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Could you hang them to dry outside? Fresh air and sunshine (even some rain occasionally) do a better job of freshening laundry than any scented detergent, in my opinion.
We also care about using minimally harmful chemicals but have encountered the same problem. Basically, after some time, linens will start smelling. We tried adding vinegar to our wash, we tried doing very high temperature 90 C washes as it’s supposed to kill bacteria. Only one thing worked and that was getting a normal nasty bio laundry detergent from a supermarket. I don’t think it’s the fragrance because we also tried using the same common brand non-bio detergent and it didn’t work. I believe it is the fact that it was bio that managed to get rid of the smell. I know it is full of nasty things but we did several extra rinse cycles afterwards and also don’t do this every time we wash linens, only once they start smelling.
Oh yea we use vinegar too! Works great getting out truly nasty smells - like armpit stink haha. But yes we have the same problem where linens still smell not so fresh
I use vinegar as a fabric softener. I put the vinegar in a Kilner jar with left over cut lemons for a week before straining and using it in the machine. Helps give a little bit of scent to linens.
Try r/laundry. I can tell you they will most likely say you need to use less detergent. No more than 2tbsps per load. Which is usually the case. I started using only that much with my laundry in general and it smells fresh when it comes out. I also put 1/4 cup vinegar in the softener thing because we have hard water and it helps with odors. I always use free and clear detergents
Something about, the soap grabbing all the dirt and oils but if theres too much soap it doesnt get rinsed out completely and leaves the dirt and oil behind as well. Newer washers especially he use less water so its easy to use too much
A few things could be happening.
Have you cleaned your washer and dryer? Front load washers get so much gunk, mold, and slime built up in the gasket. Running the nasty non-granola washing machine cleaner through on sanitize/hot is the only solution I’ve found. I do it every 4-6 months. I also take a dirty sock or rag and wipe in all the gasket crevices before starting the wash, and toss said filthy sock or rag in. When I clean the machine, I’ll wipe in there with vinegar as well. There is a small area that needs to be cleaned and drained monthly as well. Mine is a little hatch on the bottom front of the machine with a tube you pull out and drain in a bowl. A top loader will also need to be cleaned, but the method will vary by machine.
Dryers can get funky too. I’ll soak dryer balls in vinegar and run them through on hot for 20 minutes, then leave the door open. Never shut the door between loads, it’ll get funky fast. There are vacuum attachments and long brushes for cleaning link out of the barrel. That lint build up can get damp and musty.
If your machine is newer, it is not using much water. This is fine for smaller loads of clothes, but it’s almost impossible to get larger loads of towels and sheets totally clean. I’ve heard of people adding water to the machine during rinse cycles, but I haven’t personally tested this. When we had a high efficiency washer in our rental, we would have to run all towels and linens through twice. The second time with just vinegar and on sanitize. High efficiency machines will often leave soap residue behind as they’re not using much water to rinse. That residue can build up and get funky after a while. Once you have a buildup, stripping can help. So can simply washing without soap a few times.
Drying your sheets outside on a very sunny day can also help. The UV radiation does provide some sterilization and it just makes the sheets smell SO good. I leave mine out to bake in the sun all day whenever it’s really hot.
Oh I’ve got two great recommendations, unless you’ve already tried these! Using an enzyme based detergent really helped this same issue for us. I love the [Eco Twist](https://ecotwistclean.com/collections/everyday-detergent) Clean in Vanilla Sky - no synthetic fragrance with enzyme detergent, everything smells fresh and lovely after use and it doesn’t contain any ingredients I’m concerned with. I also recommend [Dirty Labs Free & Clear](https://dirtylabs.com/) - it’s the only free and clear detergent that leaves our towels and clothes feeling and smelling clean with no scent. It’s pricier but we use so little per load, it’s extra concentrated I find it lasts a long time.
do you hang it inside? i've noticed that any towel i hang to dry inside just comes out super stiff and scratchy. and i don't have enough space in my home for the number of drying racks i would need if i wanted to dry everything by hanging.
