The dirty and the not-quite-so dirty (lanudry)

August 14, 2008 6:18 PM

When doing the wash, I refuse to mix my laundry with towels that our puppy has peed on, for fear that my clothes will somehow end up smelling like pee afterward, even if only faintly. My roommate, on the other hand, thinks this is completely irrational and that you can mix anything in the laundry because the soap and hot water get it all clean anyway. So, neutral third party, I ask you: who is in the right?

And if you agree with my roommate that it really doesn't matter, just where would you draw the line? What if it were poop instead of pee, would that make any difference?

By the way, when I had my own washer/dryer this wasn't even an issue to me, but I now have to use coin-operated machines, making me question (slightly) the wisdom of paying to do separate laundry loads.

posted by iamisaid to pets & animals (39 comments total)

You are right. You are absolutely right and my husband and I have had this argument about towels our puppy has peed on one hundred times. He thinks everything comes out clean but actually the pee smell lingers and then you put it in the dryer and it turns into HOT PEE SMELL.

I honestly cannot believe you posted this question because the exact same semi-obscure debate rages on at our house as well.
posted by kate blank at 6:31 PM on August 14, 2008

I would wash them separately, and I'm at the bottom of the laundry-standards ladder - a bachelor.
(I'd probably wash them in the same load as a bunch of worn out old stuff that I didn't care much about. Not in a load with any good clothes.)
posted by -harlequin- at 6:32 PM on August 14, 2008

Your roommate's... well, either they're not a very experienced launderer, or they're not very observant. Haven't they ever taken something out of the washer only to discover that it's not 100% clean?
posted by box at 6:33 PM on August 14, 2008

I worry about this as well, but I don't actually know one way or the other. I'm inclined to think it's a groundless worry based on the fact that if I wash something that's been peed on as quickly as possible, the smell doesn't seem to stick (so if the pee only got there while it was in the washing machine, it's almost like getting it cleaned even more quickly than possible). However, if you find that the peed towels no longer smell after you wash them, then you shouldn't really worry about other things in the washer with them. Note, that I'm not really worried about sanitation here (if I read you correctly, neither are you), just the smell.

You could run a test. Take a bunch of rags and wash them in two loads: one with a urine-soaked rag, and one without. Make sure the loads are identifiable, but let somebody else decide which load gets the urine-tainted item (or otherwise blind it). See if you can tell the difference.
posted by ErWenn at 6:35 PM on August 14, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I usually wash sheets and towels separately anyway. I haven't noticed smells lingering too often, but I'm a college boy with a sense of smell that isn't the best in the world to begin with.
posted by theichibun at 6:37 PM on August 14, 2008

Even though I'm pretty sure everything comes out clean anyway, I separate things just to be on the safe side. "Gross" things never go in the same load as regular clothes. Whether it's right or wrong, at least it makes me feel more comfortable.
posted by amyms at 6:38 PM on August 14, 2008

i understand where you're coming from, i wouldn't just throw something in the wash and trust the hot water and soap to take care of it. that said: pee, vomit, blood—soak the biological whatever in nature's miracle before you throw it in the laundry, and it'll all be fine. no stain, no smell, no nothing.
posted by lia at 6:40 PM on August 14, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I recently washed a cloth that my cat had peed on with my clothes, and it all came out smelling faintly of pee. You are right.
posted by amro at 6:40 PM on August 14, 2008

I would pre-rinse anything a dog has peed on in my bathtub at home as soon as possible after the incident, to try to get as much of the smell out as possible, let it dry, and only then put it back with the rest of my wash. If I couldn't do that, I'd wash separately.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:42 PM on August 14, 2008 [4 favorites has favorites]

to get the towels really clean you want hot water and bleach (colorsafe if towels aren't white. Most clothes should be washed on warm or cold - another reason to separate.
posted by metahawk at 6:45 PM on August 14, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I would wash them separately because, in this household, those towels would officially be the dog's towels now. I mean, my laundry standards are pretty low but it's one of my assigned domestic tasks, and what the heck else would I do with peed-on towels?!?
posted by JaredSeth at 6:51 PM on August 14, 2008

I'd wash them together, but soak the urine-rag first. A quick handwash means you're not adding huge amounts of smell to the rest of the load and removes the need to separate them.

As for the argument, I think you're right. If you put urine into the washing machine, then there will be urine in the water that is washing all your other clothes. It will be a miniscule amount, and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to notice, but in absolute terms then the rest of your clothes will undoubtedly have some tiny trace of urine on them.
posted by twirlypen at 6:52 PM on August 14, 2008

It absolutely depends on the quality of your washer.

Also, people in general tend to overload washers - and so decrease their efficiency.

If you aren't overloading your washer and it uses a large (relatively) amount of water, then, it should probably get everything out.

