How do I get the burning rubber smell out of my jeans and t-shirts?
December 18, 2012 11:09 AM   Subscribe

How do I get the burnt rubber smell out of my laundry?

Something went wrong with the dryer(s) in my apartment complex and now almost all my clothes (cotton and cotton/poly blend things) smell offensively like burning rubber. I re-washed and dryed them in the other dryer, but the smell is still there. (Not sure if both dryers have a common smell problem or the smell just didn't go away.)

I will be taking them to a laundromat at the very least. Is this something a dry cleaner can help with? I have never had anything professionally cleaned.

I am very fragrance sensitive, and I use fragrance-free detergent, if that matters.
posted by Tesseractive to Home & Garden (7 answers total)
 
Fill your bathtub with as hot water as you can, put your clothes in it, dump in a cup or two of white vinegar, and let it sit overnight. Drain the bathtub and then go wash your clothes again.
posted by erst at 11:17 AM on December 18, 2012 [1 favorite]


Hang them outside. Or hang them inside with the windows open and fans. I know it's not an ideal time of year for that.
posted by mskyle at 11:22 AM on December 18, 2012 [1 favorite]


It'd go with the white vinegar. You can try a half to a full cup in with your wash in the laundry. I'd stick with cold water.
posted by amanda at 11:35 AM on December 18, 2012


I'm only vaguely remembering this, but when my brothers had a house fire and everything stank of smoke, we washed their clothes with Murphy Oil Soap and it took the smell out. If nothing else works, you might try that?
posted by cabingirl at 12:05 PM on December 18, 2012 [1 favorite]


Ozone Sprays are great products. My girlfriend has HUGE issues with fragrance and was bitching that her new car stank. Her husband doused the thing in Ozone and it smelled fine.

Try that.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:22 PM on December 18, 2012 [3 favorites]


Response by poster: I tried washing them in cold water with 2 cups of vinegar, but they still smell terrible. I may try soaking them in hot water and vinegar.
posted by Tesseractive at 3:42 PM on December 18, 2012 [1 favorite]


Dry cleaning at a place that uses Ozone might do the trick - it gets fire/smoke smell out.
posted by radioamy at 6:51 PM on December 18, 2012


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