Newly laundered items normally have a clean, fresh smell. However, occasionally finished items carry unpleasant odors. The odors can come from one of two sources: chemicals used in the cleaning process or stains that were not removed in laundering.
Remaining odors can be caused by chemicals such as sours, reducing agents, and oxidizing agents used in the laundry procedure.
Sours are used to neutralize the alkalinity of garments during washing and usually have no objectionable odor. Although acetic acid is a good sour, its strong odor prevents it from being used. In addition, buffered sours can cause a musty odor to develop on laundered shirts if they are left wet overnight. Wet items that are “soured” to a pH of 6.5, rather than 5.0, encourage the growth of odor-causing organisms.
Hydrosulfite reducing agents are used for stain removal in the laundering cycle. However, these agents can leave a residual odor in finished items if they are not thoroughly rinsed from the fabric.
Chlorine bleach can leave a strong, often irritating, odor. If the chlorine bleach is not decomposed during laundering, then an odor will become noticeable when the fabric is exposed to heat, as it is in finishing.
More frequently, though, odors will develop from consumer stains that were not removed during cleaning. There are a variety of stains that commonly result in odors since they are difficult to remove.
- Medicine and skin preparations that are oil based, such as chest rubs, will leave an odor if not thoroughly removed.
- Both vegetable and mineral oils will cause odor if they remain in the fabric. This is very common on dark-colored table linens because it is difficult to see remaining oily stains.
- Shop towels contain several kinds of chemicals, solvents, and greases that may not only have odors, but are also very flammable if the solvents are not thoroughly removed.
- Kitchen towels and aprons often carry the smell of cooking grease and oil if not correctly laundered.
- Mildew is another stain that develops a musty odor if not removed. Mildew is a fungus which can only be removed by using chlorine bleach.
Odors that are present after laundering can only be prevented through proper laundering procedures. The proper amount of chemicals, the correct number of rinses, and proper handling procedures should be followed to ensure that newly laundered items have a fresh, clean smell.