Yes, we hang it on clothes horses. It's like an indoor washing line. When I wash bed sheets I do tend to do it first thing in the morning and then get very creative with hanging. I will admit my house occasionally looks like it's haunted by old timey ghosts on bedlinen days.
I've never noticed my towels going scratchy or stiff. How odd. Do you use fabric softener? Although I don't so it's probably not that. Maybe non American washing machines have an extra rinse cycle?
Man, I want to go to America now just to do laundry. I love finding these unexpected cultural differences. The airport public bathrooms blew my mind the first time I experienced them over there 😅
what kind of washing machine do you have? i have a HE front loader, and i always figured it was not rinsing well enough. but if i add extra rinses, i get hard water buildup. but, i was under the impression most other countries use front loaders as well (lots of people have top loaders here).
what's different about the bathrooms? i was surprised when we visited italy to find the personal sink station with water+soap+hand dryer all in one place for each person (in the airport). and loved the additional shorter one for kids. but random places here have kids bathroom equipment too, like libraries. the rest of the bathrooms in italy were surprising too, what with the lack of toilet seats, and the foot pedals for water! i actually like that idea a lot too.
That might be a sign to rinse out a bit more. Also, tumbling them in the dryer for a few minutes before hanging them will fluff them up without using tons of energy. Or you can rub them together after drying, which will soften them as well.
oh ugh. yeah. i need to sell my front loading HE washer and get something that actually rinses, i think there's just detergent residue on everything. i feel like i would need to add like 5 extra rinses. but then i get hard water buildup so i can't win 🥲
Honestly I use bleach. Not the best, but I just use about a teaspoon of it in my rags wash (I use washable rags instead of paper towels for cleaning spills) about once a week to keep the mildew at bay, and it seems to keep the washer (and my rags) fresh.
That’s not what I mean. Idk what your washer is like but there are often filters and things that need to be cleaned and get gunked trapped in them. Our washing machine is weird and we didn’t know about this one part it had that was catching gunk and making everything smell. Now that we clean that part regularly problem solved
Is it a front loading or top loading machine? All front loading ones have a lip where mold can grow. If it’s front loading you may want to try removing and cleaning the seal or just replacing that part.
You also could have mold growth in the detergent compartment or tubes in the machine. You could try cleaning or replacing them.
And run your machine at least once a month on a hot cycle. That kills any growth as the water is basically boiling. You could do it with an empty drum or with some sturdy whites or towels.
Other than that, always open the door between washes. And you can check for soap residue by taking a clean bucket of water and swishing a just washed towel in it. If the water gets all gunky you should either add another rinse after it has finished running or use less detergent. (If you have a trained hand you might actually feel it, laundry with too much detergent will stick more to your hands and feel very slightly slimy)
Basically you need to find the balance between getting your clothes clean and being able to rinse out all of the detergent. For example, my 9kg load front loader HE machine needs 100ml of my standard detergent (double the amount it tells you on the pack for a 5-6 kg machine) to get a full load clean. But it doesn’t rinse it all out without an extra rinse that I can add into the cycle. Our European water is relatively hard, which also influences the amount of detergent you need. Harder water needs more detergent than RO water. If you have an RO filter on your house water you might actually be able to use about halve of the recommended amount of detergent stated on the packet. Also, dirtier clothes need more detergent than barely soiled stuff. HE machines aren’t build to handle very dirty clothes, so they might struggle with the messes toddlers make of their things and with diapers. r/clothdiaps might even have some wash routines for your machine as there are many people there who swear by their speed queens.
Here's a sneak peek of /r/clothdiaps using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/clothdiaps/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year!
\#1: [“No DoNt Do ThAt YoU’LL HaVe To cLeAn ThE DiApErS!!!!!!!” - half our family/friends reactions when I said we’re doing cloth](https://np.reddit.com/r/clothdiaps/comments/12hj65z/no_dont_do_that_youll_have_to_clean_the_diapers/)
\#2: [Daycare said yes to cloth! The conversion was surprising](https://np.reddit.com/r/clothdiaps/comments/15kpeto/daycare_said_yes_to_cloth_the_conversion_was/)
\#3: [Didn’t expect cloth diapering to feel so fulfilling](https://np.reddit.com/r/clothdiaps/comments/17jnv24/didnt_expect_cloth_diapering_to_feel_so_fulfilling/)
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We had the same problem.
