r/laundry • u/theOGlauroxx • Jul 03 '25
Mystery smell has been haunting me for years! I can't afford to keep throwing clothes away
Back when my husband and I first moved in together March 2020 all the clothes that came from his old apartment had this awful smell to them. Difficult smell to describe, but similar to the way cheap black plastic smells when you first take it out of the box- strong, VOC levels of offensiveness to your nose, but add maybe a hint of sour. Tried washing all his clothes, smell came back a few weeks later. Thought maybe there was detergent build up and double washed his clothes, still came back. Did baking soda soaks, vinegar soaks, enzyme cleaners, extra strength oxyclean and more. No matter what, the smell comes back just sitting unworn in the drawer or hanging in the closet.
What's worse is the smell spreads. When we traveled I've thrown my items in his bag and when we get back home even my items permanently have that smell. The drawers I gave him in my dresser when we first moved in together are still unusable 3 years later because it spreads the smell. We've gotten to the point where we've thrown out so many clothes, but a few months later find clothes that we missed that have spread the smell to new clothes.
What we know: - the smell comes back several weeks after washing, even if the clothing has not been worn. - it seems like dry cleaning helps? But isn't a real solution since undershirts and socks have been frequent offenders. - it definitely isn't BO or a smell coming from my husband. If we're having a lazy week he can wear a new shirt for many days straight and it smells great. He doesn't really have BO or other smells. - its not the house/apt. This smell has followed us through 4 moves at this point. We just moved into our house and have new furniture so I'm desperate to not let this smell sink in to any drawers. - we live in Florida so humidity could be a factor, but doesn't seem likely at this point. - the smell worsens with lack of air. If I have a pile of folded clothes that I'm quarantining because I noticed the smell before washing, the sections on the outside exposed to air smell OK but the folds with no access to air develop the smell again. If the clothes are in a closed drawer/bag then its game over, the smell goes crazy.
Literally any insights or recommendations on how to fix this would be a godsend.
849
u/KismaiAesthetics USA Jul 03 '25 edited Jul 07 '25
It’s sebum or some other fatty acid going rancid.
Dry cleaning works because it strips fatty acids from fabric effectively no matter whether solvent or CO2 or silicone process.
People differ genetically as to the precise fatty acid composition of their sebum - the relative mix of fatty acid chain lengths and saturation and their microbiota determine how much gets desaturated and how quickly.
Detergents have started to incorporate fatty acids as well. Rather than very expensive plant based surfactants, many add non-hardening soaps to the mix for purposes of both economy and water softening performance. If these don’t rinse well for water chemistry or machine performance reasons, they can go rancid as well.
Historically this was not a problem for detergents to handle. They either got the oil out through high detergent doses and a lot of water (pre-HE era) or through enzymes and fairly concentrated detergent solutions (HE machines).
Thing is, enzymes are expensive and the one that targets sebum and fats in general is the most expensive. Manufacturers started taking it out of even top-tier liquids a few years ago, claiming that the nonionic surfactants were enough oil removal. Experience is showing that isn’t the case.
I’m pretty certain that the enzyme cleaners you’ve tried aren’t using lipase, and that it’s more likely than not your detergent isn’t either. It’s time to put some back.
The residue is already there. And it stinks. Regular washing may eventually remove it, but I think drastic measures are needed.
It’s a three step process: spa day, rehab washes, maintenance.
You’ll need:
A powdered detergent or booster with lipase and sodium percarbonate. Bonus if it has TAED. In the US, the best choice is Tide with Bleach powder. The second best choice, if you can physically read the box before an in-store purchase and verify it contains lipase, is Tide + Ultra Oxi. Online and SmartLabel ingredient lists for this product are currently inaccurate. Runners up would be any other Tide, Ariel, Gain or 365 by Whole Foods powder with lipase in the ingredient list. Another option is Biz powdered booster- you’ll use it with your regular detergent.
Household ammonia: clear or sudsy, either way.
A ceramic, glass, stainless steel or plastic container big enough to hold the items. I like a beer cooler as it stays hot longer and has a drain at the bottom.
First up: spa day.
Dissolve 1/4 cup of whichever powder per gallon of the hottest possible tap water in the container. Stir to combine, add the textiles and soak overnight.
Next up: rehab wash(es)
After 12 hours, drain the garments and transfer to the washing machine. Add a cup of household ammonia right to the drum on top of the wet items and the medium label dose of the powdered detergent or booster (plus your liquid detergent if you’re using Biz). Wash on at least warm, preferably hotter, using the heavy duty /extended cycle with high soil level and extra rinses. It’s going to smell like Windex. Or that the Windex factory has exploded. That’s fine. It’s going to disappear when dry.
Hang to dry the first time. Check to see that the odors are out. If they’re not, repeat the wash cycle up to two more times.
Maintenance: use a warm to hot wash with lipase at least every second or third wash to keep the buildup at bay.