Musty Smell In Your Laundry? Here's How To Fix It.

Have you ever done your laundry and had to deal with the musty smell left behind? It's probably because you did not get rid of the mildew that is damaging your clothes. Removing mustiness from laundry can be very difficult. The key is in preventing the musty smell from forming in the first place. This article shares tips that you can use to avoid mustiness on certain types of laundry.

How to remove musty smell from laundry using vinegar?

You will need: White vinegar

Tips:

If your laundry room is damp, use a dehumidifier to reduce the moisture levels. Use white vinegar rather than apple cider vinegar as it is milder and less likely to stain. Do not overuse vinegar as it may damage the colors of your clothes.

Steps:

Check your washer and dryer for any leaks that may be causing the smell.
Make sure you are using enough detergent and fabric softener in each load of laundry.
Add a cup of white vinegar to the wash cycle to help neutralize the smell.
Run an empty load with just hot water and vinegar to clean out your machine.
Hang laundry outside to air out instead of leaving it in the basement or attic.
Sprinkle baking soda on carpets before vacuuming to help absorb bad smells.

Method 2: Using Baking Soda

Baking soda is one of the most versatile household ingredients you can have. It's inexpensive, non-toxic and can be used to remove musty smells from your laundry room, kitchen or anywhere else in the house.

Musty smell in your laundry room is unpleasant, but you can easily get rid of it with baking soda. This will help make your laundry room smell fresh again.

Materials: • Baking soda

Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your washing machine before running a regular cycle.
Run washing machine with the baking soda as you would with any other regular detergent.
Try not to use a dryer. Instead, try to hang your clothes in the sunlight. Sunlight helps get rid of musty smells.

Baking soda is naturally antiseptic and can help lift away stubborn stains from clothing.

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Method 2 (b): Leaving Baking Soda Out

Place the open box of baking soda on a table in the center of your laundry area. You may also place it near the washing machine, dryer or in any other areas where there is strong musty odor. The fresh scent of baking soda will soon eliminate bad odors from your laundry room.

Method 3: Using Odor Removers

Odor removers are designed to eliminate odor from fabrics. Some of them will remove the odor directly through the use of chemicals, while others rely on the power of enzymes to remove odors at the molecular level. Whatever approach is used, however, you can be sure that these products will destroy all traces of odor from your laundry, including smoke, mold and mildew smells.

How do I use an odor remover?

Odor removers are easy to use and almost always require no more than a single dose. Simply follow the instructions on the bottle or package and add a single dose of the product to your washing machine right before you begin your wash cycle.

When you allow your garments to sit in this solution for several hours or overnight, they will soak up any odors they may have once held and will smell fresh and clean when they emerge from the washer.

How often should I use an odor remover?

If your clothes have just picked up a musty or mildew smell during storage, you may only need one dose of odor remover to make them smell fresh again. More serious odors may require multiple treatments over time until their scent is completely removed. The easiest way to avoid needing multiple treatments is to treat each load of laundry with a good odor remover as soon as it comes out of the dryer or washer.

It is important to remember that odors may not come only from your clothing - they could also be caused by sweaty feet, pets, cooking smells and various other sources. For this reason, you should use a deodorizing spray on all surfaces and fabrics in your home and car periodically to keep them fresh and clean smelling. If you cannot find any type of product to remove an odor, try placing your clothes outdoors for several hours on a breezy day – the sun's rays combined with the wind can often do wonders at removing unwanted scents.

Conclusion

Most of the time there is no need to throw clothes away if you have that musty smell. The best thing you can do for your clothing is to remove the mildew. There are a few tricks to getting mildew out of clothes, and the easiest one starts with making sure the air in the room doesn’t have a musty odor. Another great solution is to use a fan to dry your laundry and leave the windows open to get rid of the musty odor. You also want to make sure you're putting your laundry in a room that doesn't usually get hit with humid air. You can walk around your home before washing anything in order to make sure these problems don't occur.

There are times when you might even get diesel fuel on your clothes. You can read this article on ways to get the smell out of your clothes.