How to Get Musty Smell out of Clothes

Any fabric can smell musty due to re-wearing, wet storage, and dirty laundry machine. So everyone should know the effective ways how to get musty smell out of clothes.

You may think that your closet is the key to spread the foul odor, but it is not like that. Instead, your wardrobe is one of the sources from where the smell can spread.

For example, if you keep your wet clothes or sweat shoes and socks into the closet, then the smell will blowout from there. Otherwise, the odor can also come from rotten food, wastages thrown here and there in your house.

So without further ado, let’s start.

What is a musty smell?

Musty is used to describe an unclean, dirty, and moldy smell. If someone says that the cloth smells musty, it means maybe the fabric did not get expose to air or sunlight for a long time and stayed in a wet corner. This smell takes time to develop.

For example, after getting wet in the rain, if you keep your damp cloth in a corner instead of drying it in the air, the musty smell can grow gradually. At one point, you will not be able to wear the cloth again because of the heavy lousy smell. So the wet cloth needs to be either wash and dry in the sunlight or the air without washing.

Why do my clothes smell musty?

Your clothes may smell musty for different reasons. First, this kind of smell grows in the place where airflow is less like your closet. Few reasons that are responsible for your musty cloth smell are:

1. You are not washing your cloth after every usage.
2. You are not washing your cloth in a clean machine or container.
3. You are not cleaning your closet more frequently.
4. You are not following the correct cleaning technique.
5. You are not correctly drying your clothes under the sunlight or in the air.
6. You are keeping your cloth in a damp place for a long time.

How to get musty smell out of clothes?

It is common to smell clothes musty, so no need to be panicked for this. There is a solution to every problem. You can get musty smell out of clothes in two ways. One is at home, and the other is at the laundry. But if you know the process of laundry washing, you can also try it at home with precaution.

How to remove the scent of clothes at home?

This is the initial stage of removing foul odor from your clothes. The most common ways to remove the scent of clothes at home are as follows:

1. “Musty smell will always come from your cloth” this perception is wrong. This smell can also come from your washing machine. So before pouring your clothes into the device, you should wash it properly with hot water and detergent or bleach.
2. If the smell is too much or still does not fade through the method mentioned above, then it will be better to get servicing.
3. If the musty smell comes from your clothes, then use bleach, baking soda, vinegar, or ammonia with the water at the time of washing.
4. It would be best if you always look at the label of the clothes for the warning regarding bleach wash. If you can, then add 1 cup of bleach with 2 gallons of hot water and soak the clothes for a minimum of an hour.
5. You can also use vinegar, baking soda, or ammonia instead of bleach in the same way. Soaking the clothes in that water helps to fight the mold.
6. It would help if you never mix bleach and ammonia as it creates poisonous fumes.
7. After the washing, dry them in the sun immediately. This will also help to fight mold growth.

How to remove the scent of clothes in the laundry style?

Some people sent their clothes to laundry to wash. It is not that difficult to clean like a professional cleaner at home. But there are some steps to be followed. Read some to wash your clothes like laundry:

• For dry wash, you will need baking soda, water, laundry detergent, and a large bowl. Add 1 measuring cup of baking soda with 4 cups of water. Pour the mixture into a large bowl fill with cold water. Sink the clothes for at least 4 hours to overnight. Then wash the garments with laundry detergent. Now it is ready to dry in the fresh air.
• For the white cloth washing technique, you will need distilled white vinegar, baking soda, water, laundry detergent, a soft brush, and a large bowl. First, add a 1:1 ratio of vinegar and water into the stains of the white cloth and scrub with an old toothbrush. After brushing, soak the fabric into cold water mixed with 1 cup of vinegar for 30 minutes. At last, finish the washing with cold water and laundry detergent.

How to prevent musty smell?

You can indeed prevent the musty smell from growing. Follow the steps below:

1. Find out the source: First, you will have to find out the place where the musty smell is spreading. It can from the leftover food behind the sofa or under the bed. It will be easy to eradicate the smell ones its birthplace is found.
2. Keep your closet door open: Most of the closet doors are solidly made from wood. So it is quite challenging to pass air if the door is always close. Try to keep the door open to let the fresh air come in and foul odor goes out.
3. Clean your closest and clothes: You should more often clean your closet and clothes. Letting fresh air inside is not enough. Dirt can get settle down in the corners of the closet. Wipe the hangers and organize your clothes. Remove the unused pieces of stuff. You can donate your old clothes and kinds of stuff.
4. Bask your clothes under sunlight: It is evident that we do not wear party dresses more often. So it is essential to maintain those clothes properly as they are relatively expensive than regular usage dresses. They need to bask under sunlight as it is not possible to wash it every time. This will make the fabric stronger and last for a long time. These dresses are like: sarees, wedding dresses, or dresses made from velvet.     
5. Clean your house regularly: You should always clean your home, which includes moping the floor, cleaning your furniture, fan, light, and kitchen utensils. Make sure not to throw wastages here and there. You can use a vacuum cleaner to clean every corner of the house.
6. Use air freshener: Many of us avoid using air fresheners. But the use of this helps to keep our house smell fresh. You can also use essential oils instead of expensive air fresheners.

What to do if you are not sure about the musty smell?

Musty smells very unpleasant and dirty that anyone’s nose can detect easily. But sometimes you may find difficulties recognizing the musty smell. What can you do then? You can ask your family members or friends to help you.

If they are not even sure, then you can go to the laundry. They are the most professional cleaner. They have proper knowledge of each fabric and how those are to be washed finely without any damage.

So it is better to send your clothes to the laundry to ensure proper cleaning.

Laundry cost of removing musty smell from clothes

Laundry cost to remove the odor depends on the fabric and number of garments. A shirt will not cost the same as a formal pant. Like that, a saree will not charge the same as a lehenga or a salwar kameez. This is in the case of garments.

There are also different types of fabrics, like cotton, silk, velvet, leather, linen, wool, polyester, viscose, and so on. Like the different ranges of garments washing costing, fabric costing also varies. Silk, velvet, leather, wool fabrics cost comparatively higher than the others. But approximately the cleaning cost lies between $1 to $6, which is not so high.

What to do in a serious moment to avoid musty smell?

It often happens that we are getting ready for an event or an interview, but we are unaware that our clothes are smelling musty. We also do not have enough to wash or buy new cloth. What to do then? There is a quick and easy solution for you.

Read it carefully to know how to tackle that crucial moment.

First, press the dress properly with some splash of water. If the costume is synthetic, press it on the wrong side. This will avoid getting your cloth burn.

After ironing, let it sit under a fan to ensure some airflow. Now you are ready to wear your desired cloth. Before stepping out, do not forget to apply some perfumes or cologne. It will be better to use the strong one because it will make you more attractive and presentable.

Conclusion

I hope so you have found your answer on how to get musty smell out of clothes. Now you can solve your problem on your own and also can help others.

It is essential to know everything related to your clothes because a person is always judged by his./her outfit. If your dress is clean and proper, everyone will try to follow you. But if you are not in suitable attire, then nobody will even talk to you.

It is also very much important to step out of the house neatly and cleanly. Whenever you go out in a public place, office, or program, apply some strong fragrance to avoid the growth of musty smell.