How to get rid of the damp smell from laundry without washing again

Every winter, Australians battle the same problem: musty-smelling laundry. 

When the cold wind and rain hit, most Aussies must give in and pull out the clothes horse to dry their garments indoors. 

Inevitably, clothes don’t get enough sunlight and ventilation, and a dreaded musty, damp, mildewy smell overtakes the air. 

Many people don’t bother putting the clothes in the wash again – after all, you’d have to hang them up the same way, and the problem would just repeat itself. 

So you convince yourself the smell is not that bad and to suck it up and wear it. Over the day, it envelops all your senses, until it’s all you can think about. 

Fear not, as there is a way to salvage your clothes without giving up and chucking it back in the wash. 

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How to get rid of the musty smell from clothes that haven’t dried properly

Nicole Gibson from Soka Australia shared her top tips to get rid of the disgusting smell. 

Deodorising sprays and DIY sprays 

There are many sprays out there on the market, but not all of them will be effective. 

While some simply mask the smell, there are “some that have live enzymes that target those odour-causing bacteria, and it can remove those odours and organic matter from the clothes,” she says.

There are even DIY solutions to try, with Gibson suggesting vinegar or even vodka mixed with water to break up and kill the bacteria.

For the vinegar water combination, mix one part vinegar, with three parts water, and for the vodka one, mix one part vodka to one part water.

She assures that because it is diluted, the “smell will evaporate, so it won’t remain on the clothing.”

But she does warn, “there will be probably a ceiling as to how far that will be successful… needing to deep clean eventually will always be on the cards.”

Steamer

One of the easiest ways to kill that smell is by using a steamer, Gibson tells nine.com.au. 

“The heat helps kill the bacteria,” she says, but it must be followed up with leaving the clothes “in a breezy, sunny area in your house to dry, to help finish off the drying process.”

The most effective way to ensure these smells don’t occur, unfortunately, is through prevention.

How to prevent the musty smell from clothes that haven’t dried properly

An airy room

This is a no-brainer, but putting your clothes hanger in a well-ventilated room is key. But there are additional factors that can help speed up the process. 

“The whole idea is to pull as much moisture out of the clothes before hanging,” says Gibson

Four hours is the optimal amount of time to prevent clothes from smelling.

Turning a fan on or putting the air conditioner on dry mode is key for a faster dry time. 

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“Dry mode has a slower fan, and it pull(s) that moisture straight out of the air and it stops the humidity [and] the moisture [that is], staying in there keeping the clothes damp.”

An extra dehumidifier is also a good idea to ensure the moisture is sucked out of the room. 

When the clothes are on the rack 

In addition to doing smaller loads of washing in general, spacing your clothes out so that they don’t overlap is critical to making sure they receive enough air and dry quickly. 

Before putting them on the rack, you could shake them out or roll them into a quick dry towel and squeeze them to remove excess moisture. 

Gibson also recommends regularly turning the clothes inside out, flipping and rotating them to evenly dry the clothes

“If you don’t do that, you’re gonna have wet seams inside, and there’s going to be those damp areas. If you’re putting them away, if they’re even slightly cold or damp, that will [cause] that musty smell to remain.”

When drying, “the higher the better”. Gibson recommends hanging clothes on coat hangers that can be hung on a curtain rod, so that they are both higher up and receiving the full blast of air from a window.

Additional tips 

Go straight to the source

Gibson shares that clothes need to be dried completely within four hours in order to avoid the mildewy smell from setting in. 

This process kicks into overdrive when clothes are left in the washing machine, with bacteria beginning to grow after just two hours.

“The more the hours get on, the musty smells kick in, and that’s when they start releasing those gases, and you can really notice that musty smell, leaving your washing machine,” says Gibson.

She recommends leaving the door of the washing machine open to provide more ventilation if clothes have to be left inside for a while.

In fact, it’s a good idea to give your washing machine a good clean to prevent more odour-causing bacteria from growing over time, with the laundry expert recommending wiping down the seals of your washing machine and wiping down the door. 

Otherwise, you may be washing your clothes with remaining bacteria from your washing machine that can contribute to even more smells getting stuck in fabric.

“We know that wet fabric, no airflow, [clothes being] stuck in a washing machine between like 20 and 40 degrees is the perfect breeding ground for odour-causing bacteria,” says Gibson.

Location, location, location

She adds that people should be wary about where exactly in the house they are drying their clothes, as careless placement can lead to mould growing inside walls that we can’t see. 

 “Don’t dry near drywall as it can cause mould on the other side, because the drywall will absorb the moisture from that garment, and that can cause potential mould issues behind the wall and keep those walls damp.

“You can’t see what’s behind there, but a lot of things grow in those damp, moist environments. So, a big tip: if it’s tiles, no problems at all, but if it’s just drywall, then you want to avoid that direct contact.” 

Don’t overwash

Gibson says it’s not necessary to wash certain garments so often in the winter months, which can reduce the pressure on the washing machine.

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For example, “We can wear jeans for 10 wears and during those wears if we can air dry, turn them inside out, get them in a breezy area, a bit of warm, sunshine - that’s going to help reduce the need to wash clothes in the first place.” 

Schedule your chores

Gibson says setting a timer for your washing machine to start in the morning before you wake up for the day can help the clothes get as much sunlight as possible while fitting into busy schedules

“When you wake up, you can hang them straight up early in the morning, rather than doing those loads late at night where the air temperature is a lot cooler and it’s gonna take longer to dry,” she advised.