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Reading all this reminds me of my growing up years in India, where we had 95% humidity - my grandma would wash clothes *every* morning - with a generic soap bar and lots of scrubbing - and then dry them on a line outside.

Nothing like hand washed, sun-dried clothes - they looked brand new and smelled great (even in that humidity!)
 
Thanks for pointing the threads age, don't I feel silly now :eek:


why did you dig up a year old thread?, I mean , a year old ....it mus have been pages and pages into the depths...I enjoyed the read all the same[thanks] but why ...?:confused:

It's OK.:p Besides it's still useful for people with Front Load and HE washers!:)
 
I use a front-loading washer, and sometimes I'll move them to dryer but not turn it on until the next morning and they come out smelling fine.

Mind you, I always dry them quickly in the summer. In the winter for some reason they can sit around for several hours but in the summer they have to be taken care of PDQ.

Once the 'sweat' smell gets in your clothes, you might as well toss them. They'll come out of the warsher smelling clean enough, but if you wear them and start sweating any length of time they stink up again in a hurry.

Given that I get my Ts at Gap, I always make sure I'm wearing Ts from Target when I do the heavy work.
 
DO you shower with a loofa? If you don't wash the loofa in the dishwasher or get a new one after a month or so it becomes mildewy smelling. Then you wash your body and rub it al over. You smell good at first because of the soap but once you sweat you smell like mildew. And the smell smells like it is coming from the clothes. But it is coming from you, I had this same problem, we almost bought a new washer. I changed loofas and no more mildew smell. Try it.
 
I've been hanging my sweaty t-shirts to dry in bathrooom (instead of putting into laundry basket where it would stay wet), if it's not going to be washed right away.

Also, hot cycle wash / hot dryer setting helps but wears out the clothes quicker. Good last resort for the cloth that have moldy smell.
 
I've had another thought on this.....if your clothes have the sweat smell constantly, you could try leaving them on the washing line overnight or a couple nights actually but do it when it is raining heavily, something in the rain neutralizes the smell after a heavy down pour or two.....Years ago when I was too lazy to bring the washing in every evening, I noticed that after a heavy downpour my clothes smelled fresher than if I just washed/dried them.
Don't know how....it just works
 
I have an LG Tromm I paid a small fortune for and I have smelly washing machine syndrome as well. I've run bleach through it on the sanitary cycle but the odor persists. I've done a bit of research on the web and it seems I'm not alone.

Let me preface myself by saying I *do not* work for the company I'm about to mention. LOL I merely read about their product and it seems to have gotten pretty good reviews so I ordered some myself. Anyway, if you're interested, you can check them out at http://www.smellywasher.com/
 
Found Solution for Smell - Drain Pipe

Hi all. After reading this post, found many useful suggestions that I shared with my wife. Primarily, not using fabric softer in wash, leaving door open, rinsing one load with each Bleach and Vinegar. I was, of course, looking for a replacement as well if this all failed.

Upon further inspection of wash machine found that the drain hose was corrugated. I thought that was a stupid design because even with the force of water pushed through the drain hose it would still trap debris in the corrugated rings. Well, I decided to just remove and replace. Let me tell you the smell after removing this drain pipe almost knocked me out. It obviously is causing our problem. I am replacing the drain hose and water line hoses as soon as I finish this thread. I believe replacing all for $15-$20 bucks and finally get the cloths to smell great again is definitely worth it. No on in this thread talked about the drain pipe. If you do run bleach and vinegar through your wash machine it will kill some of the drain line issues but doubt it will resolve it completely. Hope this helps. ;)
 
I am the worst at forgetting to dry a load of laundry.

My solution to get the moldy smell out is oxyclean. Add in a cupful to your regular load with the normal amount of detergent. Also put the water on hot.

Have had to do this to multiple loads and it works after one treatment. No more smells.

That is the worst thing ever in the morning. Putting on clothes, no smell. But then hour later you get a faint whiff.
 
Funky smelling clothes

For those of you who do not have a fairley new HE washing machine. LISTEN!!!
The nasty smell coming off these clothes using brand new washing machines is not being caused by "bad water"all of a sudden when I bought the new washer.
it is not being caused by a new bottle of detergent that is less than a week old.
It is not being caused by clothes left in the washer for 5 or 45 minutes after washing.

