For our best overall, we were most impressed with Lysol Disinfectant Laundry Sanitizer. During testing, we loved how it deodorizes garments and sanitizes them, too. Plus, the crisp linen scent lingers on your clothes post-wash, which is a bonus.
Lysol Laundry Sanitizer Sport kills 99.9% of odor causing bacteria* to prevent odors before they can grow!
I've found that laundry sanitizer leaves the most laundry-like, fresh smell. Add it during the rinse cycle (or put it in the fabric softener dispenser). My routine is usually Tide powder, washing soda (hard water), vinegar in place of fabric softener, and sanitizer (instead of vinegar) for bedding/soiled clothes.
Baking Soda: Adding half a cup of baking soda to your wash can help neutralize odors and enhance the scent of your detergent. White Vinegar: Adding a cup of white vinegar during the rinse cycle can help remove odors and leave clothes smelling fresh.
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.
For front-loaders, place 1/2 cup of bleach in the bleach dispenser. For top-loaders, add 1 cup of bleach directly into the washer drum. Run a long, hot wash cycle. Use the machine's “clean washer” cycle if it's available.
Regular washing with laundry detergent will remove some germs and bacteria, but to "sanitize" laundry means to use high temperatures or chemicals to kill 99.9 percent of germs, like OxiClean Laundry and Home Sanitizer, which also works as a great mold remover.
Detergent alone does not always kill bacteria. To kill bacteria, use Lysol Laundry Sanitizer in the fabric softener compartment or pour directly into the rinse cycle. Use two caps filled to the correct line for your machine. To disinfect, pre-soak with laundry sanitizer.
Baking soda also absorbs oils that can cause odors. To remove oils, allow the baking soda to sit on the clothes or linens for a day before washing. Sprinkle half a cup into your laundry in the washing machine. Add the washing detergent and run your washer as normal.
Several common household items (most notably baking soda and white vinegar) contain powerful properties that eliminate smells without the use of chemicals. But less-commonly known products like coffee and vodka can do wonders when it comes to eliminating, not simply covering, bad smells.
You may notice your normal detergent is not as effective if you mix with Lysol Laundry Disinfectant. These products are not meant to be used together so we do not recommend it. There are no safety concerns, but you will not have the best usage experience for both products.
But OxiClean™ Odor Blasters™ Powder or Liquid can help you get musty smells out of clothes, towels and other fabric.
Soak your stinky towels in a bucket of white, distilled vinegar for 30 minutes to overnight with a tablespoon of detergent to help loosen body soils. Vinegar contains acetic acid that breaks up mineral deposits and dissolves the build-up of body soils on your towels. Rinse thoroughly.
White Vinegar
To use vinegar to disinfect your laundry, try adding 1 cup to the rinse cycle. Not only can it kill germs and bacteria, but it's also a great natural deodorizer. White vinegar can be used on colors and whites, keeping clothes bright, and works as an effective fabric softener, too.
A: Laundry Sanitizer is added into the fabric softener compartment so that it is dispensed during the rinse cycle. If there is no compartment in the machine, it is recommended to add liquid at the beginning of the rinse cycle. Thank you for your feedback!
OxiClean™ Laundry & Home Sanitizer is formulated to sanitize laundry♦ and for laundry virucidal action against Influenza A† in standard machines. Fill scoop to the top once (134.7g) before adding laundry.
Add one cup of distilled white vinegar to the rinse cycle when you want to sanitize a load of laundry. The white vinegar kills bacteria, deodorizes your laundry, softens fabrics, and even helps maintain bright colors. Who knew vinegar might be the ultimate eco-friendly clothes detergent?
Borax is effective to kill germs, bacteria and other organisms. It is a disinfectant, biocide, insecticide, pesticide, herbicide and fungicide. Just one more reason to add it to a load of laundry. We know how tough tomato, mustard, grease and oil stains in clothing and towels can be.
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).
Vinegar: Add one cup of vinegar to a bucket of cold water and soak your smelly clothes for up to 30 minutes. Baking Soda: Add one cup of baking soda to your wash load with your detergent and wash in cold water. Lemon Juice: Squeeze the juice of one lemon into your wash load to extinguish odor-causing bacteria.
“For removing odors, I would say vinegar.” Some people, however, prefer white vinegar because it's not as harsh as bleach. Unless, of course, your washing machine has been completely neglected, and is now a breeding ground for bacteria and germs, and you want a power cleaner.
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.