Towels troble!

[dj-gabriele]

Hi guys, with my biggest disappointment it is a few months that my dark towels started smelling "funny" after even a single use and mind it, I never wash them at less than 40°C and on occasion at 60°C but not often because it does discolour them. I know I live in one of the hardes water areas of all Italy but this had never affected my laundry before.
I really didn't have a clue about what was happening untill i started searching for a new detergent as my all time favourites as Dash (P&G), Dixan (Unilever), AVA (Reckitt&Benckiser) started washing as bad as cheaper detergents. It turned out that since 2008 none of them carries phospates in them, even professional laundy detergents stopped having phospates! Now the only things that have them are some dishwasher tablets (not Unilever's) and some automatic dishwashing powders like Carrefour's store brand that are imported. I'm disappointed! Till today I never had the necessity to use any additive but now i need to put in my washer, along the detergent also a "miracle powder" that my father gave me from the laundry that helps things a bit and sanitizes too.

Whites are not an issue since they get washed at 60°C or more all the times and light coloured delicates aren't a hassle too, if someting goes bad I have professional spot treatment available.
The only pain are darks, those that must be washed at 30°C or less! And gym clothes too that at times they smell like they were worn even in the washer...

So, what do you advice me?
At the moment I use Sole powder (Reckitt&Beckiser) for almost all my wash and Dixan tabs (Unilever) for stuff that needs low temperature and they are equally ineffective at removing the odours form the thick towels.

Note that I only airdry indoors and in the worst possible occasion stuff dries in 12 hours.

Thanks

 

[jeffg]

The problem may be with your washing machine, not your detergent.

Sniff around the washer's door seal and inside the unit, especially toward the bottom of the wash drum. Does it smell the same as your towels?

 

[dj-gabriele]

Not at all, never had a problem with the washer, the door seal was also changed last month because it got punctuded by a knife!!! (now don't ask me how a table knife got in the wash because it wasn't my wash...)

 

[gansky1]

Hot water washes best...

I wash all my towels in hot water - tap temperature here is about 140-150F and usually double rinse them in cool or warm water. Dark colors will lose a little of their color, but good quality towels will not fade much. Most man-made fibers, nylon, poly, etc. will not lose their color either so don't be afraid to wash those at warmer temps.

With the new enzyme based detergents, you shouldn't have a problem with smells - perhaps they aren't getting rinsed well enough?

 

[panthera]

perhaps

Do you suppose the machine may not be draining all the way? Try checking whether the water is pumped out completely.
Another possibility: There is something trapped in the pump filter.
Phosphates not only cleaned really well, they also did an excellent job of softening water. Try adding a water softener to the water five minutes before the detergent and see if that doesn't help.
Also, try soaking the clothes in your new detergent formulation with very hot water (as hot as your hands can stand) overnight. If they still stink after rinsing and spinning, then it is definitely the detergent. If they don't, then something in the washer is not right.
Did this problem show up before or after the damage to the door seal? Some installers use grease (!!!) to install the seal, I know it sounds unbelievable, but I have seen it.
If nothing else works, get some STTP or at least TSP and throw in a few tablespoons with the wash. That phosphate should restore the status quo. I use automatic dishwasher tabs with 30% phosphate when clothes are really dirty and I need to have the dirt held in suspension.
Good luck!

 

[toggleswitch2]

Tell you partner/ significant other to use soap in the showe

You may want to stop using fabric softener for a while.

I'd say run a second short/quick cycle/programme; warmish water, no chemicals at all just to rinse well.

 

[cuffs054]

I was having a similar problem with my towels. I tried washing them at 140 degrees on the Danby. Stopped using fabric softner and using about a Tabl of white vinegar in rinse. I also started using the "very dry" option on the Danby dryer instead of "dry for storage". The towels are way better. Colors seem ok and they smell much fresher.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Beware of vinegar if you have a procelain inner or outer washer tub/drum.

I too use max heat for towels in the dryer.