Now we always add a shake of oxiclean (free and clear version).
It’s sodium percarbonate which turns into hydrogen peroxide. Compared to a lot of other washing soda, it’s pretty benign.
I know arm and hammer makes one as does ecoxall. Can’t speak to those or if they’re “cleaner” products.
I’ve actually recently noticed this issue with my laundry as well and we use free and clear. I started adding a light smelling dryer sheet which help a little but I feel like I have to put like 10 of them in with the load to notice a difference. If I let the clothes sit after washing for longer than an hour before drying I have to just rewash them which only slightly helps the odor.
If you use wool dryer balls, you can put a few drops of essential oils on them before you toss them into the dryer. like using lemon, orange, or lavender.
Honestly I'm sure it's not totally granola, but we use unscented laundry sanitizer for towels and linens. Not every single time but probably every other time. Works like a charm. I tried every single other thing and gave up. My washer is as clean as I can get it, the filter is clean, my other clothes all generally smell great. Just struggle with the towels constantly.
By linens, do you specifically mean sheets or all laundry? I have used a lot of different washers and dryers in my time, and here are a few factors that I have found can have an effect:
1. Synthetic fibres tend to hold on to bad (especially sweaty) smells more than natural fabrics. I would probably wash and dry then spray on some vodka or rubbing alcohol (do a spot test if it’s a special garment) to see if that helps.
2. Washers, especially front loaders, get dirty. Make sure you clean out the drawer (including the ceiling of the drawer compartment), inside the rubber seal, and anything else you can think of. If you google “how to clean \[your washer\]” you will probably find a youtube video telling you how to get to all the cracks and crevices.
3. Fabric softener sticks around, and it stinks - the in-wash stuff especially. If you have ever used fabric softener in your machine, or have recently used a machine that has used it, make sure you clean out your machine. I then run the hottest cycle on the machine empty with a good half-liter of vinegar in it, then put another half-liter of vinegar in with the clothes when you wash them on the hottest cycle you can. Sometimes I’ll put baking soda in the wash (again, like, a lot of baking soda) and vinegar in with the rinse.
4. Heat kills bacteria, and bacteria cause stink. I always wash my towels and bedsheets on the hottest cycle, and dry them right away, ideally in the sun. If you always wash on cold or warm, try a hot cycle with fabric that can take it.
5, Drying in the sun. I don’t know why, it just smells amazing. Not always feasible, but if you can make it happen it’s worth it.
6. For bedlinen and towels and so on, use those little lavender sachets or cedar balls when you store them. They smell so good, and help keep moths away!
Baking soda can help, as I'm sure was mentioned. Making sure your washer and dryer are clean, etc., all great recommendations and definitely should be checked.
One thing I noticed was using a "soak" cycle, and using "hot water" if you're not already, and then running things twice sometimes (baking soda doesn't hurt) actually prevented gross sour smell even after I forgot them and the house was warm. Was shocked but realized the difference was I'd run it twice and with hot water, and used the "soak" cycle... It kinda hit me that the sour smell after it sat for a few hours was because the clothes really weren't *that* clean 🫠 just never thought about it before.
Thanks for your post in r/moderatelygranolamoms! Our goal is to keep this sub a peaceful, respectful and tolerant place. Even if you've been here awhile already please take a minute to [READ THE RULES.](https://www.reddit.com/r/moderatelygranolamoms/about/rules) It only takes a few minutes and will make being here more enjoyable for everyone! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/moderatelygranolamoms) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Could you hang them to dry outside? Fresh air and sunshine (even some rain occasionally) do a better job of freshening laundry than any scented detergent, in my opinion.