This horrible odor coming off the clothes when your body temp rises slightly is being caused by NOT ENOUGH WATER!!!!!!

These pice of crap washers use 25% of what the old ones used and is leaving the filth from the wash in the clothes because of a lack of water.
I bought mine at sears and found total denial even ackowledging a problem with these pieces of crap.
First we have "water saver" toilets that take 5 flushes to get the job done,
and now we har "water saver high efficincy" washing machines that do not get the clothes clean.
WHAT A DAMN JOKE!!!
 
Front load washer/foul mildew smell

My husband got me a front load washer and dryer because I had cancer and couldn't bend down in the top load washer until after my surgery. We got it from a RTO place and so it was pre-used. I have the same problem with mine stinking and with a foul odor. I hear my alarm go off and I directly place the clothes in the dryer. I don't wait around at all. I do my cleaning as soon as the kids go to school and husband is off to collage so I really don't have time to let them set. I can not get the odors out no matter what I do. I am going to try a container of vinager to see if that helps. will post the results later!
 
Interesting that this thread got resurrected today, cause I had this issue yesterday.

I can't remember if I read an article or so a piece on TV about it, but basically front-loader washers do not completely drain all the water out when they are done. That water stays in it, and all kinds of lovely smells will emanate from it over time. I did a load yesterday and for some reason (maybe cause we hadn't used the washer in almost a week), the stuff came out smelling funky.

I re-did the load, and it was gone.

The only recommendation I heard was to do an empty cycle with bleach and use whatever "drain" option your washer has.

That takes care of it for a bit.
 
Kinda funny this thread is still going on....

The only viable solution I have found is to leave the door to the washing machine open (to air it out) for at least half a day after doing a load. This has solved the problem for me.
 
If I foret I'm washing a load and then 2 days later remember to put them into the dryer, yes. :eek:
 
Look, I'm a big guy - but do cut me some credit here.

I got a front-loading washer almost a year ago - and ever since, my clothes have not smelled clean. After coming out of the wash, they smell like -- like a beach towel left in a plastic bag for 2 days. After the dryer, you can hardly detect it (thank you, dryer sheets).

But here is the catch, after wearing these clothes - once you perspire ANY bit - the smell comes back!!!

I've tried multiple detergents, and yes I'm using the HE detergents my machine says to use.

I tried bleaching / running hot water through it - and this still didn't stop it.

I'm now leaving the door open after washing, and I kick it almost every night in the dark - but I was told this would stop mold from growing - and that was the problem I had...

So - no dice yet. It's not my town water (old washer was fine), and i even tried putting a water filter on it. (you know, to improve the taste of water for drinking) Didn't work.

I also tried checking the drain catch-basin after reading that some HE washers empty water faster - causing the catch-basin to empty completely - allowing sewer gasses back into the washer. A this isn't the smell I speak of, and B - it turned out not to be the problem in my case.

Can anyone help me here? I'm sick of smelling bad, and can't stand "masking" the smell via cologne / scents. I just want to be clean.

Help!
yes i think i can, i was very sick and i put a load of clothes in the washer and left them in overnight, and they really smelled bad, i as well have a front end washer, i finally went to and old remedies book and it said to use a cup and a half of baking soda, and i havent had a problem since, BUT i love my old washer much better, I CANT STAND THE FRONT LOADER! I WISH I NEVER BOUGHT IT. I WILL GO BACK TO THE REGULAR STYLE. BY the way just take the baking soda and just put it directly on your clothes, but dont overload it. i really think this will help, if you dont smell hahah a difference use more baking soda, i buy the real big bags at bjs or sams club. GOOD LUCK!!!!!! IT WORKS FOR ME AND MY PROBLEM HAS BEEN THE SAME AS YOURS SINCE I BOUGHT THE FRONTLOADER, THE FIRST TIME I WAS SICK AFTER THATNO EXCUSES, ITS THE WASHER!
 
... since I bought the front-loader, the first time I was sick, after that no excuses, it's the washer?

Do you suspect a Communist plot, like fluoridation??
 