 

[foraloysius]

You're not throwing them by coincidence wet into the laundrybasket, do you? When towels aren't dried after use they can smell really horrible, a smell that is hard to get rid of when you wash them. Modern detergents aren't as good at that as more oldfashioned ones with phosphates.

 

[tomturbomatic]

If the water is hard and you do not use a water conditioner or mechanical water softener to deal with the calcium-magnesium salts, you need to use more detergent to overcome the water hardness to make sure that all of the organic soil is removed from the towels so that microbes will not have food to grow on when the towels are damp after use. This is very important if you are using lower wash water temperatures. The sodium citrates in liquid detergent formulations in the US seem to handle hard water pretty well. From what I have read here, Percil products are formulated to work in hard water or were at one time. I don't know if you have access to a disinfectant like Lysol that you could use to remove the mildew smell from your towels, but if you can buy that or some similar product, it would help sweeten your towels. Especially while you are dealing with this, make sure that you allow your towels to thoroughly dry after you use them and try washing them more frequently. Please do not take this as any criticism of your housekeeping practices or standards; I'm just offering possible solutions to the problem you presented. Tom

 

[oxydolfan1]

My Italian friend recommends "Dixan Azione" powder (forgive my spelling!) and an liquid additive called "Acti" with hot, not boiling water!

I guess some versions of "Dixan" work better than others (shrugs)...

When in Germany, I'm in a very hard water area and I have to add "Calgon" powder in with the detergent, but I'm not sure they have it in Italy as well...I would think there would have to be something comparable.

Good luck!

 

[cvillewasherbo]

smelly towels

Hi People-- FWIW

Even Ralph Nader--"Mr. Energy," says that washing clothes constantly in warm or colder water and hanging them to dry, even in the sunlight can still promote a bacterial growth that lives on, washing after washing after washing, and drying after drying after drying.

You guys need to put something into the wash that will kill the bacteria. I'm not sure what's best, but I think that HOT water might do the trick.

I apologize to all of my "green" friends out there, and I try to be "green" every way that I can, but just like grandma said, some things have to be washed in HOT water. Things like bed linens and towels and underwear are those such things, especially as they kill dust mites and all sorts of other germs that lurk in our beds. I don't care what color all of these things are, the really pretty ones in the darker colors are nice, but not practical in terms of laundry and germ control.

How about using/buying WHITE towels and sheets wahsed in hot water with bleach (that's what I do) and put the COLORED ones on when you have "special" guests over. That's the way I do it. Then wash the colored ones after one or two uses, before they get really dirty, (like your work out clothes), and put them away. Why can't you wash you're work out clothes in HOT water?. I do mine.

In fact, I wash all of my bed linens and towels and underwear and work out clothes in hot water. The only things I wash in warm or cold water are dark colored dress shirts, pants, socks ('I am blessed with feet that don't smell') and other "outer" garments, however, they still get dryed in the dryer with a reasonably high amount of heat (not as hot as the other stuff which is dried on the highest setting).

I couldn't stand to dry my clothes in the house around everywhere, all of the food smells, and cigarette smoke, etc. would kill me. I like my clothes in the dryer with a Gain dryer sheet.

C in VA

 

[toggleswitch2]

Curried boxers, anyone?

...and just a reminder; a vented dryer will pull in local smells.

A dryer in a musty basement will produces clothes that smell musty. A bathroom dyer may, well, smell like bathroom and a dryer in the kitchen will certainly pull in smells of cooking.

Can't use the room the dyrer is an for other smelly purposes or your clothes will smell.

 

[iheartmaytag]

The worst smelling clothes I ever had was when I was drying a load of clothes in my dryer in the kitchen at the same time the oven was self-cleaning.

All that smokey, greasy, burnt smell transferred to my towels.
I will have to say this was the only time I noticed this happening.

I bleach the hell out of everything anyway, so if something survives that, it deserves to live.

 

[danemodsandy]

You Got That Right!

foraloysius makes an excellent point.

