MamaBearTeacher Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 I had a pile of dirty towels which I washed with socks and underwear and a few other items. Unbeknownst to me, my husband had used one of the towels to mop up a carton of cream that had spilled. when I took the clothes out they smelled like vomit or salad dressing but later DH told me about the cream and now I think it smells like cream, but it is a horrible smell and I can't stand being in the same room as the towels it is so strong. All the towels that were with the offending towels smell bad now. I cannot throw them because many are the beach towels we use for swimming and there are no more beach towels in the store and I like them. They have been washed and dried twice and have not gotten better. I use natural lavender detergent but the second time I doused them in half a large container of vinegar and added a lot of essential oils and that did not help. Is there something that will get the smell out ( preferably a natural solution)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 You tried all the natural stuff I know. My next bet would be Tide with Febreeze (Tide Sport). That's weird, though. I would have think that normal washing or at least the vinegar would have worked! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Try baking soda. And extra rinsing. Soap could be caught in the fibers keeping the smell in. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Wash and line dry. The sun gets rid of that smell for me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Try baking soda. And extra rinsing. Soap could be caught in the fibers keeping the smell in. This. If you have a top loader (or a clean trash can if no top loader) I would fill with water and then shut it off. Soak the towels in the water with baking soda. If you already have OdoBan even better- use that instead of baking soda. I would let them soak a couple of hours of even overnight. Then run through a cycle with no soap completely. Then wash again with your normal detergent. Don't dry in between. If that doesn't do it, I'm not sure if anything will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 i'd try washing with Biz. It's oxiclean plus enzymes. The enzymes should take care of the milk protein that is causing the smell. (or even a round of washing with Tide or a detergent with enzymes might help) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawana Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Pine-sol or original Lysol work for me in a front loader. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 I'd wash several times with a regular detergent like Tide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 If you can wash them with bleach, I'd do that. Otherwise, I've added vinegar to my wash before to get out bad scents. Then wash it one more time with regular good smelling detergent. Hanging them in the sun to dry definitely helps too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knoxinsox Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Another vote for Biz with enzymes...a long soak and drying outside in the sun. Otherwise, Pinesol is recommended in the Laundry Love group on Facebook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 I would dump a bunch of oxi clean in warm water and have them soak overnight. I once did that with some poopy cloth diapers and the next day the water was clear and the diapers smelled fresh. It's perfect for food/organic type messes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartlikealion Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 which essential oils did you use? Some are for purification, I believe lemon and lavender. So I'd try one of those. Another method I sometimes rely on is the Arm & Hammer detergent (liquid is the one I prefer) that says with Oxy Clean. That is what I used to remove smoke smell from hand me down clothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 I wouldn't put them in the dryer or in the sun again until you feel certain you've done everything you can to get rid of the smell.I think any heat is just going to make it worse. I use PineSol for stinky teenage boy exercise odor (added in to the wash cycle with regular detergent). It's a miracle. For something like a spoiled milk smell I agree that Biz may be good to try. Or a good enzymatic pet urine/odor/stain remover like Nature's Miracle. For something like that you'd want to saturate the towels and leave them alone for 24-48 hours. Keep them damp with the solution during that time because the enzymes need time to do their work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gstharr Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 vinegar. ammonia (w/o bleach). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Read the thread title and thought maybe Willie Wonka was the OP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuvToRead Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Do you use fabric softener? Fabric softener can trap odors in the fibers. Otherwise, I agree with the vinegar. I once had a similar issue with sour cream, and I think I used ammonia, but it's been a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Oh, Nature's Miracle is a good idea too, although I still think either Biz or Tide would work best. (you can get free and clear Tide, I think it still has the enzymes) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 (edited) Borax is going to do you better than baking soda in this case. I'd soak it all in a HEAVY borax solution over night. But I agree that a bunch of oxyclean or some bleach, or ammonia will almost certainly take care of it too. I would definitely stop heating it up, and not ADD smells (EO, lysol, anything with scent). Vomit smell plus tea tree or tide "fragrance" is still vomit smell, ykwim? Edited September 26, 2016 by OKBud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 If you using a high-efficiency washing machine I would just take the towel to a laundromat where there is a regular washing machine that uses a decent amount of water. I add vinegar to my wash to get rid of odors, as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Whipped cream scented towels sound nice! I vote to leave them alone. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieJ Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 I would soak overnight with washing soda or borax, then finish the cycle and add vinegar to the rinse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 I was going to suggest vinegar, but you tried that. If nobody else's suggestions work, you can always order new beach towels off of Amazon even if there aren't any in stock in local stores. Not an ideal solution, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathnerd Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 My washing machine has a "soak" option - if yours does too, use a few scoops of oxiclean, a couple of scoops of borax and your regular laundry detergent and soak the towels in warm water for 24 hours - this could mean that you cannot use your machine until this load is done. The enzymes in the oxiclean will work on the towels and get rid of the smell. The key is to soak the towels for a longer period of time, preferably 24+ hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmMusa Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 You're using the hottest water possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Pine Sol in the wash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 If I didn't have success with vinegar, baking soda, or borax then I would go to Odo Ban. I have a bad habit of leaving wet laundry in the washing machine 😠and Odo Ban always get the mildew smell out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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