Stinky laundry

[Percy Penguin]

Yeah I know, but I have to wash my T-shirts 3 times to get them clean in LOS, unless I wash them at 60, which makes them shrink. I've tried pre-soaking, doesn't seem to make much difference. I've also tried an anti-bacterial detergent meant for nappies (diapers!) I'm on the point of shipping laundry liquid in from the west - any tips before I do that?

[Crossy]

What detergent are you using? Type of machine?

 

I certainly have no issues with Ts, skivvies or anything else not coming out clean and whiff-free from a regular 40^o wash.

 

What sort of pong are you getting? It could be the water (dissolved iron can make for interesting effects of an aromatic nature).

 

I will also say, all clothing gets worn once before laundering. No 3-day socks for me, my student days (thow socks at the wall, wear the ones that don't stick) are long gone.

[tifino]

 

there's some relatively similar anecdotal suggestion about the laundry-like problems 

- within that 'Burmese Girlfriend' Thread ????????  (from about Page 3, when the tangent went in that direction) 

[MalandLee]

https://www.thespruce.com/baking-soda-tip-washing-machine-1900716

 

Try this - works for me.

 

As an addendum - We also use baking soda to wash/soak our veggies - removes pesticides and general pollution.

[KittenKong]

One cap of Breeze liquid plus one spoonful of BigC stain remover (Vanish) does the trick for me in my top-loader with cold water and a one-hour soak. Anyone wanting a "nice" smell on top of a clean smell can just put a squirt of fabric conditioner into the final rinse, but I dont bother.

[worgeordie]

Maybe its a case of very stinky in,just stinky coming out.

regards Worgeordie

[johng]

Add some bleach to the wash and hang out the clothes to dry in the open air so it gets full sunshine the UV and bleach will kill most things including bacteria that can make the smell.

[Crossy]

Madam swears by "Breeze" powder (the one with "usa" on the pack). Both in our front loader and top loader (for the doggie stuff). 

 

Make sure you get the right type (pictures of the machine on the pack), front loaders don't like loads of suds.

[attrayant]

I do laundry only once every two weeks (because I don't do a wash until I have enough to fill the machine), which means the laundry is positively rank by the time it goes to the machine.  Even so, I use very little detergent (maybe a teaspoon or two) because it's a front loader and still never have the OP's problem.

 

You can't use chlorine bleach on most colors or some fabric types.  I would recommend an oxygen bleach (Big C sells it in an orange container) because it's safe for most colors.  Pre-soaking in diluted hydrogen peroxide seems to get good results too.

 

But before doing that I would get a second opinion to see if it's as bad as you think it is.  Maybe it's in your nose?

[CharlieH]

Is this machine your machine at home? Or is it a communal machine that many share ? 

 

Assuming its yours most of the above should sort it out.

If its a communal machine there could be other problems which we can all give possible causes/solutions for so let us lnow.

[stubuzz]

If you wash and leave it to dry overnight, it will smell. Wash in the morning.

[KittenKong]

18 minutes ago, attrayant said:

I would recommend an oxygen bleach (Big C sells it in an orange container) because it's safe for most colors.

Yes, that's the "Vanish" equivalent that I mentioned. Also good for cleaning glassware and metal.

[johng]

Maybe I should make clear that if adding bleach wait until the tub is full of water and the swishing has started otherwise the bleach sits on the clothes and (as mentioned by another) can ruin the colors.
Also check the lint filters for smelly "stuff"

[Percy Penguin]

Thanks all. I don't wear T-shirts twice BTW - in fact it's not often I wear the same one all day. I move around a bit but am usually in a serviced apartment with its own washing machine. They're decent machines (current one is a Bosch no more than a couple of years old) but I have the same problem everywhere - fruity under the arms... Anyway, I'll make sure it's breeze next time and also try the baking soda trick. Cheers.

[stevenl]

43 minutes ago, Percy Penguin said:

Thanks all. I don't wear T-shirts twice BTW - in fact it's not often I wear the same one all day. I move around a bit but am usually in a serviced apartment with its own washing machine. They're decent machines (current one is a Bosch no more than a couple of years old) but I have the same problem everywhere - fruity under the arms... Anyway, I'll make sure it's breeze next time and also try the baking soda trick. Cheers.

Fruity under the arms, so probably the deodorant.

[Dmaxdan]

Are you using a fabric softener (conditioner) in addition to the detergent?
Your machine should have two or three compartments, one for the detergent that is used in the washing cycle and one for the fabric softener which the machine uses during the rinse cycle. It's the fabric softener that gives your clothes that fresh, just laundered smell. My wife would never do laundry without it!


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[from the home of CC]

Throw baking powder into the powder port (for powdered soap) and vinegar in the liquid detergent port for three or four loads. Did this a few times and it cleaned up the machine (can do regular laundry load with soap simultaneously). Now I do this every two weeks or so to keep it clean. Works for me.

