My Dryer Smells Bad and Makes Me Nauseous

Dryer Contents

• The easiest causes of dryer odor to solve involve materials that you put into the dryer by accident. This can occur if you pour the wrong type of soap or cleaner onto your laundry. In other cases, it may come from something left in a pocket or pile of laundry. Vials of perfume, pieces of food and household garbage can all break or melt due to the dryer's tumbling and heat, causing an odor.

Mold

• Mold in a dryer can take on several different odors. In most cases, mold comes from improper ventilation, which allows the warm, moist air that leaves the dryer to come back inside. If you leave damp clothes in the dryer for too long, or hang them to dry indoors during high humidity, you can promote mold growth that migrates to the interior of the dryer. Mold can cause allergic reactions and create a general odor that causes nausea.

Solutions

• Whether your dryer's odor comes from a spill or mold, you can take steps to clean and sanitize the dryer. Cleaning the inside of your dryer with non-ammonia detergent is a useful first step. If there is visible mold inside, use a rag or brush to clean the plastic and metal surfaces inside the dryer. If mold is extensive, you may need to disconnect the dryer vent and clean out the ducts that lead outside using soap or a solution of water and chlorine bleach, which kills mold and bacteria. Tumbling clean, damp rags in the dryer will remove your cleaning product's residue before you attempt to use the dryer again. Clothes that acquire the smell from the dryer may need professional dry cleaning before the odor is no longer present.

Carbon Monoxide

• Gas-powered clothes dryers dispel carbon monoxide, which is a by-product from burning natural gas to create the heat that dries your clothes. However, improper ventilation or a crack in the heating element can allow a dryer to fill your home with carbon monoxide exhaust. Carbon monoxide is odorless, so if your dryer has had an odor for some time but the feelings of nausea are new, you may be experiencing carbon monoxide exposure. Consult a repair professional as soon as possible and avoid using your dryer until a professional can inspect it.