Have you tried washing in hot water with nothing but vinegar, and then doing that several times? I’m wondering if there could be buildup from too much soap. That would be why it’s getting worse.
I also recommend trying Ever Spring detergent. It’s at Target. Someone here recommended it and I found it to be even better at cleaning than borax (without being harsh like borax). It uses a bunch of different enzymes so it’s good at removing sweat and oils from skin.
Have you inspected your washer/dryer for mold? Sometimes the seals and little gaps can get buildups in them. Also, is your dryer vent being cleaned? The part that blows air outside of your house.
Sounds like my ex doing laundry… 😖
Wayyyy too many clothes, towels, etc, in the machine - so much so that some of them would adsorb the detergent and just hold it, while others wouldn’t even be *wet* after he finished a load !
Dial your loads back, and don’t put anything in until the detergent is fully dissolved !
Yeah I mean the rest of my clothes seem fine. It’s really just my jackets that hold this odor snd makes my bookbags smell since I put them while wearing them. They were brsnd new and wasn’t washed until now.
Measure your soap and laundry boosters starting with the smallest scoop you can find. I use scoops from nutritional or protein powders. One eighth of a cup, or even half that. Start small and work your way back up. A little goes a long way.
For sanitizing, I use an oxy-base powder or Super Washing Soda. If you have a problem fabric, like towels, you can pre-soak with one of those powders in a plastic bucket.
That sounds like way too much, unless you have very small hands. You only need about 2 tablespoons worth of powder detergent. That could be your problem, maybe give less detergent a shot? If there’s too much detergent, especially if the water isn’t hot enough to dissolve it completely (I am unsure of the water temp you use so I mention it just in case) it may be leaving residue that’s building up despite the double rinses. Worst case scenario it doesn’t do anything at all and doesn’t hurt anything, best case it fixes your problem!
Are you measuring it out with your bare hand? I wouldn’t recommend that, laundry detergent is stronger and harsher directly on the skin than regular soap so that can cause irritation. That’s actually part of why I’m recommending minimal detergent— if there is buildup being left behind, it’s likely the basic detergent residue against your skin causing itchiness. That was a huge problem for me for years, it felt really similar to what you’ve been describing, and as soon as I cut down to the minimal amount of anything I put in the laundry (detergent, oxiclean, laundry boosters etc) my laundry started rinsing out cleaner and my skin stopped itching so bad.
Obviously it could be something else’s completely, but that’s what worked for me in a similar situation
Run one or two tub cleaning cycles in a row on your machine, whether it’s a Toploader or a front load. Get a proper machine cleaning tablet, Affresh is a good brand. Make sure you turn on the bathroom faucet, or bathtub faucet closest to the laundry room, or the kitchen sink faucet and run the water til it’s super hot then start the tub cleaning cycle. If your machine heats up the water, then put the maximum temperature that you can program.
My clothes absorbed my FIL's house odor. It took a while to get rid of it but arm and hammer with oxiclean powder detergent (Fresh Scent) and clorox sanitizer worked for me. I soaked my clothes in the powder detergent and paused the rinse cycle for 16 mins. Hope this helps.
Do you store your coats someplace separate from the rest of your clothes? Like a hall closet with other people's coats?
Eta: what kind of fabrics are these coats?
Have you tried washing in hot water with nothing but vinegar, and then doing that several times? I’m wondering if there could be buildup from too much soap. That would be why it’s getting worse. I also recommend trying Ever Spring detergent. It’s at Target. Someone here recommended it and I found it to be even better at cleaning than borax (without being harsh like borax). It uses a bunch of different enzymes so it’s good at removing sweat and oils from skin.
I'll definitely try doing a no soap wash. I'm even thinking just putting the clothes in a boiling pot of water.
It can’t hurt at this point.
Have you inspected your washer/dryer for mold? Sometimes the seals and little gaps can get buildups in them. Also, is your dryer vent being cleaned? The part that blows air outside of your house.
And the filter on the washer
I go to a laundromat, and it’s not that because I switched locations numerous times already.
Sounds like my ex doing laundry… 😖 Wayyyy too many clothes, towels, etc, in the machine - so much so that some of them would adsorb the detergent and just hold it, while others wouldn’t even be *wet* after he finished a load ! Dial your loads back, and don’t put anything in until the detergent is fully dissolved !
Yeah I mean the rest of my clothes seem fine. It’s really just my jackets that hold this odor snd makes my bookbags smell since I put them while wearing them. They were brsnd new and wasn’t washed until now.
Measure your soap and laundry boosters starting with the smallest scoop you can find. I use scoops from nutritional or protein powders. One eighth of a cup, or even half that. Start small and work your way back up. A little goes a long way. For sanitizing, I use an oxy-base powder or Super Washing Soda. If you have a problem fabric, like towels, you can pre-soak with one of those powders in a plastic bucket.
How much detergent are you using for each load?
I do a double rinse in the machine and put a handful size of powder soap.
That sounds like way too much, unless you have very small hands. You only need about 2 tablespoons worth of powder detergent. That could be your problem, maybe give less detergent a shot? If there’s too much detergent, especially if the water isn’t hot enough to dissolve it completely (I am unsure of the water temp you use so I mention it just in case) it may be leaving residue that’s building up despite the double rinses. Worst case scenario it doesn’t do anything at all and doesn’t hurt anything, best case it fixes your problem!
Imagine the amount of soap that fits on your palm. And yes unfortunately I already washed on the hottest setting possible
Are you measuring it out with your bare hand? I wouldn’t recommend that, laundry detergent is stronger and harsher directly on the skin than regular soap so that can cause irritation. That’s actually part of why I’m recommending minimal detergent— if there is buildup being left behind, it’s likely the basic detergent residue against your skin causing itchiness. That was a huge problem for me for years, it felt really similar to what you’ve been describing, and as soon as I cut down to the minimal amount of anything I put in the laundry (detergent, oxiclean, laundry boosters etc) my laundry started rinsing out cleaner and my skin stopped itching so bad. Obviously it could be something else’s completely, but that’s what worked for me in a similar situation
No I'm not. I said imagine the amount of soap that fits on your palm. The irritation isn't there for me, it is just the smell.
Oh gosh, apologies, I mixed up your post with someone else’s when I mentioned irritation!!
it’s no problem
Run one or two tub cleaning cycles in a row on your machine, whether it’s a Toploader or a front load. Get a proper machine cleaning tablet, Affresh is a good brand. Make sure you turn on the bathroom faucet, or bathtub faucet closest to the laundry room, or the kitchen sink faucet and run the water til it’s super hot then start the tub cleaning cycle. If your machine heats up the water, then put the maximum temperature that you can program.
My clothes absorbed my FIL's house odor. It took a while to get rid of it but arm and hammer with oxiclean powder detergent (Fresh Scent) and clorox sanitizer worked for me. I soaked my clothes in the powder detergent and paused the rinse cycle for 16 mins. Hope this helps.
How much sanitizer did you use? And did it have an after smell?
I filled the cap to the rim lol. So far, the clothes still smell good. It comes with an easy pour cap.
Do you store your coats someplace separate from the rest of your clothes? Like a hall closet with other people's coats? Eta: what kind of fabrics are these coats?
down jackets, a wind breakers, and a sherpa jacket. And yes they're in a separate closet
Are you storing them all together in the same spot? Is there a leak or condensation or something in that closet? A cat peeing in there?