A common mistake could be making your clothes smell bad even after washing them
Washing clothes should bring a new lease of life into them and refresh any bad smells. However, sometimes when coming out of the washing machine items can smell worse than when they went in.
Clothes, sheets and towels can pick up a stale smell, despite being thoroughly washed. It can become a very frustrating issue, but thankfully there is a simple fix.
Cleaning expert Lynsey Crombie says the “nasty” smell can actually come from a common mistake people make while doing the laundry. When washing clothes, many of us reach for bottles of fabric detergent and fabric softener.
They come in a wide range of pleasant smells, which sometimes appears to vanish once the items come out of the wash. Lynsey, who shares tips and tricks on her Queen of Clean account, said: “Ever wondered why your clothes still smell even after washing?
“The answer could be too much fabric softener.” Lynsey explained that using too much of the cleaning product can actually make items “smell stale and nasty”.
She added: “Excess fabric conditioner creates build-up instead of freshening clothes. Less is more, avoid overuse for the best results.”
Lynsey’s followers have already listened to her advice as one said: “I used to use too much now I don’t anymore.” Another added: “Don’t know that thanks for the info.” Someone else commented: “You are absolutely right!”
Other cleaning experts have also shared their concerns about using too much fabric softener. Ann Russell, who goes by @annrussell03 on TikTok, responded to another user’s video warning that fabric softener can make your clothes ‘more flammable’.
She replied: “That is why I do not recommend using fabric softener for applications which it wasn’t intended for like spraying your upholstery to make it smell good, which people do.”
Ann explained that she’s not a great fan of the product even when it is used for its intended purpose. She added: “I’m not a fan of fabric softener in general anyway. I’m not saying I never use it because I do. I use it very, very rarely.
“Three reasons, if you over use it, it can make your clothes smell. They come out and they smell of fabric softener.
“You put them away and you open the drawer and two days later it smells sour – that’s fabric softener. It builds up on clothes and when you’ve got it your clothes feel floppy, heavy, and greasy.”
Ann said: “If you use it generously in every wash you will find that your clothes get dirtier quickly, it smells funky and sour, and you can end up with weird patches on your clothes when you get them out of the machine.”
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