[ChipButty]

Dont get me going about Laundry stories, My wife owns a Laundry you would not believe what get brought in here

[Aussieroaming]

Make sure your clothes etc arent put into the dirty basket unless they are 100% dry. If they hng around in the basket wet or damp then they will stink regardless off washing powders

[fruitman]

On 12/9/2018 at 1:04 PM, Percy Penguin said:

Thanks all. I don't wear T-shirts twice BTW - in fact it's not often I wear the same one all day. I move around a bit but am usually in a serviced apartment with its own washing machine. They're decent machines (current one is a Bosch no more than a couple of years old) but I have the same problem everywhere - fruity under the arms... Anyway, I'll make sure it's breeze next time and also try the baking soda trick. Cheers.

Are the shirts hard under the arms? Deodorant might do that, i had the same issue years ago...Rexona for men doesn't do that i noticed but hard to find in thailand (buy in Malaysia or singapore). Those shirts can't be rescued, buy new ones.

 

Also i never understood how a horizontal spinning washing machine can clean properly, i would always buy a vertical spinning frontloader.

 

 

[GinBoy2]

You haven't said a lot about where and how you are washing clothes. 

 

But water is a huge thing here. Outside of the major cities, municipal water is pretty disgustingly dirty, which will contribute to your post wash stink if it's not probably filtered.

 

I have a filtration system outside, and to show you what I mean, here are pics of the sediment filters 6 weeks apart.

Just imagine without filtration, that's what you, and your clothes are being washed in!

[sanemax]

Are you putting too many clothes into the washing machine and not allowing the clothes the room to get moved around inside the washing machine ?

  

[djayz]

On 12/9/2018 at 9:33 AM, stubuzz said:

If you wash and leave it to dry overnight, it will smell. Wash in the morning.

Especially this time of the year when there's little or no drying (at night). This tends to leave the laundry smelling "sour". 

[cyberfarang]

On 12/9/2018 at 8:57 AM, johng said:

Add some bleach to the wash and hang out the clothes to dry in the open air so it gets full sunshine the UV and bleach will kill most things including bacteria that can make the smell.

Whatever you do don`t add bleach to the wash. It will destroy the colours and make any whites turn yellow. Also only hang out clothes until they are dry. If too long out in the sun, this will also fade the colours. Better to hang them out in a shaded area. This is Thailand and clothes will dry fairly quick. 

 

I use plain cheap washing up liquid with a about a quarter lid full of Dettol. After wash, rinse well with clear cold water, then hang out to dry.

[adammike]

You need merino wool T-Shirts,Supernatural do a merino mix as do Pally Hi ,Icebreaker make pure merino and a mix.wash in 30c do not use conditioners or bleach also easy to hand wash,they dry fast they are a bit pricey but they don't smell ,but like all fabrics they don't like to stuffed in a laundry bin while they are still damp and some man made fibres are impossible to get the smell out once you have washed it on a high temperature.

[scoutman360]

Your experience if valid, and I will confirm your same frustration. I have tried the baking soda, the bleach, the vinegar, the sun, etc., etc. I have even done control studies from washing clothes back in the U.S. and then again in Thailand. There are certain fabrics that absorb the bacteria/fungus here in the water and tend to stink after a few days sitting on the shelf. Back in the U.S., no problem.

 

I have not invested the money yet, but it seems the only solution is to buy a water filtration system along with washing in heated water AND drying on hot.

[Suradit69]

On December 9, 2561 BE at 9:01 AM, Crossy said:

Madam swears by "Breeze" powder (the one with "usa" on the pack). Both in our front loader and top loader (for the doggie stuff). 

 

Make sure you get the right type (pictures of the machine on the pack), front loaders don't like loads of suds.

 

You do realize that the USA on the packaging are the Thai letters spelling  "breeze."  Starting with bor bai mai,  บ, Yes ??

 

 

[Crossy]

2 minutes ago, Suradit69 said:

You do realize that the USA on the packaging is the Thai letters spelling  "breeze."  Yes ??

Er, yes.

 

But many of our members don't read Thai, which is why "usa" was lower-case, in inverted commas and in quotes.

[Suradit69]

12 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Er, yes.

 

But many of our members don't read Thai, which is why "usa" was lower-case, in inverted commas and in quotes.

 

Well you did say " the one."  They all have it and some of our members might go looking for the one with special properties.

 

 

"Madam swears by "Breeze" powder (the one with "usa" on the pack). "

[geisha]

Might be the machine . All sorts of gunge can build up. There’s products that completely clean a machine, don’t know the names in Thailand.Use at 60c on an empty machine, no pre wash. Use every few months. clean the filters too. Change your deodorant and buy natural cotton t shirts not the made in china/India rubbish.