That said, there's going to be a time when dried puppy piss is going to get dissolved in the water and evenly dispersed throughout the rest of the load. Nothing really bad, maybe a little squick factor, but the trace ammonia and urea may very slightly accelerate the aging of the other clothes in the load, especially delicate materials.
posted by porpoise at 6:53 PM on August 14, 2008

Echoing what TPS said - if I can get most of the smell out by pre-soaking [that I'm confident it will disappear totally in the wash], I would wash it with other things. Otherwise, no.
posted by needs more cowbell at 6:55 PM on August 14, 2008

I'll take this even further: If I had a pet, I would have a separate washer just for pet accoutrements.



Of course you are right.
posted by Zambrano at 7:03 PM on August 14, 2008

I have washed a cat pee blanket with two t-shirts. I had to throw both shirts out. Even a second wash with just the shirts alone wouldn't get rid of the faint pee smell afterward.
posted by meerkatty at 7:20 PM on August 14, 2008

I'm not sure this is a case of "who's right," really. I suspect that you won't notice the urine smell, but that small quantities of it will be there. But it's not a risk I'd be willing to take with my clothes.

If I were in your shoes and itching for a part-humorous, part-jerk reply, I'd ask if (s)he would mind if you peed in the washing machine after they loaded their clothes, but before the wash was started. After all, "the soap and hot water get it all clean anyway." ;) (Do not, however, actually attempt this, especially in a communal washing machine!)
posted by fogster at 7:30 PM on August 14, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I think it would depend on many variables- how hot is the water you are washing them in? How much piss is present? How long does the material stay in the wash? I read somewhere that some amount of solid excrement remains but is neutralized by factors such as the temp of the water and the formula of the detergent you are using. My machine has a "sanitize" option which neutralizes any hint of piss smell completely... and puke smells too. (After dog drinks beer and pukes all over the place)
posted by bkeene12 at 7:32 PM on August 14, 2008

If your clothes or towels are still pee-y after being washed, they are not done being washed. It doesn't matter if it's sweat or pee or barbecue sauce.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 7:55 PM on August 14, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

My housemate's cat used to pee on bathmats, apparently she was under the impression it was grass. Wash it once by itself, leave it swinging on the clothesline for a few days, then wash it with the rest of your linen. Seems to work OK.
posted by aeschenkarnos at 8:02 PM on August 14, 2008

Of course it spreads out into the other clothing. Does your roommate also take the time to put soap on each piece of clothing he puts in the wash? I mean, just in case the soap doesn't dilute and move thru all the clothing.

For awhile, My sister & her husband and his FOUR UNFIXED MALE CATS (sorry) were living here and frankly, they marked everything in the house. With clothes, you'd think you had gotten the smell out, but hours later your body heat would warm your shirt and suddenly you were visited by the ghost of cat piss past.

That said, I have found a good way of dealing with urine in the clothing. It seems to work with Cat Urine, which is far more vile than dog urine. (can you tell I'm a dog person now? lol).

Load the washer with the towels or clothing and instead of regular soap, pour in vinegar. Some people say to use apple cider vinegar, but I've never had a problem using the cheap white distilled vinegar. I used between 1 cup and 3 cups, depending on how much had been soiled or how badly it had been soiled. Wash the clothes in cold water first. Hot water seems to set in the stain & smell. After the clothes have finished the vinegar wash, wash them with soap & the water temp you normally would.
posted by aristan at 8:13 PM on August 14, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

Dog pee is cleaned up by putting down newspaper and letting the pee get soaked up. Then paper towels & cleaner. It's one of the few things I really use paper towels for. Good towels? If they must be used for an emergency, they get washed twice.
posted by theora55 at 8:17 PM on August 14, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

I'd say it depends on how much urine is in the towels, how much water is in the barrel of the washing machine (i.e., is it a really big load that takes up the whole barrel and leaves little room for water, or is there a ton of water and a relatively small amount of laundry?), how much soap you use, and how many rinse cycles your washer has.

Mix a little detergent with water in a sink and give the soiled towels a quick pre-wash. It'll take, what, 5 minutes tops?
posted by HotPatatta at 8:20 PM on August 14, 2008

Obviously I am pleased to hear that others agree with me. Not so that I can rub it in my roommate's face, but more so because, for a minute there, he had me believing that I was the unreasonable one.

A few additions:

These are old towels that are now the puppy's property, as JaredSeth alludes to. They're in the cage he sleeps in overnight, and sometimes he wets them. It's not a case of me wanting to get them clean enough to use myself later. Not at all.

The washing machine I have access to is pretty crappy, with no sanitation option and very few options at all other than water temp. And I'm really too lazy to pre-rinse, though I probably should consider it. Furthermore, it's often possible that the towels have been dirty with pee for 24-48 hours or more before I get them into the laundry and 8-12 hours before I even realize they're dirty.

