7 Effective Ways On How To Get Mildew Smell Out Of Laundry

The most straightforward answer to the question “how to get mildew smell out of laundry” is to expose your clothes and other fabrics to anti-mildew agents. The good news is that these substances and methods are both easy to do and accessible to most household pantries.

To better appreciate how these methods will eliminate the mildew smell out of laundry, let us first discuss how mildew lives in your laundry.

how to get mildew smell out of laundry

Like any other microorganisms, mildew requires food, acidity, temperature, time, oxygen, and moisture. Collectively, these factors are known as FATTOM, and microorganisms are killed by altering one or more of these elements for microbial growth.

Of these six factors, acidity, temperature, and moisture are modifiable when doing your laundry. There are also products specifically made to kill microorganisms, including mildew, like borax.

Without further ado, here are the ways to eliminate those undesirable odors.

 

Getting Mildew Smell Out Of Laundry

 

1. Vinegar 

The main acidic ingredient in vinegar is acetic acid. In some countries, a total acidity of 4% is the minimum amount for a manufacturer to declare genuine vinegar. To use, add 1 cup of white vinegar to your laundry load—cycle with your machine’s hottest water temperature.

The mechanism of killing mildew with vinegar is by lowering down the pH. Mildew and molds prefer to live near-neutral pH (around 7), and the presence of acidic substances destroys their cell walls.

 

2. Baking soda

Chemically known as sodium bicarbonate, baking soda acts precisely the opposite of vinegar. It is a base, meaning it elevates the pH of its environment.

The method of use and elimination of odors is similar to vinegar, albeit the pH change is towards the basic region.

 

3. Lemon juice 

Lemon juice works the same route as vinegar — it lowers the pH of the environment the mildew is living in. The difference is that the acid in lemon is citric acid.

To apply, rub a paste made of equal parts lemon juice and salt to the areas with mildew. Let it sit for two minutes, brush with an old toothbrush, and wash in the machine.

You may also opt to spray lemon juice directly into your clothes by putting it in a spray bottle. This method also works with vinegar and other ways of eliminating mildew without washing your clothes.

 

4. Vodka

In stage performances such as ballet and theater, those in charge of the wardrobes use a spray bottle with unflavored vodka to remove undesirable odors from the costumes. There are wardrobe items that cannot be washed, and this method is perfect for those materials.

To use, spray in the inside surfaces and hang to air-dry. The alcohol component destroys the cell wall of the microorganisms, killing them.

 

5. Sunlight

After running your washed clothes in the laundry, you may feel that they are still damp. The solution: hang them up in your clothesline and let the sun do wonders.

The heat from the sun is not suitable for mildew and mold growth (they prefer to live around 25oC), and the UV rays destroy their cellular structure. 

Be careful, though, when employing this method. Sunlight bleaches the colors in your fabric, and synthetic clothing might lose its elasticity and shape.

Sunlight also draws moisture out of the fabric. So, those are two of three elements for microbial growth addressed by sunlight.

 

6. Steam

Steam works by exposing your clothes to high temperatures. You cannot steam certain materials such as suede, though.

Also, clothing items with embellishments need to be turned inside out to prevent damage. Try doing this with the steam from a hot shower and see the results for yourself.

 

7. Freezer

If a steamer and hot shower are not available, try to freeze your clothes. The mechanism is the reverse of the previous two items (i.e. the temperature is lowered down to slow down the growth of mildew).

Take note of the word choice in the previous paragraph. We used slow down instead of kill, and there is a reason.

Freezing does not kill the microorganisms but will force them to ‘hibernate’ to protect themselves from the cold. Another tip: give your clothes enough time to warm up before wearing them since they will be cold and stiff.

 

Prevention is better than cure

Best to nip something at the bud, right? While we all have experiences with musty clothes, this is surprisingly easy to avoid.

One factor that households often forget is the washer itself. These machines are workhorses, but that does not mean they do not need TLC.

If you are one of those who repeatedly ask, ‘why does my washer smell like mildew?’, there are articles that detail how to remove the odor from washing machines.

 

Conclusion

There are tons of content available online on how to get mildew smell out of laundry. What separates this article is now, you know how acids, bases, heat, and freezing helps in eliminating those foul odors.

You may also choose to use other chemical agents such as oxygen bleach and borax. All these are equally effective in addressing your mildew problems.

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