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Post by JessicaMessica on Jun 29, 2010 11:57:01 GMT -5
I know that this such a common topic, but I feel like I've tried everything and it doesn't work!!
I have 2 cats and 3 dogs...not everyone is good at going to the bathroom where they should...and I'm not always good about keeping clothes off the floor. You can probably guess where this going.
My clothes smell even after washing, and it's wreaking havoc on my personal and professional lives. I don't know what to do to get and keep the smell out. Obviously putting my clothes away correctly will help but that'll work only after they stop smelling to begin with.
Help!! I've tried nature's miracle, vinegar, etc....nothing seems to help!
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Post by eagle on Jun 29, 2010 12:13:15 GMT -5
With really strong odors, I have left articles to soak in vinegar for a couple of days. In some cases, repeat treatment was necessary, but it got the strong odors out after doing this a few times. If you have tried several repeat treatments using enzymatic cleaners or vinegar and you are not overloading the washing machine and it's still not working, perhaps the clothes are not salvagable.
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Post by Script on Jun 29, 2010 12:13:46 GMT -5
My clothes smell even after washing, personal confession time: I sweat like a pack mule. For about a year, before I hit the really bad hot flashes, in the midst of a Green Personal Initiative I tried to use eco-friendly 1) natural deodorant 2) natural soaps or detergents for laundry let me tell you, this experiement was NOT a success. my tee shirts and tops NEVER got rid of the smell of sweat please believe me, i am NOT super-fastidious Anyway, I eventually tossed the clothes. What I do now: my two ANTI-SMELL agents for laundry 1) oxyclean soaking overnight----oxyclean works especially well if dissolved first in BOILING WATER from a kettle: if your clothes can handle really hot water, this helps 2) borax to washer and letting stuff soak, also for a long time I can't help you with the cat and dog issues, but I KNOW that clothes can smell, from various reasons. Please be gentle with yourself: these things happen. PS: if you decide to toss things, so be it. maybe you can find some work clothes, even used, that are ok.....my mom, brother and i have all had luck at second-hand-resale-places run by the Junior League in CA! |
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Post by yearning4order on Jun 29, 2010 12:21:36 GMT -5
I am wondering if you can find an alternate pile location for clothes? I am not always great at putting the clothes away or whatnot, but I do try to pile them off the floor so that little dog won't think it's all one big potty pad. I find the more stuff I have on the floor the more confused she is with her potty training. The less stuff on the floor, the better she is about going outdoors or using her single potty pad.
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Post by messymimi on Jun 29, 2010 13:07:18 GMT -5
I agree -- lots of oxyclean, lots of vinegar, lots of scented liquid fabric softener, air dry everything (dryer heat sets stains and smells), and if it takes too much doing of all of the above, toss.
messymimi
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Post by mythreecats on Jun 29, 2010 15:08:38 GMT -5
For me, even the most vile stubborn cat pee smell came out with:
Soak with Petastic stain and odor remover (note that Petastic now owns the formula that used to be "Nature's Miracle" and word on the net and my pet supply store is that the new Nature's Miracle isn't as good)
Wash
Hang outside in sun for as long as you can
Wash
Repeat as needed. For freshly peed upon items, once is sometimes enough, especially if the smell hasn't been "set" in hot water or the dryer. I had one beloved blanket that required about 5 cycles over a month. No smell at all anymore. Probably not worth it for things you don't LOVE, but it worked for me.
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MiSC
Banned
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,611 
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Post by MiSC on Jun 29, 2010 16:09:32 GMT -5
The only thing that ever worked 100% for me was Odoban. I know you can get it at Sam's Club, and I think someone told me they got some from Walmart recently. It neutralizes the urine odor completely, but you're left with the sweet smell of Odoban, which I find overwhelming. I always ran the load through a second cycle, with vinegar in the second round, just to neutralize the smell of the Odoban.  But after that I had perfectly fresh smelling clothes.  |
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Post by JessicaMessica on Jun 29, 2010 18:00:46 GMT -5
Thank you for the ideas, guys! MisC, how much Odoban did you use? Just like a cup tossed in with a normal load? Or did you soak the affected items in it?
Also, has anyone tried baking soda in the wash? Any luck?
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MiSC
Banned
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,611
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Post by MiSC on Jun 29, 2010 21:48:11 GMT -5
Thank you for the ideas, guys! MisC, how much Odoban did you use? Just like a cup tossed in with a normal load? Or did you soak the affected items in it? Also, has anyone tried baking soda in the wash? Any luck? All it takes is about a cup per load. I might have tried soaking clothes before, but I don't remember it if I did. There was really no need with that stuff. And yes, I've tried baking soda many times. No luck. |
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Post by messymarie on Jun 30, 2010 2:15:15 GMT -5
I've heard that hydrogen peroxide works, but I've never tried it.
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Post by howardsgirlfriend on Jun 30, 2010 18:47:57 GMT -5
I put the soiled clothes in a trash bag, poured in as much enzymatic pet odor remover in as I could, tied the top shut, and let it "marinate" for about a day, rolling the bag over every hour or two to distribute the enzymatic cleaner thoroughly. They came out great.
My pets also pee on clothes, so I've learned to cope by using pee pads (I sewed mine, but you can buy disposables or washables), and making it as easy as possible to keep clothes off the floor. Perhaps you need some tall hampers, over-the-door hooks, more laundry baskets, or a coat tree? I use them all.
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Post by ClutterBlind on Jul 7, 2010 20:22:20 GMT -5
I put the soiled clothes in a trash bag, poured in as much enzymatic pet odor remover in as I could, tied the top shut, and let it "marinate" for about a day, rolling the bag over every hour or two to distribute the enzymatic cleaner thoroughly. They came out great. Thanks for this tip. In the past, for regular smelly clothes, not pet smells which require the enzymatic cleaner, I've had some success with Febreze for Laundry. Pouring a capful in the laundry really cut down the smells. I can tell there is a real difference. But it hasn't gotten rid of them completely. Febreze does recommend soaking for stubborn odors. My body squalor has gone up, and I developed a new funky odor, which another member here, Arid, said could be due to my hypothyroidism. The smells are too great. I use a coin laundromat so there is no way to soak clothes overnight in a washer. I suppose, I could get a huge plastic tub, but then I'd have a soppy mess to try to move to the laundromat. Your tip to toss stuff into a plastic bag and roll and marinate it is perfect.  |
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Post by def6 on Jul 8, 2010 14:50:55 GMT -5
There's a special detergent you can use to get pet odors out. Sometimes you can use a heavy dose of bleach if the item is colorfast.
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