detergent advice

[cehalstead]

I need some advice and I know the experts here will be able to help. My laundry doesn't have the good clean smell it used to have. I sort, probably too far. I use the correct temperature and cycle, and yet nothing smells good and clean like it used to. Any advice as to a remedy to this? The clothes are clean, but they just don't have that clean crisp smell they used to have before all of these "new and improved" detergents came along. IF I use Borateem, it helps some, but still not like I remember...
ps...I have a '97 Maytag Dependable Care with all the bells and whistles.

 

[whirlcool]

Is your machine clean?

I had a similar problem with my 93' Whirlpool. It turned out I wasn't doing any cleaning of the machine. You may want to try the following:

If the agitator center cap comes off, look inside and make sure it is clean inside, I had a mold colony growing under the and inside of the fabric softener cup.

Run an empty washload with a strong bleach solution. Let it sit for an hour or so while in the wash mode. Run the whole cycle through so that it rinses out well. We hardly ever used bleach on our clothes so this contributed to the problem.

Make sure the area between the top of the tub and the top of the washer is clean, this is a rim around the top of the tub. I had a bunch of junk up in there, a quick wipe and rinse with a bleach soaked rag cleaned that out.

Finally, if all else fails, run another empty wash with Cascade dishwasher detergent (by itself, no bleach) and let the cycle run through. The enzymes will kill anything living in there. Use about 3/4 of a cup or so.

Also try leaving the lid to your washer open overnight after you are done with the wash, this helps provide a dryer environment inside the washer when it's not being used.

Yes, Borax does help with deordorizing your clothes. We use it regularly. It seems to also help control sudsing with certain detergents.