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Since my Mom passed I now have all her clothes and have been trying to get this odor out of them. It's on everything, even socks.

Only thing I can think of is Mom used a detergent that had a heavy scent, then used a different scented fabric softener, thus it created a strange smell, like a science project gone bad. Being she was in her 90's she probably couldn't smell it, neither could my Dad.

Now that I think of it, for the past 6 years Mom would give me the grocery order and the same detergent and softener was always on the list. So that means more than 6+ years of using the same products. Any magic potions out there?

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Wash the clothes with a non-scented detergent and a cup of Borax or Baking Soda. Then run them through a second cycle of just water. Make sure the laundry tubs are draining quickly so the wash water doesn't back siphon and return to the washing machine.
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Ah, good old fashioned 12-Mule Team Borax, forgot I had a box of that in the basement. Will give it a try, thanks :)
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Vinegar? It works for alot of things, and the smell goes away once its rinsed. Can't hurt and it;s cheap!
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Oops, make that 20-Mule Team. Maybe the smaller box is 12 LOL.
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Pam, is that white vinegar or the apple cider vinegar?
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White, the kind you can get in the gallon jug! It also will clean your washer while you are at it! I use it to kill the funny smell our washer gets because mom uses TOO much detergent!
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Excellent tip on the vinegar! I have a front loader and the water never completely drains sometimes causing a musty, moldy smell. I'm picking up a few jugs of vinegar tomorrow. Thanks!
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I think cider vinegar, the eating kind, such as in the anti-arthritis mix of cider vinegar and honey, wouldn't be appropriate but the white vinegar would be used for clothing, although clothes smelling of cider wouldn't be too bad.

If the clothes are synthetic, it may be harder to get the odor out as I've noticed that some of the synthetic blends just don't clean that well, especially if stains have set, and it maybe that odors set in synthetics the same way.

Another factor may be that dryers have set in the stains. I was reading up about getting mildew stains out of some blankets I had used in the car and learned that. I don't use a dryer; everything I have is air dried (to reduce my carbon footprint) but I do recall that dryers can set stains.

Good old fashioned sunlight could help, but not at this time of the year - too cold to be hanging clothes out!
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GardenArtist, ah yes frozen clothes on the clothes lines :)

My Mom only used her dryer for a few minutes on each load of clothes, then she would pile the damp clothes into the laundry basket and take them down into the basement to hang on the clothes lines. She did this up into her mid 90's.

Next time I try to wash her clothes [using the suggestions above] I will try a lower heat on the dryer. Half I am donating, I just want them to smell fresh.
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I remember those partially frozen towels before I gave up hauling the laundry outside to dry! But the clothes most certainly did sell soooo fresh.
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