Monday, April 28, 2008

Help!

Real post later, all about my exciting weekend. But first, a plea for help -

How does one get rid of the smell in a load of laundry that has been sitting in one's washer for 72 hours? I've washed it twice this morning, but there is still a smell (though not as bad). Will putting it in the dryer kill it? Or seal it in?

I know someone out there is a laundry maven who will have the magic answer...

30 comments:

  1. Try washing with two cups of white vinegar.

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  2. The dryer has always killed it for me. I'm BAAAAAD for this and do it all the time.

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  3. Old Navy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Macys, Target. Bring cash...

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  4. Old Navy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Macys, Target. Bring cash...

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  5. Have you tried a cup of vinegar? I know it sounds like it would stink it up more. But just try it. A cup of vinegar with another cup of soap and dry immediately. Good luck.

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  6. Try a vinegar rinse. Add white vinegar to the rinse water. Alternately, try some baking soda. Or try both at once and watch it fizz.

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  7. Vinegar!

    I put 1/2 to 1 cup of vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser and run it on rinse. Take out a couple of pieces and sniff them to determine how well it worked and if you need to do it again. You can then re-do your fabric softener if you want to.

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  8. White vinegar! Fill up the washer with water/clothes, and add about a cup or so to the rinse cycle. It doesn't leave a vinegar-y smell on the clothes. I usually re-wash anyway.

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  9. Split the load in half, and wash each once more, separately, with an extra rinse. Fabric softener will help. Then put it in the dryer (half-load) with two dryer sheets.

    Of course, I'm kind of the anti-maven here...

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  10. The vinegar should do the trick. Either that or hot water, assuming the clothes can handle the temp.

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  11. My toddler son once decided to help with the laundry and dumped about a half of a bottle of concentrated Downy in the washer with my husband's dress shirts. (DH does not like fabric softener)
    He smelled "April fresh" for several weeks.

    I would try the vinegar with a fabric softener chaser.

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  12. Well, since in your last post you compared yourself to Ma Ingalls, just ask yourself WWMID (what would Ma Ingalls do)?

    Here's what she'd do: cut wood, build a roaring fire, boil all the stinky clothes, let cool, drag them to the creek, rinse them out, wring them out, hang them out to dry in the prairie sun and the prairie wind. Ah, ha! No more stinky smell!

    Personally, I like Ve's suggestion above.

    God bless.

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  13. Definitely wash them again with vinegar. I've found that if I send them to the dryer instead, they will smell ok coming out, but once the wearer starts to sweat...uh, oh...there's no mistakin' that odor!

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  14. Ditto on the white vinegar!

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  15. With a teenage son who is forever forgetting that he was doing laundry...I know the smell well.

    I usually just rewash the load with my regular detergent...I've never tried vinegar though...cheaper and just as effective by the sounds of it.

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  16. I'm so glad I stopped by today. I ALWAYS have this problem. I get to blogging and forget that the world is out there and before I know it, two days later I need to run another load and...OOPSY! I've been using the rewash with (Note before I continue: I DO NOT DO DOMESTIC!).. ummm, rewashing with either a little pine-o-pine (close your mouth and quit gasping!) or bleach and lots of soap and fabric softener. Then when stuff comes out of the dryer it gets fabreezed. The vinigar sounds like a LOT less work!

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  17. Wow, you are a helpful bunch! I wouldn't have thought of cleaning with vinegar but that's a great idea!

    By the way, this word verification is getting out of hand. They hardly even look like letters anymore!

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  18. A couple capfuls of vinegar each time you wash is also a good substitute for fabric softener. The only caveat is that it will tend to set stains.

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  19. I think try washing it a very strong biological powder, then wash again in something kinder - those strong powders- really are!

    I have heard of bicarb being good - but I've never tried it.

    So glad you had a superb weekend - longing to hear all about it.

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  20. I think that rinsing it with vinegar will be your best bet.

    Diane

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  21. Well, as the queen of all things laundry, I say you should...

    Oh, who am I kidding. My husband does the laundry. Always has, always will. I would be equally stumped.

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  22. I don't have an answer, other than it's scary how many others do.

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  23. If the vinegar doesn't work, try baking soda. Don't try them together though!

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  24. I couldn't wait to read the advice as the same thing happened to me this past week but I only let the load sit for 24 hours! There's something about the water up here because I NEVER had this problem in Texas and I've left the laundry in the washer for four days before. Anyway, welcome home and remember to tell us what you did that worked.

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  25. White vinegar is what heloise suggests. Been there done that good luck!

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  26. Just had to stop by today to see what everyone else had to say because I have been known to leave a load in the washer for a couple days, as well.

    KEEP BELIEVING

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  27. Oh man - Can you maybe add some baking soda to the water? (I don't do laundry)

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  28. 1 cup baking soda in a HOT wash cycle, followed by a vinegar rinse. Followed by a regular HOT wash cycle with laundry detergent, and a hot water rinse.

    This was what my grandma washed my uncles clothing in routinely when he'd get home from the place he threw around cow hides all day long. I've found it works well for any particularly stinky clothing (i.e. puke, baby clothing, etc.).

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  29. Oooh, I know this one! (Been there...) Spray the damp clothes with Febreze and dry. It's that simple, and it works.

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  30. This is what I love about blogging. Learn tips every day!

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