The unmistakable damp, musty smell that clings to your favorite shirt or towel long after it’s dried is more than just an annoyance, it’s a sign of a microbial invasion in your wardrobe. It’s an ongoing issue that can withstand regular wash cycles, locking in a stale clothes smell that seems almost impossible to get rid off. Zeppelin Cleaner provides this definitive, step-by-step means for eliminating that odor completely and keeping it away once and for all. We’ve taken all of the best advice and mixed it with a few tested techniques to get you the best way to get mildew smell out of clothes, leaving your whole laundry smelling fresh.
What Is The Main Difference Between Mold And Mildew
To conquer odors, you must first identify the enemy. Mold and mildew are fungi that enjoy damp, dark places, but there are important differences between them:
Mold: Mold is more invasive. It appears as fuzzy, raised patches that can be green, black or brown. That mold growth can have a stronger, more pungent, moldy clothes smell and penetrate deeper into fabric fibers, leaving it much more difficult to eliminate. Persistent mold smell on clothes may require aggressive treatment.
Mildew: It can be said that mildew is more often than not a surface fungus. It can be found as powdery, flat white or gray patches and is the most typical source of that musty laundry smell. It is easier to remove mildew from fabric with proper treatment.
Both hang around in excess moisture like a forgotten load in the washing machine smells musty, a closet reservoir of humidity and inadequate drying. The first step toward a new solution is to name the problem accurately.
Top 5 Causes of Musty Laundry Smell And How to Fix Them
To truly get rid of the smell, you need to treat its source. The following are the top five reasons behind your musty laundry:
- The Forgotten Wash Cycle: When the wash is finished, wet clothes are left inside the drum, even for an hour or two, it provides a naturally moist environment that can help mildew grow. This is the one of the reasons clean clothes smell musty right after washing.
- Insufficient Drying: Even if clothes feel dry to the touch, they may still be retaining moisture in seams, cuffs and thick fabrics such as towels. This humidity gets trapped, and over time causes a stale clothes smell.
- Dirty Washing Machine: Mold and biofilm can develop on your washer’s rubber gasket, detergent drawer and drain pump. Dirty machines spread mildew odors to every load, causing laundry mildew issues.
- Improper Storage: Storing clothes in plastic totes, sealed containers or even a wet basement can lock in moisture. Without airflow, clothes smelling musty eventually, particularly natural fibers.
- Persistent High Humidity: Anything above 60% relative humidity qualifies as high enough for mildew growth to take hold on fabrics, even in your closet. This one is frequently the culprit behind repeated issues, even if you’re a good laundry-doer.
5 Proven Methods To Remove Mildew Smells
Depending on the degree of the smell, decide how to treat. These are the best way to get rid of mildew smell out of clothes.
Method 1: The Vinegar & Baking Soda Double Clean
This all-time combination works well on stubborn clothes mildew smell.
- Vinegar Wash: Place 1 cup of white vinegar in the detergent build-up causing odors dispensing tray or drum. Wash on a normal or heavy duty cycle with the hottest water that is safe for the fabrics. Vinegar for mildew smell works for deodorizing and anti-fungal properties, which are great for mildew odors.
- Baking Soda Wash: Wash a second time soon after the first with ½ cup of baking soda added to your regular detergent. Use warm or hot water. Baking soda will neutralize acids, as well as lift any leftover smells and clean the fabric.
- Drying: Sun-dry for best UV disinfection, or use high heat. Ensure items are completely dry.
Method 2: The Pre-Soak Method
This pre-treatment soak is important when you have to get musty smell out of clothes.
- Make the Solution: Combine one part white vinegar with four parts warm water in a clean tub or sink. For whites, sprinkle with an oxygen bleach as per the label.
- Soak: The stained items should be completely under water. Let the fabric soak for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight for very strong smells.
- Wash and Dry: Pour off the water and wash with detergent as usual. Dry completely in sunlight.
Method 3: The Targeted Treatment
How to get musty smell out of clothes without washing them or for delicate garments.
- Spot Test: Always test first in a hidden area.
- Spray and Wait: Combine white vinegar and water in equal measures inside a spray bottle. Lightly mist the affected area. Let it sit for 15-30 minutes.
- Air Dry and Rinse Out: Rinse treated sponge with cold water until clean. Let the item air dry completely, preferably in fresh air.
Method 4: The Sun-Powered Refresh
Mother Nature’s powerful disinfectant can help kill mildew smell.
- Dampen and Hang: Spritz clean but smelly clothing with water.
- Sun Dry: Keep them on a line to dry in the sun for about 2-3 hours. The UV ray serves as a natural sanitizer and odor neutralizer.
- Check: Once dry, the musty smell clothes should be greatly diminished or absent.
Method 5: The Professional Grade Treatment
When DIY fails, or for items labeled “dry clean,” professional help is the best way to get mildew smell out of clothes without risk.
You should Contact professionals for dry cleaning for visible mold or mildew on clothes, heirloom items, wedding dresses and suits, as well as when odors don’t dissipate after repeated home treatments. Professionals also have industrial-grade solvents and antimicrobial treatments for mold odor removal that home methods can’t replicate.
How to Perform Special Care for Different Fabrics
In order to maximize benefits and prevent damage to your clothing, you must go about it the right way from fabric to fabric. Here’s how to eliminate mildew smells on problem materials.
Caring for Towels and Linens
It’s because the plush, absorbent loops of towels and linens rank high as moisture holders, which means they’re often a prime source of that musty laundry smell found in your laundry. The Dual wash method with hot water is the best way to get mildew smell out of clothes. But whatever you do, stay away from fabric softener, it leaves a residue that renders towels less absorbent and traps odors. The last thing you’ll want to remember is that all towels should be entirely 100% dry before being folded and put away. A whisper of moisture in the middle of a folded towel will also make it smell all over again.
