats it.. I got a feeling this is going to be a cooler then normal summer in Ontario

I use the scented fabric softener in the rinse cycle

I used the sanitation cycle with the added pre soak which turned out to be a 2 1/2 hour load

I dont want to use smelly stuff.... like an extra dryer sheets.. because all they do is mask it.. if there is smell there that means there is something *up* there is bacteria, or mold spores, or something... I would prefer to get of it then mask it

 

[sheaviance1]

Try line drying them, the sun is an amazing deodorizer.

 

[sgtmom52]

Again, I recommend trying washing with a cup or two of Ammonia. It is the only thing I found that took the smell out of DH's clothing. Just don't mix with any bleach products!

Also try washing without using fabric softener as some fabric softeners make clothing somewhat water resistant not allowing through cleaning. Ammonia will clean off the fabric softener buildup too.

 

[mamawolf544]

he showers daily, with soap

I'm sorry, something only a mother would say.

 

[Dar]

Quote:
I am on septic.. how does ammonia do with septic tanks?

 

[wolftracks]

WOW!

Still smelly?

Ya gotta pull out the big guns now. I was trying to help ya go cheaper.

Lemon juice and salt. Only wash half as much as you normally would, but in the bigger load cycle. Sometimes you just have to rewash.

Last year we went to Oklahoma for my dad's funeral and my son fell in my brother's bass pond. We were just ready to leave. My sister grabbed up his clothers while he took another shower and hung everything out, but we had a time thing going on, so I stuck everything not dry in a plastic bag. Got back to California and when we were unpacking the car the bag got taken to the garage for the laundry. That's a long drive with wet clothes. I didn't find that bag until after my husband died in July! I had to try to get them clean. No money anymore to replace them, so I washed 3 times with the baking soda and vinegar. Then that musty smell was still there, so I bought a bottle of lemon juice and used half a bottle and 1/2 a container of salt. I did add more baking soda and vinegar also. Not sure what worked, but something did.

I really thought those clothes would be stained and moldy, but they had been brand new and the looked like and and smelled like it after wards. Then the kid grew. Again! I swear I get to the point I buy him clothes, like for school or he gets presents for his birthday or Christmas or whatever, and then he grows another 3" before the price tags are all removed.

 

[sgtmom52]

Quote:
I am on septic.. how does ammonia do with septic tanks?

I also am on septic/sand mound and have no problems.
This is a quote from ehow

Cleaning products with a high concentration of ammonia, as well as pure ammonia, are also safe for septic system use. Ammonia will not kill bacteria inside of a septic system or leach into the ground water. Take care not to mix chemicals like bleach with ammonia.​