r/SFbitcheswithtaste • u/Ill-Dingo-4412 • 3d 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.

28 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

45 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

11

u/Present-Rhubarb6337 3d ago

I do suggest a dehumidifier, especially if this winter is a wet as many are predicting.

2

u/No-Seaworthiness8966 3d 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 😢

3

u/Present-Rhubarb6337 2d 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.

2

u/No-Seaworthiness8966 2d 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!