No More Smelly Laundry

Ah, Irish Spring clean, scrubbed head to toe, lathered and slathered. You turn off the water and reach through the steam for a soft, fluffy warm towel. "EWWWW! That's not going anywhere near my clean face!" you exclaim. You drop the towel in the hamper and reach for another, but they are all the same. The ones you washed and folded last week smell just as awful as the one your spouse hung to dry this morning. You wash, you dry, you even use fabric softener, but still they stink. How does this happen? More importantly, how to make it stop?

The problem here is mildew (mold). Molds are survivors. They thrive in moist, warm areas, like bathrooms and laundry rooms. Their microscopic spores travel through the air, and can lie dormant for a long time, until the right conditions exist for growth. They are hard to see and even harder to kill. Once introduced into your home, they will spread far and wide. A few spores float in through an open window and find a new home on that damp towel at the bottom of the hamper. A few days later you do your normal load laundry and the spores spread. Before you know it your entire linen closet, and probably your sock drawer, smells terrible.

If you are serious about getting rid of the stink, you need to remove the active mold/mildew and all of the spores. Once the problem is contained, you can then move to prevention.

1. Thoroughly clean your washer with bleach. Start with a spray bottle of bleach diluted 10:1. Spray and scrub in every nook and cranny. If you have a front load washer there are often rubber gaskets or seals to prevent water from leaking out of the door. Clean this area thoroughly. Mold can grow in all the folds and curves that trap water after each cycle. Don't forget the fabric softener dispenser. Take it apart if possible.

2. Run the longest wash cycle, at the highest water level, at the hottest water temperature with a cup of undiluted laundry bleach. Run a second rinse cycle to be sure all of the bleach is removed from the washer.

3. Re wash ALL of your linens. It is important that you wash them all. All the bath towels, sheets, wash cloths, kitchen towels, etc. Forgot some and you may reinfect your nice fresh linen and start the vicious cycle all over again. Start with all the whites. Wash them in the hottest temperature with the normal amount of your favorite soap and the recommended amount of liquid bleach. Remove them from the washer immediately after the cycle is complete. Do NOT hang them to dry. Dry them on the cotton setting, which is usually the highest heat. Dry them until they are completely dry. Wash any of the non-whites the same way, except decrease the amout of liquid bleach to only 2 teaspoons per load and make sure it is thoroughly mixed with the water before adding any fabric to the basin.

Now that you have successfully de-stinkified your linens here are some tips to keep them that way.

1. Keep your bathroom, kitchen and laundry area clean. If the caulking or shower curtain start to show dark spots of mold that are not easily removed with cleaner, replace them. This is where the spores are coming from that are multiplying and stinking up your laundry.

2. Do not store clean linen in the bathroom, or any other area that is regularly moist and warm. If you don't have a linen closet, consider adding a decorative shelf in the hall just outside the bathroom.

3. Make sure your bathroom is very well ventilated with an exhaust fan, a window, or both. Leave the bathroom door open when not in use to increase the air flow and more quickly remove the excess moisture from the air after bathing.

4. Pull the shower curtain so that it can dry. Do not leave it gathered at one end where moisture can accumulate and provide a nice home for some lurking spores.

5. Always hang damp towels to dry immediately after use. Even if you do not plan to use them again, this is important. If the towel is dry when it hits the hamper it will not be a prime host for dormant spores.

6. Wash your clothing frequently. Perspiration and normal soiling can also breed mold and mildew if allowed to sit for too long.

7. Wash kitchen towels separately from bathroom towels and bedroom linens. The germ set is different and cross contamination is not a good thing.

8. Always use the instructions detailed above for washing linens. Adding a couple of teaspoons of liquid chlorine bleach to your wash loads will not significantly fade the fabrics, but will effectively kill any lingering spores and smells. Of course, do not use liquid bleach on any fine fabrics or any items that would be damaged.

9. When your washer is not in use, leave the door open. This will allow the interior to dry. If you have small children or pets, this may not be an option for safety concerns.

Besides the awful smell, mold can be a serious health issue, especially for those with allergies. Spend the time to rid your home of mold, and the prevention only takes a few moments daily. The work will be worth it when you reach for your towel and it smells just as fresh and lovely as you!