This Is Why Your Clothes Smell Musty, and How to Fix It

As unfortunate as it is, we’re all familiar with the disappointing smell of our new clothes slowly emitting that musty smell, and no matter how much you wash them with your laundry detergent, you just can’t put the smell of fresh clothes back in your favorite t-shirt. Sometimes, it’s a wonder how those clothing shops get that unique smell in these clothes, and if you’re up at night thinking about this, you’re not alone.

The key to getting that musty smell off of your clothes lies deep in understanding how clothes work, and what you can do about it. That’s why today, we’ve made a thorough guide to help you better understand where this unpleasant odor is coming from, and the best way to get rid of it. Keep on reading to find out more!

The Real Reason Behind This Musty Smell

Textile items are prone to have a certain smell grow on them, usually because they’ve been in the drawer for too long. That’s why a sweater or a coat that’s been in the bottom drawer for a bit too long starts to smell, even though you placed it there as clean as it could be.

The reason behind this is mold. Clothes, whether they’ve been unworn for a long time or were not removed from the washing machine immediately, tend to develop a certain type of fungi, which later develops into the mold and starts giving off a distinct, musty smell from the clothes. 

What’s even worse is that this smell won’t go away, no matter how much laundry detergent you use, and no matter how many fabric softeners you use on it. The musty smell will keep coming back because these detergents don’t target mold removal, but only add a surface-level fragrance that is soon overcome by the mold.

What You Can Do About It

When all hope seems lost, vinegar and baking soda come to the rescue. This baking soda and vinegar experiment will have your clothes fresh after a single wash, and without further delay, here’s how it works:

Put all the musty-smelling clothes in a washing machine, and after evenly separating them, pour a big glass of vinegar in it. This may sound unorthodox, but the acidic properties of vinegar will help fight all the bacteria and fungi that are causing this smell in your clothes. Turn the washing machine on, and let the whole cycle run.

Next up, it’s time to neutralize the vinegar that is ingrained in your smelly clothes. Evenly spread the clothes in your washing machine, and sprinkle baking soda all over them. Run the washing machine, and this will neutralize the acid in the clothes as well as remove any additional smell your clothes might have.

Finally, dry your clothes in the sun, and that’s it. You’ve successfully removed the musty smell from your clothes, and all that is left now is for you to wear these fresh clothes, smell how good they are, and enjoy life as it was before the mold came in!