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Unravelling the hidden side of laundry : malodour, microbiome and pathogenome

Celia Diez Lopez (UGent) , Florence Van Herreweghen (UGent) , Britta De Pessemier (UGent) , Yorick Minnebo (UGent) , Steff Taelman (UGent) , Kara Judge, Karen Ransley, Christopher Hammond, Matthew Batson, Michiel Stock (UGent) , et al.
(2025) BMC BIOLOGY. 23(1).
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Abstract
BackgroundRecent trends towards lower washing temperatures and a reduction in the use of bleaching agents in laundry undoubtedly benefit our environment. However, these conditions impair microbial removal on clothes, leading to malodour generation and negative impacts on consumer well-being. Clothing undergoes cycles of wearing, washing and drying, with variable exposure to microorganisms and volatilomes originating from the skin, washing machine, water and laundry products. Laundry malodour is therefore a complex problem that reflects its dynamic ecosystem. To date, comprehensive investigations that encompass the evaluation of both microbial community and malodorous volatile organic compounds throughout all stages of the wash-wear-dry cycle are scarce. Furthermore, the microbial and malodour profiles associated with extended humid-drying conditions are poorly defined.ResultsHere we present olfaction-directed chemical and microbiological studies of synthetic T-shirts after wearing, washing and drying. Results show that although washing reduces the occurrence of known malodour volatile organic compounds, membrane-intact bacterial load on clothing is increased. Skin commensals are displaced by washing machine microbiomes, and for the first time, we show that this shift is accompanied by an altered pathogenomic profile, with many genes involved in biofilm build-up. We additionally highlight that humid-drying conditions are associated with characteristic malodours and favour the growth of specific Gram-negative bacteria.ConclusionsThese findings have important implications for the development of next-generation laundry products that enhance consumer well-being, while supporting environmentally friendly laundry practices.
Keywords
Laundry malodour, Volatile organic compounds, Washing machine, Textile microbiome, Skin microbiome, GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIA, ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANCE, WASHING MACHINES, IMPACT, ODOR, FABRICS, IDENTIFICATION, TEMPERATURE, SURVIVAL, REMOVAL

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Citation

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MLA
Diez Lopez, Celia, et al. “Unravelling the Hidden Side of Laundry : Malodour, Microbiome and Pathogenome.” BMC BIOLOGY, vol. 23, no. 1, 2025, doi:10.1186/s12915-025-02147-5.
APA
Diez Lopez, C., Van Herreweghen, F., De Pessemier, B., Minnebo, Y., Taelman, S., Judge, K., … Callewaert, C. (2025). Unravelling the hidden side of laundry : malodour, microbiome and pathogenome. BMC BIOLOGY, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-025-02147-5
Chicago author-date
Diez Lopez, Celia, Florence Van Herreweghen, Britta De Pessemier, Yorick Minnebo, Steff Taelman, Kara Judge, Karen Ransley, et al. 2025. “Unravelling the Hidden Side of Laundry : Malodour, Microbiome and Pathogenome.” BMC BIOLOGY 23 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-025-02147-5.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Diez Lopez, Celia, Florence Van Herreweghen, Britta De Pessemier, Yorick Minnebo, Steff Taelman, Kara Judge, Karen Ransley, Christopher Hammond, Matthew Batson, Michiel Stock, Wim Van Criekinge, Tom Van de Wiele, Angus Macmaster, and Chris Callewaert. 2025. “Unravelling the Hidden Side of Laundry : Malodour, Microbiome and Pathogenome.” BMC BIOLOGY 23 (1). doi:10.1186/s12915-025-02147-5.
Vancouver
1.
Diez Lopez C, Van Herreweghen F, De Pessemier B, Minnebo Y, Taelman S, Judge K, et al. Unravelling the hidden side of laundry : malodour, microbiome and pathogenome. BMC BIOLOGY. 2025;23(1).
IEEE
[1]
C. Diez Lopez et al., “Unravelling the hidden side of laundry : malodour, microbiome and pathogenome,” BMC BIOLOGY, vol. 23, no. 1, 2025.
@article{01JM7S63AY7Q5XMTN5FE0PP293,
  abstract     = {{BackgroundRecent trends towards lower washing temperatures and a reduction in the use of bleaching agents in laundry undoubtedly benefit our environment. However, these conditions impair microbial removal on clothes, leading to malodour generation and negative impacts on consumer well-being. Clothing undergoes cycles of wearing, washing and drying, with variable exposure to microorganisms and volatilomes originating from the skin, washing machine, water and laundry products. Laundry malodour is therefore a complex problem that reflects its dynamic ecosystem. To date, comprehensive investigations that encompass the evaluation of both microbial community and malodorous volatile organic compounds throughout all stages of the wash-wear-dry cycle are scarce. Furthermore, the microbial and malodour profiles associated with extended humid-drying conditions are poorly defined.ResultsHere we present olfaction-directed chemical and microbiological studies of synthetic T-shirts after wearing, washing and drying. Results show that although washing reduces the occurrence of known malodour volatile organic compounds, membrane-intact bacterial load on clothing is increased. Skin commensals are displaced by washing machine microbiomes, and for the first time, we show that this shift is accompanied by an altered pathogenomic profile, with many genes involved in biofilm build-up. We additionally highlight that humid-drying conditions are associated with characteristic malodours and favour the growth of specific Gram-negative bacteria.ConclusionsThese findings have important implications for the development of next-generation laundry products that enhance consumer well-being, while supporting environmentally friendly laundry practices.}},
  articleno    = {{40}},
  author       = {{Diez Lopez, Celia and Van Herreweghen, Florence and De Pessemier, Britta and Minnebo, Yorick and Taelman, Steff and Judge, Kara and Ransley, Karen and Hammond, Christopher and Batson, Matthew and Stock, Michiel and Van Criekinge, Wim and Van de Wiele, Tom and Macmaster, Angus and Callewaert, Chris}},
  issn         = {{1741-7007}},
  journal      = {{BMC BIOLOGY}},
  keywords     = {{Laundry malodour,Volatile organic compounds,Washing machine,Textile microbiome,Skin microbiome,GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIA,ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANCE,WASHING MACHINES,IMPACT,ODOR,FABRICS,IDENTIFICATION,TEMPERATURE,SURVIVAL,REMOVAL}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{22}},
  title        = {{Unravelling the hidden side of laundry : malodour, microbiome and pathogenome}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-025-02147-5}},
  volume       = {{23}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}
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