I’m a laundry pro – there’s a reason your clothes stink and it’s especially bad in summer, here’s how to fix them
DOES every outfit in your closet seem to take on a musty smell during the summer?
There’s a reason: summer activities and weather create the perfect conditions for clothes to turn damp, stale, and mildewy. Luckily, experts know some easy solutions.
According to the laundry experts at LifeHacker, during the summer, nasty smells become more common in your clothes, even after a wash.
Clothes often get stinky after they’ve been dried improperly or left in the washing machine for too long, the experts said – in other words, when they’re left damp.
During the summer, there are more opportunities for that to happen. “If possible, identify what is causing your clothes to stink in the first place,” the pros at LifeHacker said.
For example, your clothes might smell because “you sweated while you wore them and they dried before you washed them, locking in the nasty aroma,” the experts explained.
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You also might have hung clothes to dry outside during a humid part of the day, or hung clothes in your closet when they were still slightly damp. Either of these mistakes could give mildew the chance to grow.
Poor ventilation in your closet, an unclean washing machine, or a very humid indoor environment could also be to blame.
Synthetic fabrics also have a tendency to hold on to odors for longer, while towels can smell perpetually musty if you reuse them too many times without washing.
“You don’t need to overhaul your whole lifestyle or stop wearing synthetic fabrics,” the experts reassured. Identify the cause of the odor and then work to battle the smell.
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Next time you do laundry, the experts recommend adding white vinegar in place of fabric softener during the rinse cycle.
“Just add one cup per load for top-loading washers and 1/4 to 1/2 cup for front-load washers,” the pros advised.
If the smell won’t go away, “try washing musty fabrics in hot water with a full cup of white vinegar and no detergent.”
You can also sprinkle up to 1/2 cup of baking soda into your laundry before washing, and add vinegar during the rinse cycle.
Treating your clothes with a heavy-duty product prior to washing is also an option.
“Pre-treat musty fabrics with borax by soaking them in a tub of hot water and 1/2 cup of borax for an hour before a normal wash cycle,” the experts suggested.
Then, just make sure your clothes get completely dry. Let your dryer finish the job completely before you put clothes away or move them to a basket.
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Consider hanging your clothes outside to dry, too. The experts noted that ultraviolet rays have disinfecting properties that can eliminate mildew.
Be sure to hang your clothes outside during the hottest part of the day, and only when there’s low humidity in the air. Otherwise, you risk the cycle beginning anew.