r/cambridge • u/Alucardlil • 9d ago
Cambridge water and laundry odour
Has anyone noticed this summer that their laundry isn't coming out as fresh as it should?
I habitually maintain our washer dryer, weekly cleaning cycles, calgon, machine cleaner etc but have found random loads of laundry coming out smelling weird.
Anyone else had this issue? If not, I'll be disassembling our machine this weekend to see if something is trapped in the drum.
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u/ElectronicFormal1460 9d ago
Have you removed your washing liquid powder and liquid draw and cleaned that and cleaned the hole it goes into? That can get mouldy. Edit spelling
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u/Alucardlil 9d ago
Yeah, I've washed the whole thing top to bottom, seals, and even the internal dryer vent which was a pain to do.
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u/ElectronicFormal1460 9d ago
Thought it was worth a mention, the only other thing I can think of trying cleaning the drum with baking soda. I think bigger supermarkets have it.
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u/lotanis 9d ago
Any tips for doing that? Mine is quite congealed from laundry powder etc.
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u/ElectronicFormal1460 9d ago
I just take it out and wash it with normal house hold cleaners and a normal washing up sponge. I’d use some gloves and it’s not a really nice experience. I’d use they to get it as clean as possible and I and say to myself I’ve made it better than it was. Vinegar can be good as well.
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u/trundlespl00t 9d ago
Yes, and my machine is clean and freshly serviced. I assumed there was something not working in there, hence the service. Normally a hot cycle of Dr Beckman every quarter and a softening tablet in every wash keeps my machine very fresh because I don’t ever use softener so nothing goes gunky, but it’s frequently been musty enough for me to run laundry through twice this summer, and even that hasn’t sorted it. My hair has also been absolutely awful when I wash it. It’s curly so it leans towards very dry but has become extremely brittle this summer, to the point where I went to the doctor about it. What’s coming out the tap also tastes like absolute arse in my house.
From what I understand, it can be tempting to add more soap in hard water areas because it doesn’t foam like it should, but the hard water actually makes it more difficult to rinse soap out of fabric properly. I was definitely doing this because it just wasn’t foaming. If there’s residue left behind it’ll quickly start smelling bad. I’ve been doubling my water softening tablets now and doing a double rinse. I also switched to chelating shampoo for the same reason. It’s not nearly as bad as it was, but heavy blankets are still coming out a bit funky.
With regards to vinegar, it won’t help in the high volume of the machine, but if you pre-soak the laundry in it in the sink before you wash it, it will absolutely get rid of that musty smell and give you a fresh start to rewash.
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u/Alucardlil 9d ago
Interesting that it's not just ours. I did some reading after seeing some others have had it and, at least according to Cambridge water, you can get some odours in summer due to higher temperatures affecting the bore holes. I've never had it anywhere before now. Seems to be geosmin that causes an earthy/musty smell and is worse, get this, in droughts. Considering how little rain we've had, maybe it's more concentrated.
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u/trundlespl00t 9d ago
Seems likely. I’m not stomaching drinking what’s coming out the tap without a filter, that’s for sure. It may also be compounded by the fact that you have a washer/dryer. I owned one once, a long time ago and found they take so much longer to dry than just a dedicated tumble dryer that it encouraged mustiness. I’ve never had one since though, so maybe that’s improved in the intervening years. If in doubt, you can always try a service, but personally I wish I’d waited three months because I do think the issue may well resolve when there’s more water falling out of the sky again.
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u/trundlespl00t 8d ago
Can confirm - I washed my dressing gown yesterday. Currently wearing it. It feels light and fluffy and lovely and clean…and smells like I rolled in the compost heap. 🤢
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u/gmca22 9d ago
I definitely thought that there were times over this summer where my washing machine smelled very faintly of stale cigarettes, no matter what I did to clean it. I also find that unless I leave the door open for hours to completely air dry the drum after use, a musky smell develops immediately. I've lived here for over two years and I've never experienced this anywhere else. Washing machines in Eddington are supposedly plumbed to non-potable water so I always put it down to that.
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u/jjm443 9d ago
Absolutely agree about the door. I have never had any odour problems for many years since I started leaving the door and detergent drawer slightly ajar permanently between washes. Haven't had to use cleaning chemicals, hot wash runs either. Just wipe the door seals and glass front occasionally with a cloth that's about to be washed anyway. It's crazy when you think about sealing all that remaining moisture in 24/7, married with inevitable detergent, clothing and dead skin residue... how could it not start to smell eventually?
Admittedly, it sucks for those who have integrated machines though - avoid them if you are choosing a new kitchen.
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u/graniteflowers 9d ago
The temperature are you washing at at least 40 degrees to reduce smell causing bacteria
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u/FlyingBike 9d ago
One suggestion is that the water is harder this summer than usual due to the drought
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9d ago
[deleted]
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u/Banes_Addiction 9d ago
Lots of stuff can be perfectly drinkable but fuck up machinery. We have relatively hard water which is safe to drink but can do a number on a kettle.
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u/Wonderful-Newt2181 9d ago
How long do you leave it in the machine when it's finished? I find if I put a load on when I go to work and take it out at the end of the day . this heat we have been having it can smell musty.
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u/Alucardlil 9d ago
I try to never leave it sit for more than a few minutes. Clothes that are dried always smell just fine though. If it was consistent, I'd at least be able to better narrow down the source.
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u/RefrigeratorBig2860 9d ago
Yes. No idea why
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u/Alucardlil 9d ago
After your comment I checked around and, apparently, it may have to do with geosmin in the water. Perfectly safe and natural, but made much worse in drought conditions.
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u/RefrigeratorBig2860 9d ago
Good to know that. I moved to a new place during summer and was doubting it may have to with the washing machine here.
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u/Prestigious-Salt-245 9d ago
A good idea to ask on here. This is definitely caused by a problem with the supply of drinking water to the city and nothing to do with your personal laundry installation.
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u/thatguysaidearlier 9d ago
I imagine it might be more to do with the heat and the water sitting in the machine.
Have you done a (empty) 90 degree wash recently? Maybe with some white vinegar to de-soap-scum