My husband prespires profuesly while he sleeps. It could be his pain meds. or his pain. I now use old tshirts for his pillowcases. I wash these along with bedding adding 1/2 to 1 cup baking soda and white vinegar combo and it works well. I used to re-wash about 3 times now only once.
Are you talking "linens" or "mattress"? If mattress, I'd first spray until saturated with rubbing alcohol and scrub with old towels. Let dry. If you have a white cover, use 1/4 C bleach to 1 gal. of water and repeat as with the alcohol.
If a colored cover, I'd use 1/4 C Mint Oil in 1 gal water, spray and scrub. Let dry over night unless your area is as hot and dry as ours, causing fast drying air.
The other advantage to using alcohol FIRST is that it is one of the few things that literally kills dust mites that plague our beds,pillows, upholstery and carpets, multiplying regardless of how good your vacuum is! Alcohol once every other month really HELPS and can be used on anything that is washable. Test an inconspicuous spot first for colorfastness.
What makes any furniture or mattress smell is usually dead skin which flakes regularly, often microscopically from all humans every week, which the dust mites who ride in on dust particles floating in the air, EAT...then reproduce into the billions per inch of "territory" quickly. Mix the dust and pests with body odors /oils and it is a real stench if there's no care or knowledge of how to clean it. Few other things do the trick.
Sometimes fabrics themselves or reupholstered things have an odor of their own from chemicals, previous owners, pet odors, smoke, etc., which are almost impossible to remove. One must learn how to distinguish between these and make good decisions. Bug bombs leave their own brand of stench in cloth of every kind. Carpets often smell terrible from foot odors, germs, and stale food crumbs/drink splashes, etc.
Some dyes are from unspeakable sources and often times leather products have been tanned with URINE! Hopefully one can smell well enough to run down this list and decide. I prefer to get to the source rather than to simply "perfume" or "freshen" with short-lived fragrances.
Note: Dirty upholstery/pillows and odor causing dust mites can also cause pimples and boils. Good luck and God bless.
I use a great product called Mean Green, it's sold in spray bottles and gallon jugs. I get the gallon jugs and use it on items like yours besides work clothes. I usually use two to four cups per large wash load. You can get it at Wal-Mart stores and Dollar General stores. If you don't have these in your area, check online to order.
I had the same problem with my bedding...The only detergent that removed the smell is Arm & Hammer with Fabric Softener..Now my sheets smell clean & fresh..
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