I've read many times on this board of vinegar doing the trick for odors in fabrics. I have some hand towels and washcloths that when wet smell stale, almost soured. If I have a full washer load of these, how much vinegar would I put in? Hot, warm or cold water? Detergent also? How long to let soak? Any help you can give me will be appreciated.

A cup or more of vinegar. Hot water with soap, and if you have any, borax. Make it two rinses.
Then take them out and smell them, if still stinky do it again. And it would help if you could hang them out on a line in the sun and wind.

I would put through a hot wash with soap and washing soda...2 rinses as per Ramona with the cup of vinegar going in the last rinse. Ramona is spot on with the hanging outside bit, it really does help sanitise.

I am assuming white distilled vinegar, my hubbys gym clothes get really stinky even after washing in hot water, i will have to try this. thanks

I have the same problem; will have to remember the vinegar and give it a try.

I always use baking soda with the white vinegar. They work great together.

Yes, cheap white vinegar is the one to use.

Throw hubby, clothes and shoes into the freezer. That will remove all odors overnight. :twisted:

oh my, never heard of that, what about the food??? LOL

I also use distilled vinegar in the rinse cycle of all my whites (socks, towels, sheets, etc.). It not only makes the items smell fresh but it keeps them really white!

My neice gave me this trick for smelly dish clothes. She is an engineer and said that some kind of bacteria gets on them and this is what creates that unpleasant smell.

Put the clothes in a large bowl of water with a good dosage of baking soda. Then microwave for 10-15 minutes on high. (You could probably boil them on the stove in a large enough pot too.)

Then run them through the regular wash to get any excess baking soda out. I tried this and it worked like a charm.

Speaking of vinegar.....

We put Chili Palmer in the back of my truck after she had spent a few weeks at our son's house while we were moving. She was put in a fenced area with two male dogs who pee'd on everything. She really smelled and her scent lingered in the bedrug we have in the truck bed. After a shampooing the smell remained so I put a bowl of vinegar in and shut the canopy up and left it a few days. The smell was gone all that was left was to leave the windows on the canopy open to air out the vinegar odor.

Lots of good tips/advice!

Here's some more: http://www.vinegartips.com/Scripts/pageViewSec.asp?id=8

Use a can of coke for those stinking items