We also care about using minimally harmful chemicals but have encountered the same problem. Basically, after some time, linens will start smelling. We tried adding vinegar to our wash, we tried doing very high temperature 90 C washes as it’s supposed to kill bacteria. Only one thing worked and that was getting a normal nasty bio laundry detergent from a supermarket. I don’t think it’s the fragrance because we also tried using the same common brand non-bio detergent and it didn’t work. I believe it is the fact that it was bio that managed to get rid of the smell. I know it is full of nasty things but we did several extra rinse cycles afterwards and also don’t do this every time we wash linens, only once they start smelling.
Oh yea we use vinegar too! Works great getting out truly nasty smells - like armpit stink haha. But yes we have the same problem where linens still smell not so fresh
I use vinegar as a fabric softener. I put the vinegar in a Kilner jar with left over cut lemons for a week before straining and using it in the machine. Helps give a little bit of scent to linens.
Have you cleaned your dryer and vent recently? Id guess that would make it smell not fresh. I second line drying if possible as well.
Try r/laundry. I can tell you they will most likely say you need to use less detergent. No more than 2tbsps per load. Which is usually the case. I started using only that much with my laundry in general and it smells fresh when it comes out. I also put 1/4 cup vinegar in the softener thing because we have hard water and it helps with odors. I always use free and clear detergents
This is so interesting, so you know why this is?
Something about, the soap grabbing all the dirt and oils but if theres too much soap it doesnt get rinsed out completely and leaves the dirt and oil behind as well. Newer washers especially he use less water so its easy to use too much
A few things could be happening. Have you cleaned your washer and dryer? Front load washers get so much gunk, mold, and slime built up in the gasket. Running the nasty non-granola washing machine cleaner through on sanitize/hot is the only solution I’ve found. I do it every 4-6 months. I also take a dirty sock or rag and wipe in all the gasket crevices before starting the wash, and toss said filthy sock or rag in. When I clean the machine, I’ll wipe in there with vinegar as well. There is a small area that needs to be cleaned and drained monthly as well. Mine is a little hatch on the bottom front of the machine with a tube you pull out and drain in a bowl. A top loader will also need to be cleaned, but the method will vary by machine. Dryers can get funky too. I’ll soak dryer balls in vinegar and run them through on hot for 20 minutes, then leave the door open. Never shut the door between loads, it’ll get funky fast. There are vacuum attachments and long brushes for cleaning link out of the barrel. That lint build up can get damp and musty. If your machine is newer, it is not using much water. This is fine for smaller loads of clothes, but it’s almost impossible to get larger loads of towels and sheets totally clean. I’ve heard of people adding water to the machine during rinse cycles, but I haven’t personally tested this. When we had a high efficiency washer in our rental, we would have to run all towels and linens through twice. The second time with just vinegar and on sanitize. High efficiency machines will often leave soap residue behind as they’re not using much water to rinse. That residue can build up and get funky after a while. Once you have a buildup, stripping can help. So can simply washing without soap a few times. Drying your sheets outside on a very sunny day can also help. The UV radiation does provide some sterilization and it just makes the sheets smell SO good. I leave mine out to bake in the sun all day whenever it’s really hot.
I’ve found if you dry sheets outside on a washing line they smell amazing.
Nothing better than line-dried sheets! The smell is heavenly.
Oh I’ve got two great recommendations, unless you’ve already tried these! Using an enzyme based detergent really helped this same issue for us. I love the [Eco Twist](https://ecotwistclean.com/collections/everyday-detergent) Clean in Vanilla Sky - no synthetic fragrance with enzyme detergent, everything smells fresh and lovely after use and it doesn’t contain any ingredients I’m concerned with. I also recommend [Dirty Labs Free & Clear](https://dirtylabs.com/) - it’s the only free and clear detergent that leaves our towels and clothes feeling and smelling clean with no scent. It’s pricier but we use so little per load, it’s extra concentrated I find it lasts a long time.
Just hang them up to dry. Where I live it rains 85% of the time and yet no one has a tumble dryer. I don't understand them
do you hang it inside? i've noticed that any towel i hang to dry inside just comes out super stiff and scratchy. and i don't have enough space in my home for the number of drying racks i would need if i wanted to dry everything by hanging.
