i'm so sad & stinky...

[LaPelishima]

alright, i know we often discuss the smell of rancid sheets and what to do about them but let me ask you this....

i have got a couple of sheets that smell rancid. i take the usual steps every washing to prevent that however, these particular sheets (not sure why, they're the same as the rest) are stinky. what can i soak them in overnight that will help me. my typical load is washed with dawn & tide and fabric softener. so, what can i soak them in that might help? i'm obsessive about my sheets so this is driving me nutty. i need a one time treatment sort of thing that can get the stink out!

btw, i use creme and these sheets are NOT stained....they just stink .

 

[fancy_argonaut]

I'd try soaking them in white vinegar, straight up. Then wash them as usual......dumping the entire bucket, vinegar and all into the washing machine. Cheap, easy, and very effective for me, so far. (I removed *old* cat urine smell from a throw rug!)

 

[~Nikki~choke it urself]

I'd try soaking them in white vinegar, straight up. Then wash them as usual......dumping the entire bucket, vinegar and all into the washing machine. Cheap, easy, and very effective for me, so far. (I removed *old* cat urine smell from a throw rug!)

oh i didn't even think of that! thanks so much~ i'll give that a try in the morning!

 

[Pompal 09.]

I haven't had this problem for ages, since I just use jojoba (similar chemical structure to the skin's own sebum, so normal laundry detergent cleans it out well), but I used to soak sheets in non-colour safe nappy sanitiser with enough water to cover them. There would be an oil slick floating on top the next morning, I'd pour off the oil slick before taking the sheet out of the bucket.

 

[sun_and_moon_1973]

I'd try soaking them in white vinegar, straight up. Then wash them as usual......dumping the entire bucket, vinegar and all into the washing machine. Cheap, easy, and very effective for me, so far. (I removed *old* cat urine smell from a throw rug!)

oh i didn't even think of that! thanks so much~ i'll give that a try in the morning!

Soak them all day, or overnight.

Reminds me, I need more vinegar. Did you know vinegar and lemon juice are a much better whitener than bleach?

 

[Akshay]

i did not know that! (feel like johhny carson for a moment) sheesh, the things we learn on this board....we're all so great....we really are!

 

[Niko171]

Thanks Tera for starting this thread....I was freaking out the other day,and needed a sheet freshening solution....thanx Tera and Sharon for the lovely suggestions, I really need them. Where can one find jojoba for a fair cost? I have never found reasonably priced jojoba! MassagePlanetL rocks and always helps find tuff solutions to things whenever you need them!

Love and Light-
Johnny

 

[Sir K]

jojoba will always be more expensive, but I find I use less of it than oils, add the ease of washing (I don't even need the vinegar ) and I can fully justify the extra cost. If I was using a laundry service, where ease of washing doesn't matter, it might be harder to justify.
getting way off topic, jojoba is the ONLY thing to use if you are using hot stones, anything else you get a cooked oil smell and/or strange coating on the stones.

 

[edward s]

I was having problems getting the stink out of my sheets, and was getting desperate, I washed in a warm/warm cycle so the oils would wash out in the rinse cycle. It actually worked. I had to put mine through twice, but it was better than buying new sheets!

Next time I'll try the vinegar thing. And thanks for the tip about the lemon juice too, is that color safe?

Speaking of vinegar... I wash new vivid clothes in a load with some vinegar, helps set the dye and prevent fading. Its worked so far.

 

[Deke]

I get my jojoba from essentialwholesale.com.. been very happy with their service & quality

I'm also a big fan of Odoban (odoban.com), since it not only gets odors out, but has an antibacterial/antiviral component (it's used by hospitals a ton).

hope this helps!

OH! and for stains. I got this idea here: ZOTE!!!! Cheap cheap pink bar soap that can be used for a ton of things. I rub it on both sides of oil-stained fabric & wash normally.

 

[shadow78]

Odoban is too much chemical for my comfort level. I'm another fan of vinegar. Actually, I add 1/2 cup vinegar to my wash for all my sheets, as a preventative. Keeps them stain-free & odor-free. It even gets out serious stains over time. (I tried a new massage cream that left huge stains on my sheets. I thought I was going to have to throw them out. After soaking in vinegar, the stains faded. Then, with normal washing with soap & vinegar over time, the stains completely disappeared.)

 

[Luann]

I can't remember if lemon juice is color safe, or not....I use it in whites, lol. I would think it would be, but please don't take my word for it! Do a few tests. I will, too, if I think of it before it totally slips my mind.

