A reliable method to get mildew smell out of clothes is washing them with a cup of white vinegar on the hottest water setting, then washing again with a cup of baking soda.
When it comes to battling bad smells, one of the toughest ones to conquer is mildew—you know, the stuff that makes your favorite clothes and fluffy towels smell like they’ve been rotting in a damp basement.
If your clothes smell musty, your first instinct might be to re-wash them or hose them down with Febreze. But this won’t fix the root cause of that stubborn smell. The key is treating the mildew before you wash your clothes, otherwise you’re just masking the scent.
It’s like spraying yourself with cologne instead of taking a shower after you work out.
Fear not—you can salvage your mildewed clothes with a couple ingredients that are probably lying around your house. In this article, we’ll explain why your clothes smell like mildew and walk you through a science-backed method to get rid of it for good.
What Makes Clothes Smell Like Mildew?
If your clothes smell like mildew, moisture is to blame. That horrific musty smell is due to the growth of mildew spores: a grayish-white fungus that thrives in damp, dark, and humid environments. In most cases, your laundry won’t have visible mildew spots, but the stench will give it away.
Here are a few common scenarios that make clothes smell like mildew:
- You didn’t give your sweaty clothes a chance to dry before washing them
- You left your wet towels in your washer laundry basket for too long
- Your closet is dark and has poor airflow
- You left your wet laundry in the washing machine too long before drying
- You live in a super-humid climate