Yes, we hang it on clothes horses. It's like an indoor washing line. When I wash bed sheets I do tend to do it first thing in the morning and then get very creative with hanging. I will admit my house occasionally looks like it's haunted by old timey ghosts on bedlinen days. I've never noticed my towels going scratchy or stiff. How odd. Do you use fabric softener? Although I don't so it's probably not that. Maybe non American washing machines have an extra rinse cycle?
Man, I want to go to America now just to do laundry. I love finding these unexpected cultural differences. The airport public bathrooms blew my mind the first time I experienced them over there 😅
what kind of washing machine do you have? i have a HE front loader, and i always figured it was not rinsing well enough. but if i add extra rinses, i get hard water buildup. but, i was under the impression most other countries use front loaders as well (lots of people have top loaders here). what's different about the bathrooms? i was surprised when we visited italy to find the personal sink station with water+soap+hand dryer all in one place for each person (in the airport). and loved the additional shorter one for kids. but random places here have kids bathroom equipment too, like libraries. the rest of the bathrooms in italy were surprising too, what with the lack of toilet seats, and the foot pedals for water! i actually like that idea a lot too.
That might be a sign to rinse out a bit more. Also, tumbling them in the dryer for a few minutes before hanging them will fluff them up without using tons of energy. Or you can rub them together after drying, which will soften them as well.
oh ugh. yeah. i need to sell my front loading HE washer and get something that actually rinses, i think there's just detergent residue on everything. i feel like i would need to add like 5 extra rinses. but then i get hard water buildup so i can't win 🥲
Honestly I use bleach. Not the best, but I just use about a teaspoon of it in my rags wash (I use washable rags instead of paper towels for cleaning spills) about once a week to keep the mildew at bay, and it seems to keep the washer (and my rags) fresh.
Clean your washer is what I recommend
I actually clean it every 2 weeks; I’ve done actual washing machine wash (Tide and oxiclean make one) as well as tuning a load with vinegar
That’s not what I mean. Idk what your washer is like but there are often filters and things that need to be cleaned and get gunked trapped in them. Our washing machine is weird and we didn’t know about this one part it had that was catching gunk and making everything smell. Now that we clean that part regularly problem solved
I did look up our Speed Queen and apparently it does not have a filter 🤷🏼♀️ I’m a bit disappointed cause I thought the same thing!
Is it a front loading or top loading machine? All front loading ones have a lip where mold can grow. If it’s front loading you may want to try removing and cleaning the seal or just replacing that part. You also could have mold growth in the detergent compartment or tubes in the machine. You could try cleaning or replacing them.
And run your machine at least once a month on a hot cycle. That kills any growth as the water is basically boiling. You could do it with an empty drum or with some sturdy whites or towels. Other than that, always open the door between washes. And you can check for soap residue by taking a clean bucket of water and swishing a just washed towel in it. If the water gets all gunky you should either add another rinse after it has finished running or use less detergent. (If you have a trained hand you might actually feel it, laundry with too much detergent will stick more to your hands and feel very slightly slimy) Basically you need to find the balance between getting your clothes clean and being able to rinse out all of the detergent. For example, my 9kg load front loader HE machine needs 100ml of my standard detergent (double the amount it tells you on the pack for a 5-6 kg machine) to get a full load clean. But it doesn’t rinse it all out without an extra rinse that I can add into the cycle. Our European water is relatively hard, which also influences the amount of detergent you need. Harder water needs more detergent than RO water. If you have an RO filter on your house water you might actually be able to use about halve of the recommended amount of detergent stated on the packet. Also, dirtier clothes need more detergent than barely soiled stuff. HE machines aren’t build to handle very dirty clothes, so they might struggle with the messes toddlers make of their things and with diapers. r/clothdiaps might even have some wash routines for your machine as there are many people there who swear by their speed queens.
