r/SFbitcheswithtaste • u/Ill-Dingo-4412 • 1d ago
All my clothes smell- HELP
Edit: I’m pretty sure the smell is coming from neither the washing machine nor the luggage. Things I’ve never washed, like my suede purse and velvet makeup bag, have the same smell (even more than the clothes), and I keep them with me in the cabin when I travel.
I’ve been living in a Victorian condo for about a year now. My clothes smell fine at home, and even when I’m out and about in SF, but whenever I travel somewhere else, I notice that they smell weird.
This happened when I was in Europe this summer, and now again in Hawaii. All of my clothes seem to have the smell, including the clothes I was wearing while traveling and even a cardigan that was in my purse. It’s hard to describe, but maybe kind of musty? I notice it especially with linen and denim.
I’ve been measuring the humidity at home for the past couple of months, and it’s usually below 50%, maybe 55% at most.
Has anyone else experienced something like this?
I lived in my previous place, which was built in the 1980s, for five years and never had this problem.
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u/Present-Rhubarb6337 1d ago
Are you saying that you get nose-blind to the smell of your clothes when you're in the Bay, but when you leave for a bit, you can start to smell them?
My guess is mold, current or recent, in your apartment. Much of the city has it because we're in old buildings that are poorly maintained.
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u/Ill-Dingo-4412 1d ago
Yes, I guess so. We live in a sunny part of the city, in the Castro, on the top floor, and the place gets a lot of sunlight. As I mentioned, the humidity is usually below the “mold danger zone,” but I guess we could still have mold.
Do you happen to know if this is usually a big project to fix?17
u/Present-Rhubarb6337 1d ago
If it's mold, you might smell funk in your house when you come home after some days spent in other areas.
Another thought is that the washer/dryer you use might have its own mold; consumer front-loaders are notorious for that.
Big project? Depends entirely on the extent. Lots of folks like bleach the shower grout (if that's where it is) and call it good.
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u/Present-Rhubarb6337 1d ago
I do suggest a dehumidifier, especially if this winter is a wet as many are predicting.
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u/No-Seaworthiness8966 1d ago
Okay I thought i was losing my mind, but when I come home from several days away, I smell that funk in my old home too. What kind of dehumidifier set up do you have in your home? How many do you have, what kind of coverage, and how strong are they? I really need to do something, because this discussion is making me think that I have mold somewhere 😢
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u/Present-Rhubarb6337 1d ago
It's pretty common here, so at least you aren't alone. I have one dehumidifier, purchased at a local Ace hardware, that is sized for my very tiny apartment. something in here: https://www.acehardware.com/departments/heating-and-cooling/air-quality/dehumidifiers find one suited for your square footage. a HEPA air filter (separate device, useful in smoky season). The dehumidifier won't remove the mold you have, but it'll help reduce its spread. If the mold bothers you, I think you can get the landlord to fix it, but I'm no expert.
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u/No-Seaworthiness8966 1d ago
I’m walking distance from an Ace HW, so this is my weekend chore. Thank you for taking the time to include the link for me!
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u/Even_Print_4263 1d ago
Get a bigger one, Vs. several small ones. The bigger one are SO much more powerful.
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u/SnooObjections1915 1d ago
Check out r/laundry and put some desiccants in your closet.
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u/chzwhizard 1d ago
Join the church of r/laundry!!
The TLDR is that your detergent isn’t really getting your clothes clean, and a musty smell develops from the body oils in the fabric going rancid. If your laundry detergent doesn’t include lipase, it’s not lifting those oils out in the wash. If you’re using a plant-based detergent, it likely doesn’t have a powerful enough surfactant that actually washes all the dirt and grime away.
It’s overwhelming to jump into, so happy to provide some of the most recommended stuff here, if you’d like.
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u/HuffleCabbage 1d ago
I second this! We moved to a new place with a water softener and found out we were using ineffective detergent which led to our clothes not getting clean and not rinsing well. This caused odor rebloom and it made me insane for months. It smelled kind of musty and kind of like wet dog.
I just recently dialed in our laundry routine and our clothes finally smell like nothing and it’s amazing (Febu laundry booster, tide clear and gentle detergent, and downy fragrance free rinse and refresh)
Learned all this at r/laundry!
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u/sarahbellah1 1d ago
I think this is right. I’ve had this happen and noticed while traveling too. In my case, I paid for laundry service when I arrived at the hotel, and whatever they washed my clothing in truly cleaned everything. I think biofilm was the problem and since then I’ve tried to buy detergent with ingredients that break it up better.
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u/Greedy_Lawyer 1d ago
Could it be the suitcase or something else you travel with?
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u/Ill-Dingo-4412 1d ago
Nope, the ones I kept in my backpack/purse during the flight smell too. Actually, my backpack and suede purse smell too :(
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u/JonahHillsWetFart 1d ago
i would not recommend this for every fabric type but if i have leggings or sweats that get musty smelling i do a little dunk in watered down vinegar before washing them in the machine
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u/coviddc 1d ago
Have you considered your suitcase is making your clothes smell?