I do have Zote soap, too, after reading that on this forum. I'd forgotten about that. :roll: It does work well, and it is cheap, but pouring everything into a bucket and chasing the toddler just works better for me, at the moment. Someday I will have time to stand there and rub soap on my sheets again......but this month, that would be dangerous. She is MOVING!!!! :shock: :

 

[WOP2_99]

I do have Zote soap, too, after reading that on this forum. I'd forgotten about that. :roll: It does work well, and it is cheap, but pouring everything into a bucket and chasing the toddler just works better for me, at the moment. Someday I will have time to stand there and rub soap on my sheets again......but this month, that would be dangerous. She is MOVING!!!! :shock: :

LOL!!! Yeah, I pulled out my lights and Zoted them this weekend in my kitchen sink. I felt like I may as well have had a washboard at the river. My blouse today is SOOOO white though!

Good call on the Odoban chemical-iness. I hadn't thought of vinegar... it'd be cheaper too (by buckets!). This is going to sound silly, but what kind of vinegar should I buy? I only have apple cider vinegar at home, and with its color I'm afraid it'd stain things. :shock:

 

[GenderS]

While Apple Cider Vinegar has probably hundreds of uses... I wouldn't use it for the laundry.
There's white vinegar available at your grocery store, there's a lot of uses for it too. (Vinegar and baking soda is a great way to freshen the sink, etc...)

 

[ryuzog]

Yes, white vinegar is the cleaning/laundry vinegar. It is very cheap by the gallon, too.

I do occasionally use Odo-Ban, but a gallon lasts me years, so that is fairly inexpensive, too. There are times it is absolutely called for!!

 

[Zaccode]

Oh such a timely thread. I have been brainstorming for the perfect combo of lubricant/sheet/detergent to help lessen the work and stink of laundry. I had switched to a laundry service because I was so sick of washing sheets, but it just is not cost effective for me. So I am facing the laundry issue again.

I had been using an oil, but I decided to switch to creme so there at least would not be the rancidity factor to deal with. I am disappointed to hear that I may still face this issue. (I haven't yet gotten rid of my laundry service) I've got some old rancid smelling sheets, so I'll give the vinegar a try.

Have others had a smell issue with creme? terab, are the smelly sheets 100% cotton or a blend? I find that the sheets that hang on to the stains and smells more are a poly/cotton blend.

I am looking into making my own flannel flat sheets (I don't use fitted) and switching to creme and jojoba for lubricant.

I will be so happy if the vinegar can get the smell out of my other sheets!

Thanks for this thread and all the ideas!

 

[kateAlina]

I don't seem to have any odor issues when I use jojoba or the Biotone green label (can't remember the name), and I don't have stain issues with either as long as I'm using flannel sheets. I've phased out the Biotone except for a few clients who insist on it, and the Twelve Corners lotions I mostly use rinse out really well with the usual regimen of Country Save laundry soap and the occasional half-cup of white vinegar. Hardly any staining (vinegar!), no stank. I can't say enough good about Country Save -- really easy on the cloth, used it even on newborn clothing, everything comes out soft and clean and no detergenty residues.

The lotion I use has essential oils of bergamot, sweet orange, tangerine, lemon, and grapefruit in it so I wonder if that's keeping things non-stanky? I'm not super familiar with EOs so I tend to just think they're magical!

 

[Brad B]

I get my jojoba from these guys and I think they are reasonably priced:

http://www.jojobacompany.com

 

[Reverend G]

I've had a stinky week, too, but not my sheets. I came in yesterday and my treatment room smelled...musty. I had noticed it ever so faintly the day before while working up at the head of the table, but now the smell had spread even to the waiting room slightly, even though I had drizzled carpet deodorizer over the area.
I'm not sure what caused the smell. It did rain pretty hard, I hope it's not rain-induced mold. That would be...bad. (Glad I just rent the place!) Or, could it be the witch hazel that spilled on the carpet a few weeks ago, just now smelling funny? Is that possible? Does witch hazel go bad?
Luckily it isn't noticable again today. I spritzed some rose water all over and lit all my beeswax candles (usually I light just one, even though I have six out).
I wonder if some almond oil spilled that I didn't notice...I usually use biotone nutri-natural creme, except for hot stone massages when I need oil. I'm fazing out almond and going with jojoba...partially due to the advice on this forum

 

[StephenWeinstein]

Where do you get the Country Save laundry detergent? What all is in it? I am assuming it is organic? I have chemical sensitivities and am looking for a good alternative to Arm & Hammer Free, but what is in the health food store is very cost prohibitive - and not very effective.