Hi there,

I'm looking for some advice on ow to tell parents that their children smell. It's absolutely awful. This is not body odour, but it's in their clothes. Outdoor clothes, indoor clothes, school bags, basically anything fabric. The smell transfers....the sheets at my place stink, blankets, pillows, anything they touch for a long period of time, or any room they stay in long enough. It's an awful musty smell, I've never smelt anything like it. I'm hesitant to say anything because if it is a smell coming from within their home, then I am most definitely going to offend. I just can't take it any more...I just bought new couches and I can't let either of them sit on it...I have been using clothes that my older son grew out of to change the younger one in to while he's here and then I was his clothes, but I can't keep doing it cause those clothes absorb the smell too, even through washing and it transfers to other clothes in the wash.....these kids have been through hell and back with a bad divorce and I just feel awful for having to say something, but my house is getting the stink!

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I'm not sure I'm any help but when it comes to stinky clothes, I wash them in odoban and it gets rid of the problem. Maybe you could tell mom since its warmer and there will be more outdoor play if she could send three or four outfits... Wash those in odoban and use those to change them into... Then soak the old clothes in odoban to remove the odor.

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I have had a family like that also. They were an upstanding family and seemed clean but the clothes and blankets reeked, almost like they had a wood stove in their house or something.

I took to spraying the kids clothes and hair with body spray from Bath & Body Works.

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I have a child in my care that has a musty smell on his clothes. He forgot something here one night and I took it over to their home. Its an older home and the entire house smelled like it. I am guessing its just the house smell and the clothes just take everything in. The house was clean and they are VERY clean people. If its the way their house smells there is nothing you can do.

I would ask mom for extra sets of clothes to leave there. Wash and soak them and change him as soon as she leaves. It's also garage sale time and I would honestly get some extra clothes and have them ready.

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i wonder if it's coming from their washer, like maybe laundry gets left in the washer for long periods very frequently.

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That is quite common here in Florida in older homes and apartments. I guess because of the humidity and tendency for mold. One can have a very clean home yet have that musty smell. Our house smelled like that for a while and then it went away. Not sure why. Maybe it was when we had the roof replaced or maybe when we got new flooring and carpeting. Wherever the smell was hiding making those changes helped I guess. Most of us down here are used to it though. It is not horrible though or super strong but it is here.

Laurel

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That could be!

Laurel

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the musty smell is from clothes sitting in a dryer and not being dried all the way. I have dck's like this too. And I find that they get sick alot, so I'm wondering if it has to do something with it.

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As hard as it is, I think I'd have to very gently tell them.

Maybe something like "I really, really hate to bring this up. Please don't feel bad but I must tell you that there is a strong musty odor in the children's clothes. I know some older homes with mold problems possibly have this. I've heard that ______ and ______ helps. Sorry but just had to tell you as it is kind of hard to ignore." (sympathetic smile).

I've never heard of Odorban but it sounds great. I also have been told to use a product called DampRid. You might fill in the blanks with those two.

I hate these 'non fun' things we gotta tell people.

Laurel

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Odoban is awesome. I use it instead of bleach... I can't have bleach in my home. It's approved and kills everything and has the same usage as bleach except you can put it in the washing machine. It's very multi purpose. I even mop with it. It's not as cheap as bleach but comes in a gallon of concentrate. I buy it at the commercial supply store in Jackson.

Oh and they have a lot of different products not just the regular odoban.

http://www.odoban.com/products.php

Oh, you can also put it in carpet steam cleaners !! I used to do that when I did my dads carpets

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Vinegar also works great!

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I was going to suggest the same thing!

1/4 cup of vinegar in every load works super well at getting rid of musty smells...like leaving the clothes in the washer too long which I do too much...or getting rid of cat pee smells...which my cats used to do.

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Thanks everyone. I'm going to buy odoban just to have cause it sound great...I'm not up for having to do their laundry all the time, or having to change them multiple times. I'm going to use it and suggest it to the parent as well. My husband is out getting candles to clear the scent out of the house...and thank goodness it's spring, I've got all the windows open while the kids are napping.
Now, what's more weird is that their urine smells like it too...could they both have UTI's or yeast infections....I'm not gonna say that to the parent but I've noticed it very strong there too...I'm mustering up everything I've got to gently tell them the smell issue and I hope we can get this fixed!

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If their urine smells funny that may be an issue. How old are these kids?? Is the urine concentrated ?? If they are in diapers is the diaper yellow or clear??

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I would bring up the urine thing to the parents. I would express concern for their health. That's an easier subject to approach then telling the parents that their child stinks. Good luck. Not a fun position to be in.

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Good to know! It even lists mildew as an odor it gets rid of.

Laurel

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Oh yeah - I bet it is her washing machine! Front loaders have to be cleaned. It also helps to use powdered detergent instead of liquid. I actually mentioned this to a dcm once (I recognized the smell because it happened to us after we got our front loader.) I just mentioned to dcm what happened to us and told her I recognized the smell on dcbs clothes. She said that smell had been bothering her and she was so glad to know what it was and how to fix it.

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Yes it's awesome stuff... I couldn't survive without my odoban... I also use it to clean out pet stuff like my daughters rat cage, etc. I wash all linen in it too. Well heck I use it for everything...l but I only use the eucalyptus scent lol

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Not to turn this into something it's not but are you sure their home environment is clean and they have access to fresh water? Are they otherwise well nourished and typically healthy?

Do they rent or own their home?

Do they have pets?

See a doctor regularly that you're aware of via vaccination records?

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I recently cleaned up an estate for a friend and everything smelled musty or like animal piss. I discovered Odoban and it helped tremendously BUT be careful, it is very toxic and can cause irreversable blindness and severe skin irritation.

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Shortly after becoming licensed i had to term a family of four for this as well as two of the children were way too old for my daycare...and also for hitting. I simply had to talk to the dad...in my case the children needed clean clothes and baths. It turned out they hadnt had hot water in years and the previous provider had been doing laundry and bathing them. We dont have a way to bathe children here (unless its like a one year old or younger that fits in like a rubbermaid tub or the sink). Lol. Well i talked to dad and at first nothing...i talked to the case worker that set them up here and let her know i couldnt continue...my whole daycare smelled terrible and my husband couldnt stand me when i got home cuz i smelled like them and it got worse and worse. THe caseworker told dad he would lose daycare if he didnt bathe his children. He tried a couple times wiping them with a moist rag ( not the same thing...you could see the muddy smears on their legs fron just being wiped. And he sprayed their clothes with tons of perfume...didnt help. A few days later i termed. I was on my last leg with this family. Im happy to report that they started getting regular baths...and when i pass them at the school they now smell fantastic and their clothes are very clean. I dont regret my decision though. I would just be very straight forward, though in situations like this it is so very hard. It could be they have a front load washer and dont dry it out between loads and its moldy, it could be that they leave clothes wet and puled together too long...or maybe they cant afford detergent? Just make sure to approach the situation nicely and empathetically so it can be resolved.

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I wonder if it could be patchouli oil? Some people think it is a horrible musty smell and others love it. That stuff really does spread and linger.

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That's a good point, too.

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For the record, my magical "the laundry has been in the washer for HOW long?!" recipe is a wash on hot with normal laundry soap and a Downy ball of distilled white vinegar works like a charm.

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Guys, you need to check this rare disease called TMAU. May be it will change your perspectives of some people who smell.

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This rare genetic disorder doesn't cause a musty smell, it causes a fishy smell, and being a part time soap maker, I also know how to define scents, like patchouli, or syrupy (like diabetic pee). They are having issues with musty smells

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