oing laundry is a stressful task for some, but for a few it is therapeutic. Seeing soiled, sweaty and dirty clothes in their clean and fresh avatar can help one feel good about a job well done. However, in the entire process of doing laundry, there’s one aspect that’s least talked about – the problem of foul stench from washed clothes. In this post, we will address both the causes and solutions of removing unpleasant odour from washed clothes.
Cause 1: Washing machines
With continuous usage, residuals of detergents and fabric conditioners often block the filter of washing machines. This leads to bacterial growth. This, with time and in subsequent usage gets dissolved in water, thus lending an unpleasant odour to washed clothes.
Solution:
- Wash the washing machine by running a hot water cycle once in a month or as need be
- Keep the front door/top lid of the washing machine open after every wash to let it dry completely
- Do not treat your washing machine as a laundry bag, i.e., don’t keep sweaty soiled clothes in washing machine if they are not to be washed right away.
Cause 2: Sweaty clothes in the bin
Solution:
Air-dry clothes before washing: Sweaty clothes must be air-dried first and then put in the machine for a wash, because, sweaty smell often get trapped in clothes when detergent is added to it.
Cause 3: Smoke!
Solution:
Pre-wash before actual wash: Clothes smelling of smoke should be first soaked in plain water or adding only a bit of detergent to remove the smell and then should be put in the washing machine for a thorough wash.
Cause 4: All at once!
Solution:
Wash clothes in batches: Like you wash separate type of clothes in different batches, depending on the texture, you must also segregate clothes depending on how sweaty or soiled they are. For example, workout gears must be washed separately from the clothes you wear to work.
Cause 5: Stuffed!
Solution:
Light load: Do not stuff your washing machine with a huge number of clothes. Keep the load light to ensure that clothes get a thorough tumble and dry.
Additional solutions to avoid post wash stink!
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Hot water wash:
Bacteria can’t thrive in hot water. Giving your clothes a hot water wash and spin will definitely help in eliminating foul odor from clothes. -
Amount of detergent:
Too much or too less detergent is often a cause of laundry smelling dirty. Use only enough detergent or as mentioned on the detergent bottles/packs. With too less detergent, clothes might not get an optimum wash, and, with too much detergent and lack of thorough rinse the soap scum might get stuck in the fabric, which will eventually lead to bacterial growth and foul smell in clothes. -
Dry your clothes well:
Before stacking the washed laundry in your wardrobe, make sure each and every cloth is rock dry. Damp laundry fosters bacterial growth, which leads to foul smell.
Best solution ever:
Choose the right detergent:
A beautifully fragrant, completely-natural detergent might be the right choice for your clothes to smell fresh and clean. PUER Liquid Detergent is a completely natural detergent, come with a 100% clean guarantee and has a soothing smell. To ensure even fresher fragrance, you can also choose PUER Fabric Conditioner that smells amazing and conditions clothes to make them soft and last longer.
With these hacks, we are sure that your laundry will smell clean and fresh. Let us know, if you know any easy hacks on how to keep cloth-stench at bay!