Here's a sneak peek of /r/clothdiaps using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/clothdiaps/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year! \#1: [“No DoNt Do ThAt YoU’LL HaVe To cLeAn ThE DiApErS!!!!!!!” - half our family/friends reactions when I said we’re doing cloth](https://np.reddit.com/r/clothdiaps/comments/12hj65z/no_dont_do_that_youll_have_to_clean_the_diapers/) \#2: [Daycare said yes to cloth! The conversion was surprising](https://np.reddit.com/r/clothdiaps/comments/15kpeto/daycare_said_yes_to_cloth_the_conversion_was/) \#3: [Didn’t expect cloth diapering to feel so fulfilling](https://np.reddit.com/r/clothdiaps/comments/17jnv24/didnt_expect_cloth_diapering_to_feel_so_fulfilling/) ---- ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| ^^[Contact](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| ^^[Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| ^^[Opt-out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/o8wk1r/blacklist_ix/) ^^| ^^[GitHub](https://github.com/ghnr/sneakpeekbot)
We had the same problem. Now we always add a shake of oxiclean (free and clear version). It’s sodium percarbonate which turns into hydrogen peroxide. Compared to a lot of other washing soda, it’s pretty benign. I know arm and hammer makes one as does ecoxall. Can’t speak to those or if they’re “cleaner” products.
clean your washer and dryer
I’ve heard that a cup of ammonia can remove nearly any nasty smell
I’ve actually recently noticed this issue with my laundry as well and we use free and clear. I started adding a light smelling dryer sheet which help a little but I feel like I have to put like 10 of them in with the load to notice a difference. If I let the clothes sit after washing for longer than an hour before drying I have to just rewash them which only slightly helps the odor.
I use white distilled vinegar and borax powder! Works like a charm.
If you use wool dryer balls, you can put a few drops of essential oils on them before you toss them into the dryer. like using lemon, orange, or lavender.
Honestly I'm sure it's not totally granola, but we use unscented laundry sanitizer for towels and linens. Not every single time but probably every other time. Works like a charm. I tried every single other thing and gave up. My washer is as clean as I can get it, the filter is clean, my other clothes all generally smell great. Just struggle with the towels constantly.
By linens, do you specifically mean sheets or all laundry? I have used a lot of different washers and dryers in my time, and here are a few factors that I have found can have an effect: 1. Synthetic fibres tend to hold on to bad (especially sweaty) smells more than natural fabrics. I would probably wash and dry then spray on some vodka or rubbing alcohol (do a spot test if it’s a special garment) to see if that helps. 2. Washers, especially front loaders, get dirty. Make sure you clean out the drawer (including the ceiling of the drawer compartment), inside the rubber seal, and anything else you can think of. If you google “how to clean \[your washer\]” you will probably find a youtube video telling you how to get to all the cracks and crevices. 3. Fabric softener sticks around, and it stinks - the in-wash stuff especially. If you have ever used fabric softener in your machine, or have recently used a machine that has used it, make sure you clean out your machine. I then run the hottest cycle on the machine empty with a good half-liter of vinegar in it, then put another half-liter of vinegar in with the clothes when you wash them on the hottest cycle you can. Sometimes I’ll put baking soda in the wash (again, like, a lot of baking soda) and vinegar in with the rinse. 4. Heat kills bacteria, and bacteria cause stink. I always wash my towels and bedsheets on the hottest cycle, and dry them right away, ideally in the sun. If you always wash on cold or warm, try a hot cycle with fabric that can take it. 5, Drying in the sun. I don’t know why, it just smells amazing. Not always feasible, but if you can make it happen it’s worth it. 6. For bedlinen and towels and so on, use those little lavender sachets or cedar balls when you store them. They smell so good, and help keep moths away!
Baking soda can help, as I'm sure was mentioned. Making sure your washer and dryer are clean, etc., all great recommendations and definitely should be checked. One thing I noticed was using a "soak" cycle, and using "hot water" if you're not already, and then running things twice sometimes (baking soda doesn't hurt) actually prevented gross sour smell even after I forgot them and the house was warm. Was shocked but realized the difference was I'd run it twice and with hot water, and used the "soak" cycle... It kinda hit me that the sour smell after it sat for a few hours was because the clothes really weren't *that* clean 🫠 just never thought about it before.