How do I kill this horrible odor on clothes?

Question

After I do my boyfriend's laundry, they smell HORRIBLE. Like somebody peed on them. I don't know what the deal is. All of his families clothes smell this way.
Someone told me to run hot water in the bathtub, put baking soda and detergent in there, and let them soak. Then put them in the dryer. Would this work?

Answer 1

Yes it would pure Baking Soda is good for cleaning and deodorizing, it makes clothes smell fresher. You can also do it in the washing machine in hot water. Hot water only for whites and cold for dark.

Answer 2

Depending on what the cause of the smell is will determine the best method to use to get rid of the smell.



In the past, I have used white vinegar to treat my clothes, especially if I had been chasing skunks all day long, tagging them and then turning them lose, and there has been times that the skunk was quicker on the draw than my little feet could get me out of harm's way, so when I got back home, I would take the soiled clothes out of the bag and using hot water and a couple gallons of white vinegar along with a box or two of baking soda and some good ole Mexican washing soap or detergent, would let the washing machine do its thing. If the clothes still smelled after the first wash, then I would repeat the process til the clothes came out smelling "non-skunkish".



You might tell us the kind of work your boyfriend does as this might help us to figure out what to use to counter the smell in the clothes, information here is the key to solving this problem, Vanessa

Answer 3

The baking soda will definitely take the odor out.



It sounds like someone left damp laundry in a dryer for too long a time. That happened to my sister's towels once. When that happens, the clothes get mildewed and the smell never comes out with regular washing. The baking soda will definitely work. You don't have to soak them in a bathtub though, just add half a box of baking soda to the wash cycle in the washing machine. It's that easy.

Answer 4

by any chance do you smell the same Odor from sinks tubs ect..

if so sounds like the pipes need to inspected. for now poor vinger and baking soda down drains and cup in the washer run it twice. if this

don't work yaw may have a plumbing problem learking around. you cant be to carefull. just thought of something that happend do you have cats in the house? we had one that would not use the litter box for some reason it would go to the laundry room and do its business # 1 behind the dryer that smell gets into everything all over the house need less to say we did not find (out that he was doing that) where the order was coming from cause( he #2 the litter box to) any way we found him dead behind the dryer cause it got back there while it was on and it shocked him.

Answer 5

Wow, sounds nasty! Just add about 6 tablespoons of baking soda to the wash. That should take the odor out of them. Use a fabric softener during the final rinse too. I wouldn't dry them if you can still smell even a trace of whatever that odor is. I'd run them through the washer again. Good luck! Hope the baking soda gets rid of all of the odor in the first try!

Answer 6

I know exactly what that smell is- it's ingarined damp, caused by drying clothes indoors poorly, for example, this could be heaping wet clothes over each other whilst drying, smoking in the room which they are drying, poor ventilation and poor general care of clothes.



I know it's probably not want to hear, but your boyfreinds familoy do not seem to take care or pride in their laundry.



It's hard to get rid of the smell as it is carried deep in the fabric, the best way to do nthis is to wash the clothes, and double the dosage of fabric conditioner, and allow them to dry, hung well spaced apart, outdoors.



Then when they are dry, and only when they are bone dry, iron them shortly afterwards with a special fragranced ironing water- I use Vapouress.



put the clothes away shortly afterwards.



Alternatively. It could be moth balls- nasty smell- just follow the above porocedure.

Answer 7

First clean the wash machine with dish soap or baking soda.



In final rinse cycle use the baking soda to soft and kill bacteri



I usually add fabric softener and the clothes never smell.



Most of the time clothes smell if you leave them mosilture in them to long. You let them sit for couple of hours.



So as soon as your finish with the wash they need to go into the dryer.

Answer 8

Running your washing machine on a hot wash without the clothes but adding white vinegar, helps clean the machine , pump, and pipes.

Answer 9

try cleaning your washing machine with some clr (calcium, lime and rust remover) it will clean all the stinky calcium out of your machine, do it 3 times