My flower tastes like the laundry!

[mykgro]

Hello, I need help with my dilemma. I am an Illinois medical cannabis patient & therefore able to grow my own. Currently about to start my 5th grow but am stumped on what I should do. I keep picking up a laundry soap type taste in my final product. Here's my set up; 2 tents (3x3x6),(4x4x6). [4x4- 2 ac infinity 4"fans(1 exhaust, 1 intake], [3x3-1 ac infinity 4"fan] plus regular fan for circulation inside tents. The exhaust for both tents vent outside thru old style small basement window(glass replaced with plywood). The intake air for the 4x4 is brought in from basement air thru 4" duct by 4" fan & filtered thru a charcoal filter setting inside tent. The intake for the 3x3 is basement air brought in by negative pressure as tent exhausts. The washing machine is less than a foot away from 4x4 & the tent has bottom square vents. I would have thought the charcoal filter would scrub the basement air of any odors before entering tent but still have a slight taste that is more noticable in bowls, etc than just hitters. I use promix soil & nectar for the gods nutes. Assuming that all else is ok & it's environmental that is affecting taste what can I do? Should I put intake fan & filter outside the tent & duct into tent vs what it is now- drawing air thru duct then pushed thru fan/filter which is inside the tent. Thought being that it would filter the air better? Or bring in filtered fresh air from outside? What about freezing cold winter air? Also I would have to exhaust into basement thru filter(for Smell). I am limited on money & approval for making holes in windows or exterior walls. As an added protection have been thinking about adding some type of barrier wall/divider between grow area of basement & washing machine. But not a simple task due to pipes n furnace ductwork. Pls help anyone this has got my mind twisted & overthinking.

[dilvish]

The after taste could be a result of the dryer not the washer. Obviously one fix would be to use fresh air intake from outside (winter cold air just means turning up the temp a bit in the tent) and ensure the dryer is exhausting on the opposite side.
If you have a properly installed carbon filter it should work to remove the smell of the cannabis and in effect the smell of the laundry detergent. It seems to me that if the tents aren't properly sealed, the carbon filter exhaust is drawing the laundry smell into the tent.

If you are properly licensed to grow and don't mind the smell of the plants, I'd say remove the carbon filter. If your fresh air intake is the basement itself then that's where the problem lies...the smell is being drawn in through the intake.

Having said all this the other option is to ensure whenever someone does laundry, use an organic plant based detergent that is unscented and get some dryer balls to replace dryer sheets or use unscented ones. Personally I opt for unscented everything and all organic detergent. Did you know that baking soda by itself makes an excellent laundry detergent and is cheaper than regular laundry detergent??
If you still want your clothes to smell "fresh" by some lavender, lemon whatever bar soap and leave it unwrapped in the closet and drawers where you put the clean clothes. The smell is just as "fresh".

[mykgro]

Thank you for the input. Dryer hasn't been working so that's not the culprit. And what's surprising is that I smoke ciggs/medicine not more than 20 ft away but no cigg stank attached to buds. The furnace fan runs constantly to circulate house air & thus creating a strong airflow that pushes most basement air up the stairs. Makes me think that the 4x4 tent is too close to washer, so for the meantime I've decided to put up a foamular wall to separate grow area & laundry area. Eventually will most likely draw fresh air from outside. Have to pick up another fan/ filter, filter ordered & on the way. I also picked up from a friend a 6" yield lab fan so that myt come in handy down the road. It isn't compatible with the ac infinity T4 set up im using(temp/humidity controller) so maybe use that to exhaust or draw fresh air into basement grow area? Ah the fun of growing always something to tweak or improve lol keeps it interesting.

[Ckbrew]

The dryer was my first thought also but if that is ruled out, then remove the source of the smell. It must be coming from your detergent. Get unscented. There may be some residual smell in there from past uses. try a vinegar rinse in the washing machine. Unless there is something else in the environment that you have looked over. Any "odor masking" devices being used?

[Tersky]

Dont use any scented deodorizers or have anything that gives off a scent in the same room as your grow. I had a friend who used deodorizers in his drying closet when he first started and his frist grow was unsmokeable because of it. Buds will soak up those scents remarkably well. Hell i wont go near my girls if i have recently put on cologne.

[PRIMO]

mykgro Everybody blaming the poor old maytag and box of tide.You said you notice it when using bowls etc. Vapes? When I vape,my first few hits have a really pleasant perfumed taste, for lack of a better word. A regular pipe or a nice tight doobie not so much . I think grouchyoldman kinda explained it as low temp.early release volitile terpenes that flash off at 250 F. Check his post "Vaporizer Showdown"

[Ckbrew]

Is this a new issue or a recurring issue? You say this is your 5th grow, but the dryer can not be the issue due to it not running. Dryer not running for 5 grows? Has there ever been any of those dryer scent "crystals" used in the dryer? Is the dryer vented to outside? The smell from those things can linger forever. Has the basement ever been treated for mold or post flood? Could it be a scent left over from that?