Why do my clothes still smell after I wash them?

Question

A lot of times, when I wash my clothes, they come out still smelling like body odor. I've tried all different types of laundry detergents and bleaches but nothing helps and I don't know why. Can someone tell me how to stop this from happening anymore?

Answer 1

Try adding 1/2 cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle or 1/2 cup borax to the wash. Both Vinegar and borax are great deodorizers. Also, make sure you don't leave the clothes in the washer for long after the load finishes-immediately dry them, otherwise you can get a moldy odor on the clothes.

The vinegar smell dissipates as it dries.

Answer 2

Try warm water. And try using fabric softener. Also, I would use a little more soap than what is called for. Try adding some febreeze in your wash. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

If you try all the suggestions here and nothing works, it might be your machine.  The newer machines, especially the front loaders, are having problems with fungus growing on the plastics.  I don't know if they've solved it yet.  In the mean time you need something to break the cohesion between the plastic and the fungus:

http://www.smellywasher.com/

Until I know this problem is solved, I'm keeping my old washer.  

Answer 4

It is probably becuase you are washing in cold water and not using the correct amount of detergent.

Answer 5

Gean add bleach to your wash water and color safe bleach to your colored clothes, this will work.

Answer 6

That's easy add about a cup of baking soda to your landry water.  It will take all the smell out.  The box of baking soda will have clear instructions.

Answer 7

Washing or drying? You could be leaving it in the washer way too long or it could be the water cleaning your clothes that is the problem. Or, if it is the dryer, do you empty the lint (not that it would make a smelling difference but it would dry your clothes less so that when they get left in the dryer they start to smell since they are not all the way dry)?

I hope that helped a little!

Answer 8

Use fabric softener and then a dryer sheet in the dryer.  If that doesn't work, it may be ther certain type of fabric in the clothes.  Dry fit items can leave a smell.

Answer 9

You may be way over-filling your washing machine.  Do your washing in smaller loads.  Try having the laundry fill your machine up only half way when you put it in.  Don't stuff it down, just drop it in.  If your machine has an extra rinse cycle, be sure and use it, too.

If that doesn't help, try adding baking soda or boraxo to your detergent.  The amounts to put in your wash, will be on the boxes.  Both work well are available at most grocery stores.