Your laundry smells damp or even downright musty after being machine washed. machinery?
Don't understand why it stinks despite using your favorite detergent?
Don't despair!
We'll tell you why clothes smell bad after washing, and even how to get rid of those unpleasant smells!
Here is why your laundry can smell bad even after washing and 10 effective solutions to remedy it . Watch:
We're going to say it straight away:we probably don't pay enough attention to the cleanliness of our washing machine!
It's true that it seems counter-intuitive to have to clean equipment... for cleaning!
And yet, she also needs to be pampered from time to time.
Because after washing, the tub of the washing machine remains wet for several hours.
These are therefore ideal conditions for the development of bacteria and mold.
Soap and detergent residue builds up and begins to cause problems.
This results in less efficient washing cycles, a smelly drum and therefore stinky laundry!
If in addition you add hard water and/or a dirty filter to this, you have the perfect combo to have a clogged machine.
But luckily cleaning a washing machine is quick and easy.
No need for specialized equipment or a professional, just a few common household items.
Click here to learn how.
Sanitizing your washing machine is therefore the first thing to do to make your laundry smell good!
"How many products should I put in the detergent drawer?".
This is the question we often face before running a machine.
And I admit that for my part, I often do a little wet finger thinking to myself "that should do it!".
The dosage of the detergent is actually very important, because it impacts the environment, the wallet and especially the effectiveness of the washing !
Excess detergent your machine will not rinse properly.
The detergent remains encrusted in the fabric and soap residues remain in the drum; this leads to the formation of mold.
Conversely, a lack of detergent does not allow to clean the laundry properly.
The first thing to do is therefore to consult the instructions on the detergent package to find out the correct dosage.
These instructions are often based on a generic load of 6 or 7 kg.
If you have a larger machine, adding detergent is necessary.
If you're doing a half-load machine, you don't need as much detergent.
Some brands of detergent combine their boxes or bottles with dosing balls.
If your favorite laundry detergent brand doesn't offer one, invest in a measuring cup.
Finally, you can also opt for detergent in pods to make your life easier.
In any case, remember this:to properly dose the detergent, we take into account 3 parameters.
- Degree of soiling of laundry
- Water hardness
- Machine load
Scented laundry and/or the addition of homemade fabric softener also helps keep your clothes smelling fresh longer.
We are all tempted to fill the drum of the washing machine to the maximum.
Except that to be well washed, the clothes must not be stuck together.
With too much laundry in the drum, the washing machine cannot do its job properly, especially when spinning.
And badly wrung laundry is laundry that retains a damp or even musty smell.
Do you want to know my little trick to know if the drum is not too full?
When you have put the laundry in the drum, press your hand on it to pack everything down and wait a few seconds for it to rise.
Once done, put your hand vertically between the top of the laundry pile and the top seal of the drum.
If your hand goes through smoothly, your machine is correctly loaded and there is not too much laundry in it.
Be careful not to leave your laundry in the drum of the machine for too long once the washing cycle has finished.
Because if your clothes smell damp after washing, it's often because of this...
The longer you leave it on, the worse it smells.
Use the "delayed start" function of your machine so that it ends at a time when you are available.
In addition, it is easier to iron the laundry when it is taken out at the end of the wash cycle.
To prevent your clothes from smelling damp after washing, follow these few important rules.
First, dry the laundry within an hour after the end of the wash.
Be careful, if the laundry is hung out in the open air indoors and there is not enough heat in the room, it takes longer to dry.
It then ends up smelling damp and musty!
In this case, you can invest in a dehumidifier to speed up the drying process and solve the problem.
In addition, thanks to this device, water particles no longer end up in the air of your home.
It limits humidity problems and the feeling of having a cold house.
If you use a clothes dryer, take care not to overload it.
Also, dry clothes of similar sizes together.
Click here for more ways to dry laundry faster indoors.
Once the clothes are hanging out on your drying rack or put in the dryer, make sure they are completely dry before taking them off.
For them to dry properly on a clothes line, make sure that the air circulates well between the clothes.
If they touch each other, the air cannot circulate well between the garments. Moisture doesn't dissipate and your clothes stay wet.
Discover, in this regard, how to choose the right drying rack.
Finally, if you prefer to iron clothes that are still damp, do your job right away.
There's nothing worse for clothes than sticking together for several days, especially when it's still a little wet.
Sounds logical, but it gets better by saying it.
If you store sheets, towels and clothes while they are still slightly damp, they will smell when used.
Why ? Because the moisture will stay in the fibers of your laundry and mold.
So quick and correct drying of laundry (point 6 and 7 of the article) =fresh laundry that does not stink.
If the air circulates badly between the clothes when they are stored, they will start to smell musty more quickly.
So, if possible, hang them rather than fold them and leave space between each element.
This is especially true in winter or when it rains a lot outside and the humidity in the air is high.
I recommend Marie Kondo's method to help you achieve perfect and optimized storage.
If you haven't worn an item of clothing for a while and it's been put away for a long time, it's going to smell musty.
If so, hang it outside on your drying line for a few hours so it gets some air.
The combination of sunlight and a gentle breeze will work wonders and is enough to make the musty smell go away.
And even if the sun is missing, a bit of fresh air does your clothes the most good.
If despite this the smell still permeates your garment, put it in the washing machine on a quick wash cycle with fabric softener.
Finally, the next time you store your clothes for a long period of time (seasonal storage for example)...
...Place a small scented sachet with them.
If, despite all the valuable advice seen in this article, your clothes still smell bad after washing, you have to take the next step.
Your clothes definitely need a deep wash, that is, washing at a higher temperature.
If low temperature washes have the advantage of protecting the fabric, they are sometimes not effective enough against perspiration odors.
So try to wash your garment on a long cycle at the highest temperature allowed by the label.
You can also add a few teaspoons of white vinegar to the detergent drawer.
This is safe for your clothes and your appliance and above all it eliminates the most stubborn scents (fried food, etc.).
Check out the trick here.
If your clothes must absolutely be washed at 30 or 40°, use a more powerful detergent designed for lower temperatures.
Brands such as Persil, for example, are all indicated.