And Zambrano, I would be lying if I said I hadn't considered that myself. THAT I do recognize as a manifestation of my OCD tendencies. But if it were an option, I would probably make it happen.
posted by iamisaid at 8:34 PM on August 14, 2008

After being washed, how do the pee-towels smell?
posted by kidbritish at 9:16 PM on August 14, 2008

Escape the pee debate. Argue that puppy-pee towels need hot water heavy washing, other towels need a cooler, more gentle cycle to keep them pristine and fluffy.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 9:41 PM on August 14, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Not so that I can rub it in my roommate's face, but more so because, for a minute there, he had me believing that I was the unreasonable one.
That'd be pretty unreasonable. :)
posted by aeschenkarnos at 11:46 PM on August 14, 2008

What's this with all you letting dogs pee on your bath towels???????????
posted by A189Nut at 2:14 AM on August 15, 2008

A189Nut, in my case (and the OP's case as well) it's NOT that the dogs are peeing on our bath towels, it's that we have puppies who can't hold it consistently and we've provided a place for them to pee inside in case we can't get home to let them out.

There are many disposable pet mats sold for the same purpose but I found that one, they're pricey, and two, they're made out a tasty, tasty material that the dog enjoyed shredding (right before he peed on the floor). The old towels are free and (apparently) not delicious.
posted by kate blank at 4:12 AM on August 15, 2008

Argue that puppy-pee towels need hot water heavy washing, other towels need a cooler, more gentle cycle to keep them pristine and fluffy.



Yes, yes, yes. Though I would also argue that in a good washer, not overloaded, with cycles set to hot and warm and heavy cotton with a presoak, and your hot water tank set to 170 degrees, you could throw in a pee-towel with a not-pee towel and both would come out clean. Don't know about kennel pee-towel though, depends on how often it was washed I guess. But then your nice towels wouldn't be nice for too long.
posted by mrmojoflying at 4:49 AM on August 15, 2008

There's something diabolical about dog/cat piss. My "roommate from hell" experience a couple years ago proved that to me. His little rat of a dog peed on everything. I had to get rid of furniture, as the prospect of spending tons of money to clean it seemed pointless, and I knew I'd continue to smell it, whether subconsciously, or on the FURTHEST HORIZON of my olfactory recognition. Take anything with pee, wash it separately in scalding hot water, and then you might as well just burn it. Or buy that special cleaner that's supposed to neutralize the odor.
posted by ChickenringNYC at 6:19 AM on August 15, 2008

I remember quite clearly the day in elementary school when I put on my just-washed Spumoni sweatshirt, and it must have been in the wash with something that had been peed on, because I ended up smelling like PEE ALL DAY.

Wash the pee stuff separately, or throw it in with your roommate's crap because he doesn't care. (Also, hot water? I wash 90% of my clothes on warm or cold.)
posted by Metroid Baby at 6:38 AM on August 15, 2008

Try throwing in some laundry borax with your detergent.
posted by konolia at 6:39 AM on August 15, 2008

More important, either way, is the proper chemical treatment. If you use the right amount of anti-pet-urine agent in the wash, it shouldn't matter, since it'll all be neutralized.

If you're still smelling pee after you wash the towels, either alone or transferred to other articles in the wash, then that's just a laundry fail.

Since you shouldn't overstuff the agitator anyway, there's certainly no harm in washing them separately, and it'll probably help by keeping the loads small. Your roommate should indulge you.

Oh, and make sure that the puppy gets trained well. Less pee should be your objective. :)
posted by Citrus at 8:23 AM on August 15, 2008

dog pee, while not one of my favorite things, is pretty harmless and should wash right out. It's cat piss that is toxic, eternal, and smells of expressed skunk glands.
posted by dawson at 9:31 AM on August 15, 2008

Seconding the Borax - It works and it's cheap
posted by davereed at 9:33 AM on August 15, 2008

Vinegar does wonders for curing pee smell as well.

And of course you're right, everything that dissolves in the wash water will then be agitated around onto everything else. Even if your roommie is right in 99% of occasions, what's the reward in exchange for that risk? There's a button/knob for setting water level to smaller loads for a reason.

Tell your roommie that if s/he doesn't mind the risk s/he's welcome to take it; your clothing will not be gambled with.
posted by phearlez at 11:16 AM on August 15, 2008

This article has some information about how effective laundry detergent is at removing dirt.
posted by alms at 12:02 PM on August 15, 2008

dilution is not the solution to pollution

The real stinky stuff in pee is oil based, so the molecules cling tenaciously to the fibers of the towels. And towels have complex surface area with the loops and fuzz.

Hot water and borax help to break the bond between the pee-stink and the cotton.

Even if you lift the pee-stink molecules out of the fibers, you are redepositing the molcules back into the entire wash load.

I say, the puppy can sleep on old towels which have mild to moderate pee smell. However, you should not wash your own clothes with the puppy towels.

I have a MS degree in Textile Science so I know of what I speak
posted by ohshenandoah at 3:56 PM on August 15, 2008