Smelly Clothes/Towels When They Get Wet (Dirty Water Smell)

[Whale]

in the wet season - buy a dryer

[andrew55]

If I let my clothes dry inside I seem to get that mildew smell. I've found that hanging them to dry outside works best.

Outside and full sun I reckon. Stuff fades so I hang 'em inside out.

[andrew55]

OK ... you have convinced me, how much per wash and does it go in the pre-wash, wash or rinse compartment of the machine.

Pinch me quick as I can't believe I am typing this!

I'm readin' ya mate.

[Ohyesuare]

Yup, drying them outside in the hot sun will solve that. And don't leave your towel hanging in the bathroom after use or it gets smelly if your bathroom is humid, I usually put it outside as well.

[GuestHouse]

The smell can be caused by the residue of detergent powder left in the clothes. A good fabric softener will kill of the detergent. Can't imagine using vinegar and walking around smelling like a chip shop !

White vinegar is oderless.

[andrew55]

The smell can be caused by the residue of detergent powder left in the clothes. A good fabric softener will kill of the detergent. Can't imagine using vinegar and walking around smelling like a chip shop !

White vinegar is oderless.

May I differ?

White vinegar is not odourless. Try smelling it.

It's odour does dissipate fairly quickly - a few days.

It is effective as an odour neutraliser.

[xthAi76s]

Very simple, and some have given good answers.

Several things cause this foul odor.

1. Mildew/mold -- if your clothes don't dry fully and quickly enough, you will have this issue. This is especially true during rainy season when the humidity is high most of the time. A couple solutions to this are to A) make sure that your clothing has as much space to dry as possible (if you hang your clothes out to dry like many Thais). In other words, don't hand articles too closely together. You can also B.) do your laundry daily (or more frequently so that you have less to dry).

2. Clothing that is thicker than what Thais commonly wear. I had this problem with some of my clothing after moving to Thailand. The tricky here, of course, is simply to purchase clothing that more suitable to the climate -- thin fabrics that dry quickly -- microfiber, silk, nylon, very, very thin cotton and cotton blends...

3. Washing clothing in water that is not hot enough. Many of the cheap washing machines here don't get hot enough to kill all the bateria that can live in/on clothing. You can try to make sure you washing your clothing in water that is hot enough (although this will cost you more money, so best to try this angle after exhausting other, cheaper ones).

4. Washing agents.. Many of the cheap washing agents here are little more than detergents that help clean clothing by making the water more 'slippery' thus aiding in the removal of dirt from the clothing fibers. One thing you can try that has worked for many people quite well is to use a very small amount of clear vinegar in each wash. It will smell when it comes out of the wash, but the smell will be completely gone by the time the clothing is dry.

5. Having a washing machine that does not fully dry between cycles and which needs more frequent cleaning/disinfecting. Try your best to help your washer fully dry between cycles and pay attention to its smell. You should be disinfecting it sometimes (more frequently in the rainy/humid season). Different washers have different agents/ways they can be safely cleaned. I use vinegar in mine, and it works fine.

Good luck

Edited April 4, 2012 by xthAi76s

[puck2]

And vinegar has another quality, it dissolves limescale !