How to Get Mildew Smell Out of Clothes FOREVER (2022)

Most articles on how to get mildew smell out of clothes recommend kitchen pantry products like vinegar or baking soda. But vinegar and baking soda don’t have the odor removal power for challenging mildew smells.

Or they only remove the smell temporarily because they just slowed down but didn’t kill the mildew.

And what do you do with clothes with musty odors that can’t be washed in hot water?

Or items like that can’t be easily placed in a washing machine?

Don’t worry – we have you covered.

This article covers what to do when you need more odor-killing power than DIY methods that rely on kitchen cabinet products.

We also show you how to eliminate mildew on items you can not run through the washer.

Table of Contents

What is mildew?

Mildew is a mold (fungus) that produces the white substance you see on your carpet and car seats.
Mildew loves four things: stale non-moving air, high humidity (> 60%), darkness, and warm temperatures > 68 degrees F.
To eliminate the mildew odor, we must first eliminate the source of the problem, which is the mildew itself.
Standard laundry detergents are often ineffective at removing mildew from clothes.
Vinegar and baking soda are the most common natural methods for removing mildew smells. These products may work in light mildew contamination situations, but more than one treatment may be necessary.

How to get mildew smell out of clothes

Here are my top recommendations for products that can eliminate the most challenging mildew smells in clothes and fabrics.

Healthy Environs Odor Eliminator Laundry Solution

best laundry odor eliminator

Healthy Environs Odor Eliminator Laundry Solution

Healthy Environs Odor Eliminator is great for removing tough mildew odors in clothes. It is very easy to use. You simply drop one tablet into a mixing cup (provided); add water; and then pour into the bleach dispenser/detergent dispenser. Use it with your favorite detergent. This product is a true odor eliminator that works on workout clothes, gym clothes, petroleum odors, musty towels, and smelly damp clothes left in the washer. You also get 12 tablets – enough for 24 odor-removing washes!

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Product Pros

True odor eliminator
Eliminates odors in a single wash
Works great in cold water
Packaging contains 12 tablets – enough for 24 loads
Eco-friendly; non-allergenic; no harsh chemicals
Will not bleach colored clothing
Use with your favorite detergent

Product Cons

Must use with cold water only

Price: $19.95 for 12 tablets (12 treatment). Includes mixing cup

Bottom Line

This is a superior alternative to what’s on the market today.

It’s so easy to use. Place one tablet into the mixing cup that comes with the kit, add water, and then pour half into your washing machine’s bleach or fabric softener dispenser.

You store away the remaining half for your next odor removal project.

This is my go-to product for removing odors from anything I can put in the washing machine.

It also works great to clean a dirty washing machine.

Do not hesitate to purchase this extremely affordable product if you are looking for an easy-to-implement odor remover for your laundry. You will not be disappointed!

Healthy Environs Odor and Allergen Remover Spray

best spray-on odor eliminator

Healthy-Environs-Odor-and-Allergen-Removal-Spray

Healthy Environs Odor and Allergen Remover Spray

Healthy Environs Odor and Allergy Remover Spray is a true odor eliminator. This spray product is excellent for removing mildew and smells from items you can not place into a washer. The product works on both soft fabric and hard surfaces. simply spray onto fabric and let dry – no rinse necessary. This product is also great for eliminating odors and allergens from numerous household items like pet bedding, litter boxes and even your trash cans!

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What we like

True odor eliminator
Eco-friendly; no harsh chemicals
No bleaching of fabrics
Easy to use
Unscented

What we don’t like

Not a stain remover
16 oz size won’t go far if you have a lot of issues to address

Price: $14.95 for a 16 oz bottle

Bottom Line:

Healthy Environs Odor and Allergy Remover Spray is a true odor eliminator, not a mask or air freshener with a fragrance. In other words, this is not a Febreze-like product. The product works great for treating a wide variety of items throughout your home (and car) like pet beds, pillows, mattresses, upholstery, and sports gear. You can use it on both hard and soft surfaces. Because the odor eliminator attacks organic materials, it destroys mildew odors and other protein compounds that cause allergies.