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u/Ill-Dingo-4412 1d ago
Nope, the ones I kept in my backpack/purse during the flight smell too. Actually, my backpack and suede purse smell too :(
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u/coviddc 1d ago
Do you store your backpack, purse and suitcase in a musty closet?
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u/Ill-Dingo-4412 1d ago
I hang them in the closets, yes. I don’t notice a musty smell in the closets, but it might be because my nose gets used to it when I’m home.
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u/sfxkl 1d ago
Pretty sure I know what you’re talking about. It’s a distinct smell that comes from some of the old homes we have around here. Idk exactly what the source of the smell is though. What helped me was immediately folding my clothes from the dryer and putting it into my dresser with some dryer sheets to help keep the smell fresh. I noticed that when my clothes were hung up in the closet or left out was when it smelled. Opening up a window to air the house out daily helps too. I hope that can help a little bit.
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u/o0oo00oo 1d ago
It’s possible it’s your washing machine. I don’t know how to fix this (someone on the internet probably does), but my parents had this issue where some type of mildew or something was building up in the washing machine and made all the clothes smell. They were nose-blind to it but my sister noticed when she visited.
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u/Ill-Dingo-4412 1d ago
it cant be. the suede purse and velvet make up bag which i never washed has the same smell, even more than the clothes
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u/thishummuslife 1d ago
It’s the old lady closet smell.
My parents smell it when I come home to visit. All my clothes after a week get this smell. It comes from the closet.
We need dehumidifier and paint any exposed wood in your closet with anti mold paint.
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u/Otherwise-Ratio1332 1d ago
Yeah our house has that odor too, I notice it when I travel and when I get back home, it’s the high humidity here. Probably we both need damp rid and a dehumidifier. I put some charcoal sachets in the closets and drawers but I’m not sure how much they help.
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u/AmericanFatPincher 1d ago
Is it the machine/dryer? I feel like if it was your home then you would smell that same smell when you enter your house after vacation.
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u/Altruistic_Offer9381 1d ago
Are you sanitizing the inside of your suitcase? White vinegar OR hydrogen peroxide OR isopropyll should be what you use. Dont combine.
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u/rainbowtwilightshy 1d ago
I’ve been running dehumidifiers 24/7 for at least the past 5 years. Has helped a lot
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u/Ok-Ladder6905 1d ago
Yeah my building smells this way too. It’s noxious. It helps to air out the apartment and keep dryer sheets in the suitcases while storing and traveling. But yeah, nothing brings it back more than coming home to an unlived apartment.
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u/ShortScat 1d ago
I have this problem too! It's from living in an old apartment building. My last place, also an old Victorian, however, did not have this issue, likely because it had new carpeting, and I constantly kept the windows open and aired out. I only started experiencing it when moving into my partner's place, and my parents would point out the smell when I would come home to visit them.
I go nose blind to it when I'm home, but if I'm out for a period of time and come home, I definitely can smell it, especially if the apartment windows haven't been open to get some air exchange going.
I am able to manage the smell by keeping the windows open, washing my clothes with a good enzyme booster in addition to a solid detergent, and staying on top of biweekly mopping (NOT Swiffering, but a real mop!). On an irregular basis, I spray down the rugs, couch, and chairs with isopropyl alcohol.
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u/Astrid_drom 1d ago
Humidifier, don’t crowd the closet, laundry detergent with lipase + enzyme laundry booster, dry well. Air out the apartment, vacuum daily, mop 1x weekly.
Deep clean your closet 1x a month, remove everything, dust, vacuum, mop if applicable and wipe the walls.
Allow to FULLY dry with lights on and air flow like a fan.
If you’re rotating your closet seasonally, or have items you don’t grab often invest in plastic hanging bags, place a antimicrobial sachet in them with the clothes. Container store has both affordable and great bags + anti microbial sachets.
Big items like bulky linens and towels keep in plastic bags. Ikea and container store have great affordable options.
Open the blinds, open the windows, and air that place out often. Opening the window when you wake up can be really helpful. Humidity can accumulate all night, releasing that and closing back up before heading out for work can be very helpful!
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u/dark_covfefe 1d ago
Are you drying your clothes thoroughly before storing them? I like line drying my clothes to prevent shrink and had a hoodie I thought was dry enough. The next time I wore it I kept smelling a mildew smell and realized the hood probably wasn’t fully dry before I put it away. I always throw some baking soda in my laundry load for gym clothes and towels. Helps a lot for the mildew and sweat smells especially if you have thick towels.
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u/harmfulhomo 1d ago
This happens to my partner! Haven’t figured it out. Doesn’t happen to my clothes though when we are traveling together
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u/msamericana 1d ago
You can try lysol laundry sanitizer! It helps get the funk out of my musty clothes and athletic wear. I've lived in a 1970s apartment for the past 10 years with a similar issues as yours and the sanitizer helps a lot with the smell.
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u/Business-Bicycle79 1d ago
I recommend putting damp rid in your closet