For the past three years, my clothes have smelled of a sulfuric type smell. I've (along with my mother) attempted to remove the smell using the popular solutions: vinegar, baking soda, Smellywasher, etc. None of it has worked, ever, at removing the smell although the vinegar solution has made my clothes smell great out of the machine. We've moved into three different apartments over these past few years, so I'm not sure if sulfuric water is the problem (or ever was).
I do know that I heard people say I smelled "gassy" and I do smell something sulfuric at random times. It's in all of my clothes, because people frequently have to breathe "away" or cover their noses. It's been a self-esteem killer and I barely have the ability to look people in the eye.
I bathe at night and in the morning, am a very clean person who washes his hands about a dozen times a day, brush teeth 4-6x a day (after each meal). I'm not being very "informative", but is there any hope whatsoever of removing the smell considering the big two (vinegar + baking soda) didn't work in helping people be around me.
My work requires me to meet with random people (clients) and help them out, and it kills me inside (and makes me nervous, causing me to stutter, turn red, etc.) when they have to cover their noses or breathe away from me, or worse yet, when they get angry. I don't blame them, I just want to get the smell out.
By godsgift2dagame from Champaign, IL
I'm sorry to hear that you are having a hard time with this. It is a mystery indeed. Have you tried changing detergents? Perhaps you could go to a laundromat and see if you still have the problem there. When I have really smelly clothes, I add about a cup of vinegar to the washing machine right after I put the clothes in.
I don't want to sound mean, but are you sure it is your clothing and not your skin or breath? I would go see a naturopathic doctor if I were you. You and your mother may have a medical condition. It could also be your diet. There are foods that contain sulfur.
I know you said you moved several times, but I also wondered if you have the same washing machine you did when this all started. It could be coming from the machine.
I wish you the best of luck in finding out what the problem is. It must be really hard to live with.
You mentioned feeling uncomfortable in social situations; are you on any prescribed medications like Venlafaxine or Efflexor? Googling them brings up a few user boards discussing a sulfur-like odor in the urine and also in perspiration. Other meds and physical conditions could also possibly cause it.
If your water source isn't where the sulfuric odor is coming from, you may want to have your doc take a look.
None of that is going to help and throwing out your clothes etc is nuts. It's a chemical problem that is either in your water itself or from your water heater. Just search how to remove sulfur from your water and does it smell the same whether hot or cold (water) Lastly, take your clothes somewhere else to wash until you solve it (sometimes easy -just some bleach will slove it, but not in your washer!) Resolve to solve it, not feel bad and not let this common water problem affect your life!
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I had to wash my dog in something that has high sulfur in it. Now my towels all smell horrible like sulfur (rotten eggs) how do I get this smell out? I have tried everything.
Try putting in a cup of white vinegar with the wash...We've had to bath our dogs in the same stinky sulphur stuff, and vinegar cuts the smell. (I use hot water, too.)
I'd like to know what I can do for the sulfur smelling water I have in my laundromat? We only have cold water in the laundromat and the water smells and it doesn't allow my fabric softener to give the clothes the smell it's supposed to in the washer or the dryer.
What can I do when I go to Home Depot? Is there something to put on the water line or anything else? Please help me.If this smelly water is coming from the pipes which feed your laundramat, Charles, there's a very good possibility the water department of your town or city will have answers for you. Before you spend any money on water treatment, why not ask the folks whose business it is to know?
