Wash in hot water Extra hot water, like that used in a Sanitize cycle, can help eliminate odor-causing bacteria and germs, especially for fabrics that can handle higher temperatures.
Sort your laundry according to cold, warm, and hot washes. Too many cold water washes causes buildup which leads to odors. Do as many warm and hot washes as possible. Use chlorine bleach or oxygen bleach in the hot wash cycles.
Wash in Hot Water
Wash the item in the highest-temperature water appropriate for the fabric. Repeat as needed before drying if odor persists.
-- HOT water is more effective at removing odors than warm or cold water. I used to be a heavy user of cold washes, but like the cleaning results so much better now that I put colorfast cottons into the HOTTEST wash I can get, regardless of what the garment care tag says.
Hot: Heavily stained or soiled items are successfully disinfected and cleaned at hot temperatures of 130 degrees Fahrenheit and higher. Warm: Warm settings generally fall between 90 degrees and 110 degrees Fahrenheit and work well when dealing with lightly stained fabrics.
Using Fabric Softener:
Fabric softeners are specially designed to add a soft, pleasant scent to your clothes while reducing static and making them feel cozy. Simply add fabric softener to your laundry during the rinse cycle and let it work its magic.
Using a steamer or the steam function on your iron can help remove odors from clothes without washing. The heat from the steam kills odor-causing bacteria and refreshes your garments.
Over time, detergents and fabric softeners can accumulate inside the washing machine, especially if too much is used or if it's not suitable for your specific machine. This buildup can trap odors and foster bacteria and mold growth, which in turn can leave clothes smelling less than fresh.
The colder months hinder not just on the way scent travels through the air, but the way we perceive those smells, too. In the winter, the air is drier which inhibits the far travel of molecules to our noses. The colder it is, the fewer smells you can perceive.
There can be many reasons why your laundry isn't smelling fresh. Musty odours can result from various factors, including insufficient drying, overloading the washing machine, or using too little detergent. Ensuring proper washing and drying techniques and regular machine maintenance can help achieve a fresh scent.
Mix ¼ cup of baking soda with ¼ cup of water. Pour the solution into your washer's detergent dispenser. If your machine doesn't have a dispenser, you can add the baking soda solution to the drum of the washer.
Step 1: Run One Cycle With Vinegar
Place the towels in the washing machine and run a cycle using white vinegar instead of detergent. Due to its acidic nature, vinegar helps remove mildew or bacteria that may have accumulated on the fabric. Most washing machines have a compartment for fabric softener.
Although washing on cooler cycles is environmentally savvy, it doesn't make odor removal from clothing any easier. This is because soiling and residues tend to harden in the cold water.
Yes, scented dryer sheets do make laundry smell better, though they can't camouflage the odor of stinky, sweaty clothes or towels. That has to be tackled in the washing machine with detergent.
Smelly laundry can also be caused by it not drying properly; either because it has dried too slowly due to too high humidity, for example, or because it is not fully dry before putting it in your wardrobe. Here, too, the moisture causes bacteria to form, which then becomes noticeable through an unpleasant smell.
Our best overall pick is Downy Ultra Liquid Fabric Conditioner, which has a robust formula that offers seven different benefits (like wrinkle reduction, color protection, and freshness).
Before washing, soak clothes in a solution of water and white vinegar or water and baking soda. For instance, to help remove tough food odors, you can soak your item in a mixture of one cup of baking soda and four cups of hot water for around four hours to pretreat the smell.
For a medium sized load, use two. For a large or extra-large load use 3. If you find yourself often doing large loads, you may want to consider using one of Bounce's new Mega Sheets. Mega sheets are specially designed to provide 3X static and wrinkle fighting ingredients* with just one sheet.
By adding vinegar to your laundry, you can remove tough stains, eliminate odors, and even soften your clothes. It's a safe and effective way to boost the cleaning power of your detergent while also being eco-friendly. So go ahead and add some vinegar to your next load of laundry for cleaner, fresher-smelling clothes.