Smelly sweaters?

Hi everyone!
Today I have a question that’s indirectly related to crafts.
For some reason, after the last few washes, almost all my knitted sweaters have been smelling really bad. It doesn’t matter if they’re store-bought (acrylic) or homemade (acrylic yarn). I’ve tried washing them with and without fabric softener and drying them in the basement (just like all my other laundry), but they still smell really weird...It can’t be the washing machine, because the rest of the laundry smells fresh and the machine gets cleaned regularly. Could it be because they’re drying too slowly? I’ve already thought about throwing them in the dryer—do you have any tips or similar experiences?

Good morning! Could it be because of the basement? A friend of mine also dried her things in the basement for a while, and they all smelled musty. There was some dampness in the basement, and thick sweaters do dry slowly! She now always hangs them up in the living room. Not pretty, but they don’t stink anymore.
Best regards
Sandra

Hi there,

Acrylic is a synthetic fiber that shouldn’t be washed at too high a temperature. In general, synthetic fibers often have the problem that they don’t get properly clean when washed.
Especially at low wash temperatures, I always add a splash of laundry sanitizer to the washing machine in addition to the regular detergent.
  I don’t use fabric softener at all. For that special “freshly washed” scent, I use Lenor’s scent beads.
Theoretically, the fabric softener could also be the problem. If you’ve ever used too much, you’re probably familiar with that unpleasant, greasy feeling. But even if you haven’t used too much, that stuff still has to be washed out before more is added. And that just doesn’t work quite as well at low temperatures. If residues remain, it’ll start to smell musty eventually.

I’d try washing the clothes with just the laundry sanitizer. But don’t use too much of that either. ;-)

Best regards and good luck troubleshooting.

Birgit 

I think it was because of the long drying time. I dried one sweater today in the living room in front of the heater and threw the others in the dryer. I just took them out, and they smell fresh! The best part is that they haven’t shrunk or stretched out. Other laundry dries much faster, of course, so I guess that’s why only the sweaters smelled bad.
Thanks so much for your tips!

Hi Nadeleule,

Unfortunately, we have absolutely no way to dry laundry except on the balcony or—in winter—inside the apartment.
And I’ve had the same problem over the last few years—the laundry came out of the machine smelling nice, but as it dried, it took on this musty smell. Towels and bedding were particularly affected. This is actually because it can’t dry quickly enough inside the apartment or even in the basement (where it’s usually a bit damp).

After thinking it over for a long time, we finally bought a clothes dryer, and since then we haven’t had any problems with musty laundry. I also still like to toss one of those dryer sheets in with the load—it makes the laundry smell twice as good. :-)

The dryer does use electricity, but it’s simply worth it to me because 1. I no longer have laundry lying around everywhere all the time, and 2. it smells nice and fresh, too.
Starting in the spring, we’ll go back to drying it on the balcony. :-)

Best regards
Michaela

Hi there,
the most important thing has already been said. Damp basements are definitely not recommended. When drying in a tumble dryer, however, you should check the care symbols on the yarn label. Not every type of yarn is suitable for this.

Just one more note: please don’t use fabric softener—it’s not only harmful to the environment and can trigger allergies, but it also damages the wool fibers. I’m not sure, though, whether fabric softener can be blamed for the musty smell.

Best regards,
Traudelina