People who think that towels can be put in the hamper wet are just setting up ideal conditions for mildewy, musty smells to form. Throwing them on the floor is little better.

I was taught to hang up towels and washcloths to dry, and then put them into the hamper. Over the years, roomies and partners have demonstrated to me, more than adequately, that this is not something universally taught.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Gone with the wind, honey....

Te he he he.

Centuries ago I had continued to date or dropped a beau or two if the wet towel used right out of the shower was carelessly tossed on the bed (made or unmade).

anyhoo.... I always let my towels air-dry by laying them out on the towel bars in an open fashion; not folded over.

 

[dj-gabriele]

Thanks for all the advice guys!
Let me comment one by one!

gansky1: I tried washing at 60°C (is it 140°F?) and the colours didn't fade indeed but the smell was still there, and I believe rinsing is not an issue, my washer does by default 4 rinses plus fabric conditioner final rinse.
Still smelling!

panthera/Keven: I tried cleaning the pump filter but it was virtually clear (even if it smelled like rotten flesh!)
I soaked all the towels overnight in the washer after it warmed to 50°C (122°F), the smell was almost gone but after a little use the towels started lingering with that "funny" smell.

toggleswitch2/Steve: the towels are mine only, I share the flat with other students and everybody does his own laundry (I actually suspect the others because of my smelly laundry! I'm the only one washing at more than 40°C!!!)
As my water is so hard if I stopped using softener I bed I'd be starting wiping myself with sand-paper istead of cotton towels! but I never overuse it

cuffs054 & Steve again: I'm going to try vinegar as soon as I get to the mall tomorrow! My washer has a stainless steel drum and vitrified steel outer tub so that isn't an issue I believe.
I hope it will solve all the problems!
Sigh, I have no dryer! I'd get broke if I'd run it with these electricity rates

foraloysius/louis: don't worry, mommy tought me that long time ago

tomturbomatic/Tom: don't worry, I won't get offended actually I'm using a sanitizing powder that my father got me from the laundry but it seems of no use! I have no water softener here, I see the difference from my parent's, if I need a full cup of detergent they only need half (even if sometimes stuff doesn't rinse as well as here!). I use my towels only when they still have the "fresh" smell on them so I change very often, the "damp" smell is something I really can't stand, that's why I'm trying everyting to get rid of it!

oxydolfan1/Scott: I use Dixan, I have the tabs in the washer right now, even if it has a dreadful smell to me it did a good job at cleaning but it was reformulated and now is just averange (despite the 2nd highest price tag!!)
As for Calgon, we have it, it's called Calfort, I used it but I didn't see any improvement and figures it, here is sold to prevent calcium formations in the washer and not to soften the water! But the product and prducer are the same!!!

c'villewasherbo/Courtney: I never wash cold water, I almost ever do 40°C (122°C) for darks and delicates and 60°C (140°C) or more for whites.
How hot is hot? Because I can run up to 95°C of real heat on the dial but that will sure ruin almost anything that is not linen or white cotton!

iheartmaytag: I never used bleach in all my life, only, hardy ever, oxigen bleach for hard to treat garments, otherwise just sent them out to the dry cleaners, also I'm allergic to clorine bleach so even for the other house chores I never use it.

danemodsandy/Sandy: I know, but I agree many don't know about this! (my flatmates are part of the crowd regarding this!)

Anyway, I'm going to run the washer at 95°C (203°F) biologic wash empty with dishwasher powder that is still 30% phospates and then run my towels with vinegar.
I'll report on as soon as they'll dry!
Thanks and stay tuned

 

[toggleswitch2]

Great idea.

Try also some pine oil (for the machine and/or in the towels) It's a natural disinfectant.

Lysol Liquid disinfectant is a good idea also. Someone here recommends it to unsour towels.

 

[toggleswitch2]

oh. My towels soured when dried on an indoor drying rack. Took too long.

Perhaps a fan blowing over them will help dry them quicker, before they sour.

Or maybe wash them only on less humid days!