This is the perfect product to spray onto a cat litter box to help keep the smell down between emptying the bin. or using it to freshen up your trash can.

This is a product that I would suggest buying two of. Simply because you will find so many uses for it, the 16 oz will be gone in no time.

Natural alternatives to remove light mildew odors

If you’re looking for quick ways to remove lighter mildew smell in your clothes, you can also try these remedies that use off-the-shelf kitchen pantry items

Baking Soda

If you’re looking for a natural way to remove a lighter mildew smell in your clothes, baking soda may be a gentle yet effective way to remove the mildew smell from your clothes.

Add half a cup of baking soda to your wash cycle and regular detergent.
You can also pre-treat any musty clothes, musty workout clothes, or sweaty clothes by sprinkling baking soda directly on the fabric and letting it sit for a few minutes before starting the cleaning cycle.

Vinegar

You can try using white vinegar if you’re looking for a more powerful yet still natural solution.

Pre-treat the affected areas with distilled white vinegar to remove the mildew smell from clothes. Diluted white vinegar can be applied directly to the fabric using a spray bottle or sponge. Allow the white vinegar to soak into the fabric for at least 15 minutes before laundering as usual.
Add one cup of white vinegar to your washing machine and regular detergent.
You may need to launder your clothing more than once to remove the mildew.
Be sure not to use white vinegar on wool or silk fabrics as it can damage the fibers.

Borax

You probably don’t have Borax (Boraxo) on your kitchen shelf. Still, this is another readily available option in the laundry section of most large grocery stores. I’d try Borax if (1) I needed a product for (2) stain and odor removal and (3) tried vinegar and baking soda. Otherwise, I’d use Healthy Environs Odor Eliminator Laundry Solution.

Add one-half cup of borax to your wash cycle and your regular laundry detergent. Add the borax to the detergent dispenser if you have a front-loading washing machine.
Borax will not only remove the musty smell from your clothes but also brighten your fabrics and remove any leftover dirt or grime.
For more challenging musty smells and stains, pre-treat with a paste of borax and water, apply it to the stain, and then wash as usual.

BTW, here’s some trivia. Before Ronald Reagan was president, he was an actor and did Boraxo commercials, so the product has been around forever!

Tips for PREVENTING mildew smell in your clothes|

Once you’ve removed the mildew smell and the mildew itself from your clothes, here are a few tips you can take to prevent mildew from growing again.

Don’t pile wet clothes up.

Mold and mildew love dark, wet conditions and stale (non-moving) air.

If you do then recognize the clock is ticking

Mold can start to grow within two days in stale non-moving air environments where the humidity is above 60%. Sour smells can emerge overnight!

Allow clothes to dry quickly

In general, keeping clothes dry is key to preventing mildew from growing. For example, allow bath towels to hang in fresh air and dry,

Front-loading washing machines may need extra attention

If you have a front-loading washing machine, ensure the door gasket, which can trap moisture, is clean. If not, remove mildew or mold with deep cleaning using soapy water, followed by treating with Healthy Environs Odor and Allergen Remover Spray. Then leave the washing machine open to allow air drying.

Learn to recognize the difference between an odor eliminator and a cover-up product.

Don’t count on fabric softeners, enzyme odor removers, or scented products that only mask odors to address tough odors or odor-causing bacteria. Instead, use odor eliminator products that purify the air by breaking down allergen and odor-causing mildew particles.

FAQ’s

Chlorine dioxide (CLO2) is a gas used in many applications. The two most common are a disinfectant (which kills mold spores) and a classic odor remover, including removing musty odors. It’s sometimes used to treat water to make it safe to drink. Sodium chloride, or stabilized chlorine dioxide, is a liquid form of CLO2 that you can use to remove a musty smell and leave your clothes smelling fresh.

No, chlorine dioxide is not the same as bleach. Bleach is made of sodium hypochlorite, and it works by releasing oxygen to destroy bacteria and other organisms. Chlorine dioxide (CLO2) does not release oxygen. It works by combining with water vapor to form chlorite ions, which are very reactive and disrupt a wide range of enzymes needed for metabolism. This prevents the growth of mold, mildew, and other organisms.

Yes, bleach can remove mildew smell out of clothes.