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yes i think i can, i was very sick and i put a load of clothes in the washer and left them in overnight, and they really smelled bad, i as well have a front end washer, i finally went to and old remedies book and it said to use a cup and a half of baking soda, and i havent had a problem since, BUT i love my old washer much better, I CANT STAND THE FRONT LOADER! I WISH I NEVER BOUGHT IT. I WILL GO BACK TO THE REGULAR STYLE. BY the way just take the baking soda and just put it directly on your clothes, but dont overload it. i really think this will help, if you dont smell hahah a difference use more baking soda, i buy the real big bags at bjs or sams club. GOOD LUCK!!!!!! IT WORKS FOR ME AND MY PROBLEM HAS BEEN THE SAME AS YOURS SINCE I BOUGHT THE FRONTLOADER, THE FIRST TIME I WAS SICK AFTER THATNO EXCUSES, ITS THE WASHER!

What does this have to do with tipping?:confused::D
 
A few times the water coming from the laundry machine has some smell, so i had to put them back for another cycle and leave them in soap water for some minutes. In general my clothes smell good after washing them
 
Dear Big-TDI-Guy

I've been having issues with my laundry. I've been suffering with a musty smell on my clothes/laundry (undergarments, gym clothes, towels, etc.) very similiar to what you described in your post back in January 2008. Were you ever able to find a solution to this? This issue is killing me and really making my life miserable. I am depressed and looking for answers everywhere. If you could offer any help or suggestions I would be forever grateful. I live in a rental building, with shared laundry facilities. Ever since the building management removed the old top loading machines and replaced them with front loading HE washers, my life turned upside down. I have switched from Tide HE laundry detergent to All. I use 1/4 cup of detergent as instructed by the machine for small to medium loads. I never overload or put an excess amount of clothes in the machines. The clothes smell clean when they come out of the wash, but when I dry them, suddenly they stink... like a mild mildew or mold. And it is very noticeable when I wear the clothes, especially on hot days or when I sweat. And I don't sweat that much at all. I know it's not me or my body... I shower daily, and I follow exceptional hygiene protocol. I noticed this smell only on my washed clothes. If I wear dry cleaned clothes or new clothes off the rack, I noticed the smell doesn't exist. And I feel fine and happy. But when I wear something that I washed, that awful smell makes its appearance. It has gotten to me to the point where I feel like a social leper. I am very conscious about how people react around me. On top of this, I have been spending a ton of money on new clothes to avoid wearing anything I washed. Any help or suggestions on how you resolved this issue would be wonderful. Sorry to throw all this at you.
 
I've had the same front load washing machine for 12 years and never had any weird smells. The key is to keep the door and the soap tray open between washes so no mold and mildew can build up.
 
I've been having issues with my laundry. I've been suffering with a musty smell on my clothes/laundry (undergarments, gym clothes, towels, etc.) very similiar to what you described in your post back in January 2008. Were you ever able to find a solution to this? This issue is killing me and really making my life miserable. I am depressed and looking for answers everywhere. If you could offer any help or suggestions I would be forever grateful. I live in a rental building, with shared laundry facilities. Ever since the building management removed the old top loading machines and replaced them with front loading HE washers, my life turned upside down. I have switched from Tide HE laundry detergent to All. I use 1/4 cup of detergent as instructed by the machine for small to medium loads. I never overload or put an excess amount of clothes in the machines. The clothes smell clean when they come out of the wash, but when I dry them, suddenly they stink... like a mild mildew or mold. And it is very noticeable when I wear the clothes, especially on hot days or when I sweat. And I don't sweat that much at all. I know it's not me or my body... I shower daily, and I follow exceptional hygiene protocol. I noticed this smell only on my washed clothes. If I wear dry cleaned clothes or new clothes off the rack, I noticed the smell doesn't exist. And I feel fine and happy. But when I wear something that I washed, that awful smell makes its appearance. It has gotten to me to the point where I feel like a social leper. I am very conscious about how people react around me. On top of this, I have been spending a ton of money on new clothes to avoid wearing anything I washed. Any help or suggestions on how you resolved this issue would be wonderful. Sorry to throw all this at you.

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/4702468/
 
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Lmfao last time I saw a top loader was my nans back in the 80's been front loading since then really. The key is the door. Leave it open between washes and if your leaving your machine more than a week before using it again a cap of bleach on a rince cycle before use flushes out any mouldy water in the pipes.

And for the not enough water people that a load of bo@@ox. It's not about using loads of water it's about agitation and air!
 
It only smells weird if the clothes are left overnight.
They have those washingmachine tablets which you just run in the "clean" cycle but bleach also works
 
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