Refreshing Athletic Wear and Performance Fabrics
These man-made materials are made to wick sweat off your skin, but as it turns out, they also trap body oils and bacteria down in their fibers, which eventually leads to a persistent skin smells like mildew stench. A pre-soak in a vinegar or oxygen bleach solution is essential to breaking down the embedded odors prior to being washed. Finish with a washing using a detergent designed for sports clothing. Never use fabric softener on athletic wear, as it will leave a coating on the technical fibers that breaks down their moisture-wicking ability, and locks in odors forever.
Dealing with Fine Fabrics: Wool and Silk
Fine natural fibres such as silk and wool will be stripped of their delicate softness by the acids in vinegar, and are damaged by heavy agitation. The main objective here is gentle cleaning. For light scents, Targeted Treatment can be safely administered with a gentle laundry detergent and cool water. On the more expensive stuff, strong smells or anything with a tag that reads “dry clean only,” professional dry cleaning is best. Make sure that you let the cleaner know about the mold problem so that they can use a proper treatment.
Deodorizing Dense Denim (Jeans)
The dense, heavy weave of denim means it dries very slowly, particularly in places like the waistband. This trapped moisture is why jeans smell like mildew after you wear them even if they’re freshly washed. The Dual Wash for work jeans for general reference works really well and gets clothes very clean, but so does Sun-Powered method outside with these particularly. So to be sure you have the proper drying and cleaning, turn jeans inside out before you wash and dry them and make certain those thick seams are really dried all the way through before putting them away.
DIY Tactics on How to Stop Mildew Smell Before It Starts
It’s much easier to prevent mildew smells than it is to remove mildew smell after they’ve taken hold. By adopting some key habits to your washing and storage routine, you can create an environment where mold and mildew have no place. Here’s how to mount a vigorous defense for your wardrobe:
- Always Dry Completely: It’s an unbreakable first rule of prevention. Mildew cannot grow without moisture, so getting rid of it is critical. Always run a full dryer cycle, and for line-dried items, make sure they are very dry to the touch, not just surface-dry focus on thicker seams or cuffs or towel centers. Never put away or fold clothing that is still even the slightest bit cool or damp to the touch.
- Encourage Airflow: Stale, moist air is your enemy. Do not overload closets and utility rooms so air can circulate. Opt for breathable storage options, such as canvas garment bags or cotton storage boxes, instead of airless plastic bins, which hold in humidity. Some small closet dehumidifiers and moisture-absorbing products will draw water from the air in damp-happy spaces, putting an end to mildew before it stages a coup.
- Wash Early: Daily use is a big culprit. Sweaty gym clothes, wet swimsuits and damp towels should never be allowed to sit bunched in a hamper or gym bag. This forms a dark, damp breeding ground for bacteria that cause odour and mildew. Get into the habit of hanging these things up to air out after use and washing them within a day.
- Store Wisely: Follow a “Clean & Dry” rule. Key only perfectly clean and bone-dry items for storage. Cloth dirt, grease, and food particles are a bacterial food source. Prior to going into seasonal storage, make sure everything has been cleaned and dried recently. Go back to the items you are storing every once in a while, particularly during humid times of year, and air them out if there’s any hint of mustiness.
By making it second nature to follow this maintenance routine, you will be preventing expensive items of clothing being thrown away prematurely and never have that question at the back of your mind wondering whether what you’re trying to wear really is fresh and ready to go!.
Looking For Mildew Cleaning Experts?
Now you have the full game plan in terms of eliminating that mildew odors once and for all. This guide has the best way to get mildew smell out of clothes, from finding the source to giving it proper treatment for your specific fabrics through some proven and effective ways.
For professional mildew cleaning services you can Contact Zeppelin Cleaner. Don’t hesitate to seek professional dry cleaning services to ensure complete mildew odor removal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How can I quickly get rid of a mild mildew smell?
A: For a faint musty smell, hang the clothes outside in direct sunlight for an afternoon. The UV light sanitizes and deodorizes fabrics with natural powers of the sun. For a faster indoor solution, spritz lightly with equal parts of white vinegar and water, wait 15 minutes and throw the garment in the dryer on air-fluff.
Q: Can I use old-fashioned vinegar and baking soda in the same wash?
A: Absolutely not Mixing them results in a chemical reaction that neutralizes their cleaning power. For the best way to get mildew smell out of clothes, use these:
- Run a load with just a cup of vinegar in place of detergent
- Rewash with 1/2 cup baking soda and then run through again but using your normal detergent.
Q: Why do my towels continue to smell musty even after I wash them?
A: This generally is a result of detergent or fabric softener residue that has built up and promotes odor retention. Strip the residual by laundering with 1 cup of white vinegar (no detergent) on a hot cycle, then launder as usual. No more fabric softener on towels from now on.
Q: How can I remove moldy smell from clothing without washing the clothes?
A: What’s the best no-wash method? A: Sun-drying. For those that wetting isn’t an option, putting the items in a plastic bag and freezing them overnight can remove odors. To freshen up between wearings, try a fabric spray (like enzymes or vodka).
Q: Can these techniques be used on delicate fabrics?
A: Use caution. Always spot-test first. For wool, silk or anything with stretch, skip the vinegar and give the garment a gentle soak in cool water with detergent that is mild and enzyme-based. When it comes to expensive (or “dry clean only”) pieces with mold, professional cleaning is the safest bet.
Q: When should I call in a professional cleaner?
A: Seek professional help for severe mold growth (black, green, or fuzzy patches), you need a professional to help clean. Also if it’s here on suits or wedding dresses, same goes for them. Or when the mold smell on clothes continues after trying and trying with more than DIY wisdom mentioned before here in answers. They offer commercial mold odor removal services