However, you should only use bleach on white clothing as it can discolor colored clothing.
To remove the mildew smell from your clothes with bleach, add one cup of bleach to your washing machine and your regular laundry detergent.
You may need to launder your clothing more than once to remove the mildew.
Be sure to read the care labels on your clothing before laundering, as bleach can damage some fabrics.

Yes, sometimes vinegar can remove mildew smell out of clothes.

Add one cup of white vinegar to your washing machine and launder your clothing as usual.
You may need to launder your clothing more than once to remove the mildew.
Be sure to read the care labels on your clothing before laundering, as vinegar can damage some fabrics.

Yes, sometimes baking soda can remove mildew smell out of clothes.

Add one cup of baking soda to your washing machine and launder your clothing as usual.
You may need to launder your clothing more than once to remove the mildew.
Be sure to read the care labels on your clothing before laundering, as baking soda can damage some fabrics.

If you have damp clothes left in the washer and need to remove a mildew smell, you can try adding one cup of white vinegar to the washing machine and running it on the rinse cycle.

You may need to launder your clothing more than once to remove the mildew.
Be sure to read the care labels on your clothing before laundering, as vinegar can damage some fabrics.

You can do a few things to remove the musty smell out of clothes.

You can try to get the smell out with vinegar or baking soda, as outlined in this post.
For heavier contamination, it is likely that you will need to use a commercial product to remove the musty odor.
This post outlines a laundry additive that will remove even the mustiest odor from clothes.

If your clothes smell musty after drying, it could be due to several factors.

The most common cause of mildewed laundry is leaving wet laundry in the washing machine for too long. Wet laundry is a breeding ground for mold and mildew. A wet laundry room or dirty washing machines can also cause
Another cause could be using excess detergent or not enough water. When there is too much detergent, it doesn’t have a chance to dissolve fully and can leave a residue on your clothing. This residue can lead to mold and mildew growth.
Not using enough water can also cause this problem as the laundry may not get clean enough.
Finally, if you have a front-loading washing machine, the door gasket (the rubber seal around the door) could be the source of the mildew smell. Check if any mold or mildew is growing on the door gasket, and clean it with Healthy Environs Odor and Allergen Remover Spray as necessary.

The most important thing to prevent a musty smell in your clothes is not to let wet clothes pile up. In addition, don’t leave damp laundry sitting in the washing machine. Simple things like allowing bath towels to hang and air dry can help keep items odor-free.

The most common cause of a musty smell after washing your clothes is leaving wet laundry in the washing machine for too long.
But, if you have a front-loading washing machine, check the door gasket (the rubber seal that goes around the door) to make sure it’s not a source of the mildew smell.
Check if mold or mildew is growing on the door gasket, and clean it with an odor eliminator spray.

The most common cause of mildew smell after washing your clothes is leaving wet laundry in the washing machine for too long.
Wet laundry is a breeding ground for mold and mildew. Not using enough water can also cause this problem as the laundry may not get clean enough.

Because vinegar can damage some fabrics, silk for example, you’ll need to try a different method for removing the mildew odor. Healthy Environs Odor Eliminator Laundry Solution is a great (and superior) alternative to using vinegar to remove mildew smell from clothes.

Simply spray Healthy Environs Odor and Allergen Remover Spray directly onto clothes and items to remove mildew smell from clothes. Be sure to test an inconspicuous area first to ensure the product causes no bleaching of the material.

Healthy Environs Odor Eliminator Laundry Solution is a great (and superior) alternative to using baking soda to remove mildew smell from clothes.

Wrap Up

There are different ways that you can go about removing mildew smell from your clothes. Most people start with washing their items with a vinegar and water solution. But if that does not work, or you are worried that the acid in the vinegar might harm your clothing, then try one of the commercial mildew removers in this article.

The products I reviewed in this article really work well and they are even easier to use.

Regardless, whichever path you choose, be sure to follow the instructions carefully and take care of your clothing so that it lasts long and smells fresh. Thanks for reading!

How to Get Mildew Smell Out of Clothes FOREVER (2022)

What is mildew?

How to get mildew smell out of clothes