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I have been doing this for years: When I wash clothes, I always use regular bleach, or bleach for colors. I hate washed and dried, but still stinky clothes. Over the years I have, at times, put on clothes or used towels that didn't smell great. What is the point of washing things that smell worse than if you hadn't washed them? My wife thinks I'm weird. Am I the only one who does this?
To me, clean clothes do not smell. I use a little bit of a non scented laundry product along with some borax. Clothes come out bright and clean and odorless. I also hang most things to dry if space allows because I think that gets them cleaner and less chance of having an odor than putting them in the dryer.
Rarely do I use chlorine bleach. It isn't good for clothes and you don't need it. If there's a stain, I may soak that part in a non chlorine bleach for a few hours and then wash it.
I sniff certain things, like sheets. I want them to smell good or else it bothers me at night. I hate the smell of chlorine so I don’t want any residual odor.
It's true the clothes don't need it. If they came out completely odor free, that would be great. In my experience, that is not the case. I personally love the smell of chlorine, so that isn't an issue for me. I just hate putting on a shirt and being enveloped in a somewhat rancid odor.
I have been doing this for years: When I wash clothes, I always use regular bleach, or bleach for colors. I hate washed and dried, but still stinky clothes. Over the years I have, at times, put on clothes or used towels that didn't smell great. What is the point of washing things that smell worse than if you hadn't washed them? My wife thinks I'm weird. Am I the only one who does this?
Very often you can put just washed, clean and fresh smelling wet laundry into the clothes drier and the load will come out of the drier smelling like crap. It means there's something wrong with the drier. Smell your drier and get it repaired and cleaned if it needs it. The driers in public Laundromats are the worst for getting a nasty rank "locker room" smell inside them and for transferring that smell to the laundry.
I have an aversion to clothing that smells like fabric softener. If I pass someone in the grocery store that smells strongly of that, usually older people, I run away. When I delivered Meals On Wheels, many older people’s home’s reeked of laundry additives. I guess that’s better than some other things.
I have never, in 50 years of homemaking, bought fabric softener. I do use dryer sheets and scented detergent. I like a light, fresh scent, but not an overpowering, oppressive one.
I have been doing this for years: When I wash clothes, I always use regular bleach, or bleach for colors. I hate washed and dried, but still stinky clothes. Over the years I have, at times, put on clothes or used towels that didn't smell great. What is the point of washing things that smell worse than if you hadn't washed them? My wife thinks I'm weird. Am I the only one who does this?
Why are you clothes so smelly, that even washing them doesn't help? Maybe is not the clothes, but your washer/dryer needs a good cleaning?
You can use a nicely scented laundry detergent, or even help a bit with scent booster.
Here is a current thread about this topic with some great suggestions: https://www.city-data.com/forum/shopp...l#post50001609
BTW: dryer sheets, as mentioned in a post above, will coat the fabric, and make it less absorbent. That would promote sweating and body odors...
They also make fabric more flammable. They may clog the screen of the lint filter and reduce air circulation. Good circulation is essential to getting clothes dried properly and helps prevent overheating which can lead to fires. Reduced air circulation also might affect the smell of dried clothes.
They are pretty evil to fabrics. Avoid them.
Location: Finally the house is done and we are in Port St. Lucie!
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I use vinegar in place of bleach. You don't smell the vinegar after going through the cycles and it removes any lingering mildewy smell.
I agree, your washer needs a good cleaning and airing out. Don't close the lid or door on the washer. Let it dry out completely after using a cleaner in it.
Baking soda helps a lot. However the new automatic washing machines use less water – that’s the problem. You can’t expect clean smelling items that use very little water. Mrs Aks will “add” another gallon or so of fresh water “after” the automatic washer has filled the tub giving the wash a little more water helps this issue. The manufacturer of the washer says it’s programed and can’t be changed, thus adding it after the fill will work.
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