Wondering How to Get the Mildew Smell Out of Clothes? Here are the best remedies you must try to eliminate the moldy odor!
We all must have experienced our favorite garments throwing out a musty, moldy odor once in a while. Contrary to popular belief, a regular wash will worsen the conditions rather than helping you. Here are some quick and effective remedies on How to Get the Mildew Smell out of Clothes!
Find the Best Remedies to Remove Chemical Smell from New Clothes here
      What Causes Mildew Smells in Clothes?    
If you leave your wet clothes unattended for an extended period of time, it develops mildew (Fungi) that generates a musty smell. Often, the cloth storage boxes create a damp atmosphere encouraging the mold spores to find a host in your apparel.
Leaving out sweaty apparel for long also helps the fungi to settle and give out the stinky mildew smell from clothes.
Learn How to Remove Mold From Shower Caulking here
How to Get the Mildew Smell out of Clothes?
Here’re some fantastic ways that will help you with How to Get the Mildew Smell Out of Clothes:
1. Use White Vinegar
White vinegar is the best and easiest remedy if you are stuck with How to Get the Mildew Smell out of Clothes. The acetic acid in the vinegar will break down the fungi cycle in your clothes, thus eliminating the mildew smell clothes.
How to Use?
Fill a bucket with hot water and add 250 ml of distilled white vinegar. Then put all your clothes into the mixture and leave it overnight. Next day, rinse your clothes with normal water and let them dry under the sun. Their musty odor will go when they dry completely.
Learn about the Things that Should Not be Washed with Water here
2. Hand Wash with Baking Soda
Baking soda is a potent remedy and a reasonable odor-neutralizer. The mild alkali dissolves all the grime and mold; thus is a great remedy when you are struggling with how to get a moldy smell out of clothes.
How to Use?
Load up a basin or sink with hot water and add one cup of baking soda. Put all your stinky clothes and leave them overnight. Next day, wash your clothes as usual and dry them in direct sunlight or the dryer.
Learn the Detailed Process here
3. Try Vodka
You can learn How to Get the Mildew Smell Out of Clothes with high-proof vodka, and the best part is that it is odorless.
How to Use?
Take an empty spray bottle and fill it with vodka. Then spritz the liquid lightly all over the clothes. When vodka dries, it will remove mildew smell from clothes, thanks to its high alcoholic content.
Note: Do not dilute the vodka, as that will reduce its effectiveness.
4. Combine Vinegar and Baking soda                           
Vinegar and baking soda together is a magical blend to remove mildew odor from clothes. As the acetic acid in the vinegar will act on the molds forming in your garment, baking soda will neutralize the leftover vinegar smell.
How to Use?
Add 1 cup of vinegar,1 cup of baking soda, and 1 cup of detergent (Optional) into your washer. Then put the stained clothes into it and set the washing machine to the “Normal” rinse cycle with a hot water setting. Once the clothes are washed, line-dry in proper sunlight. It is a super effective remedy for How to Get Mildew Smell Out of Laundry.
Clean Clogged Toilet with Baking Soda and Vinegar Like this
5. Sprinkle Baking Soda
Banking soda is a natural deodorizer and mildew-killing agent. It’s used as a laundry booster to freshen up the pungent odors of stinky clothes.
How to Use?
Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda evenly all over the clothes. Leave it overnight to allow the baking soda to soak in the musty odor. Jiggle the clothes the next morning to remove the excess baking soda particles.
6. Use Lemon Juice & Salt Paste
Lemon juice is acidic in nature that acts directly on the mildew buildup in clothes, while the salt particles will scrub away the mildew particles. It is most effective to remove mildew patches from damp clothes and towels.
How to Use?
Make a combination of lemon juice and salt paste, then rub it all over the mildew-affected area. Leave it for 20-30 minutes and scrape the dried layer with a dry toothbrush. Wash in cold water and dry in under direct sunlight.
It definitely is one of the easiest methods if you are stuck with How to get Mildew Smell out of Clothes.
Learn about Removing Mold from Car Seats here
7. Use Borax in the Rinse Cycle
Borax is an effective solution to How to Get Mildew Smell out of Washer. As a potential disinfectant, borax will kill the fungi and bacteria residing in your garments, thus removing the moldy smell.
How to Use?
Mix half a cup of borax with one cup of warm water and pour it into the rinse cycle along with the stinky clothes. You can then put it in the dryer or hang it under direct sunlight.
As an effective laundry booster, it will remove the mildew smell in clothes without harming their texture or longevity.
Find some Surprising Borax Uses here
8. Spray Essential Oils
The antibacterial property of tea tree oil will help with How to Get the Mildew Smell Out of Clothes. Also, it will deodorize the garments without affecting their texture or quality.
How to Use?
Fill a spray bottle with water and add 10-15 drops of tea tree essential oil. Spritz them on the mildew-affected areas and leave them in the open air. The musty smell will evaporate away with the essential oil blend.
You can also use eucalyptus, lemon, or orange oil for the purpose.
Learn some Fantastic Essential Oil Hacks here
9. Freeze the Stinky Clothes
As weird and easy as it sounds. Freezing stinky clothes is a super remedy for How to Get the Mildew Smell out of Clothes. The fungi and bacteria cannot survive low temperatures, thus removing the mildew smell in clothes.
How to Use?
Put the clothes in an airtight bag and dump them in the freezer. Get them out after 2-3 days and dry them in the open air separately.
10. Deodorize with Coffee Grounds
Do you know coffee grounds can help you with how to get a moldy smell out of clothes? Coffee beans contain nitrogen that neutralizes any odor in the air.
How to Use?
Place a bowl of coffee grounds in your cabinet and hand the musty garments in it. Leave it that way for a week, after which you may let them air-dry in the sun to remove the mildew smell completely.
To make the remedy more potent, you can also add a block of activated charcoal to the bowl.
11. Use a Garment Steamer to Remove Mildew Smell
Steaming the damp clothes will remove the odor-causing molds and bacteria, thus de-wrinkling and freshening them up.
How to Use?
Just hand the clothes in line and steam them thoroughly to remove the unpleasant smell effectively.
Find the Best Remedies to Remove Chemical Smell from New Clothes here
Tips to Avoid Mildew Smell in Clothes
Before you look for how to get the mildew smell out of clothes, it is important to avoid the very root of the condition. Here are some tips for you to try:
1. Dry the Clothes Immediately                                
Leaving the clothes in damp conditions is the first & foremost reason for mildew growth. To avoid this issue, dry the clothes completely as soon as you finish the washing process.
2. Don’t Store Clothes in Damp Rooms
Avoid storing clothes in soggy rooms like the bathroom and basement. Make sure to stock them in a properly vented room or a closet.
3. Clean the Washing Machine                                
Regular cleaning of the washing machine is necessary. Add vinegar and baking soda to the washer and run it on an empty hot water cycle for an hour. Always remember to open the washer’s lid after every wash load.
4. Don’t Overuse Laundry Detergent
Excessive use of detergent will clog the clothes’ pores, thereby creating a foam-like structure, which’s a favorable place for fungi and bacteria.
5. Avoid Fabric Softener                                      
Avoid the usage of fabric softener on synthetic clothes, as its coating will trap the grime and stink residues, thereby making the bacteria thrive on it.