Finding a forgotten outfit is one of life’s greatest joys. Unfortunately, that joy disappears upon smelling the clothes’ foul, old, dingy, musty smells.
Before you rush to the donation pile or the dry cleaners, try some methods to remove the smell from your clothes.
7 Ways to Remove Old Smell from Clothes
Multiple wash cycles are not the only solution to the smell problem. Some easy treatments can start the smell removal process that the wash process will complete.
Always read the clothes care label instructions to ensure your treatments do not damage the clothes.
The advantage of these treatments is the easily-gotten items. Some of these items are:
Vodka
Vodka may not be your drink, but it is a deodorizer, especially the cheap ones.
Ensure to get pure Vodka that doesn’t contain sugar or additives because it will be tough to wash out, whereas alcohol evaporates without leaving stains.
Procedure:
- Pour equal parts of Vodka and cold water into a spray bottle.
- Shake well till it forms a homogenous mixture.
- Spray the smelly clothes generously, especially the problem areas.
- Hang the clothes to dry on a clothesline under direct sunlight for hours.
- Check to see if you still notice the smells, and repeat the process.
- If necessary, wash the clothes following the instructions on the care label.
Baking Soda
Many might wonder what this baking ingredient is doing on this list, but baking soda is also a cleaning agent.
As simple as it may seem, it is suitable for removing stains and odors from clothes, appliances, and surfaces. It is well-known in green cleaning and DIY spaces as a base ingredient for homemade detergents and stain removers.
Method 1:
- Pour enough baking soda into a sizable plastic or paper bag.
- Place the smelly clothes inside the bag and close it.
- Vigorously shake the bag with the clothes inside.
- Check to see if the baking soda completely covers the bag.
- Leave the bag on a surface for hours.
- Place the clothes – without rinsing the baking soda – into the washer and wash properly.
- Air-dry the clothes under direct sunlight.
Method 2:
- Place the smelly clothes on a flat surface.
- Pour one cup of baking soda and two cups of water into a bowl.
- Stir till you form a smooth paste.
- Rub the paste on the smelly areas of the clothes.
- Leave the treatment on the clothes for an hour.
- Place the clothes – without rinsing the baking soda – into the washer and wash properly.
- Air-dry the clothes under direct sunlight.
Lemon Juice
Lemon contains citric acid that can break down stains and odors, making it easy for detergents to remove these offending smells. Also, the scent of lemon is incredible.
Procedure:
- Pour water inside a bucket, bathtub, or bowl. The water temperature depends on the clothes care label instructions.
- Pour three cups of lemon juice into the water and stir.
- Add a suitable laundry detergent, although this is optional.
- Submerge the smelly clothes into the water mixture, ensuring the water covers them.
- Leave the clothes to soak for hours.
- You can also use a top-loading washer to soak the clothes. Pour the same quantity of lemon juice and detergent into the washer as you would the bowl.
- After enough time passes, rinse the clothes with cold water.
- Place the clothes into the washer with the same laundry detergent.
- Check the care label for proper washing instructions.
- Pour a cup of lemon juice into the washer.
- When the wash cycle ends, take the clothes outside to air-dry under direct sunlight.
White Vinegar
White vinegar is a well-known inexpensive natural cleaning agent, a stain remover, deodorizer, and brightening agent.
Although there are other kinds of vinegar, you should not substitute white vinegar with them because they contain coloring that can stain the clothes.
There are many ways to use white vinegar to remove old smells from clothes.
Method 1:
- Place the smelly clothes in the washer for a normal wash cycle.
- Pour one cup of vinegar into the washer during the rinse cycle – the detergent should not mix with vinegar.
- After washing, dry the clothes on high heat or air-dry under direct sunlight.
Method 2:
- Place the smelly clothes on a flat surface.
- Pour equal parts of white vinegar and water into a spray and shake well.
- Spray the diluted white vinegar on the clothes, particularly the problem areas.
- Air-dry the clothes under direct sunlight. When the vinegar evaporates from the clothes, the smell also evaporates.
Method 3:
- Hang the smelly clothes on a drying rack or in a closet. Ensure the area is well-ventilated.
- Pour white vinegar into a sizable bowl and place it under the hanging clothes. The vinegar will absorb the smells from the clothes.
Borax
Borax is a prominent cleaning agent and detergent ingredient. It removes tough stains, deodorizes, and brightens clothes. It is the main ingredient in stripping laundry, a method of deep cleaning clothes to remove visible and invisible residue.
This treatment is suitable for bulkier clothes with more prominent smells, although you should perform a patch test as Borax has bleaching properties.
Procedure:
- Pour hot water into a bucket, bathtub, or bowl.
- Pour ½ cup of Borax and a suitable laundry detergent into the water and stir.
- Submerge the smelly clothes into the water mixture, ensuring the water covers them.
- Leave the clothes to soak for hours.
- You can also use a top-loading washer to soak the clothes. Pour the same quantity of Borax and detergent into the washer as you would the bowl.
- After enough time passes, rinse the clothes with cold water.
- Place the clothes into the washer with the same laundry detergent.
- Check the care label for proper washing instructions.
- When the wash cycle ends, take the clothes outside to air-dry under direct sunlight.
Eucalan
Eucalan is a natural no-rinsing detergent that is suitable for delicate fabrics and comes in several scents. The treatments listed here can be stressful on clothes, so you need a process that will not damage “delicate” fabrics like wool, rayon, etc.
Ensure the clothes are colorfast – moisten a small area with water and press white cloth; if there is no stain, it is colorfast – before you treat with Eucalan.
Procedure:
- Fill up inside a bucket, bathtub, or bowl with room temperature water.
- Check the label instructions for the correct amount of Eucalan and pour it into the water.
- Submerge the smelly clothes into the water mixture, ensuring the water covers them.
- Leave the clothes to soak for at least 15 minutes.
- You can also use a top-loading washer to soak the clothes. Pour the same quantity of Eucalan into the washer as you would the bowl.
- After enough time passes, rinse the clothes with cold water.
- Place the clothes into the washer and pour the correct amount of Eucalan.
- Check the care label for proper washing instructions.
- When the wash cycle ends, dry the clothes with low heat or the air fluff setting.
Coffee Grounds
Coffee is not well-known as a deodorizer, but it is. It contains nitrogen which neutralizes smells; also, the strong scents of coffee can overpower the clothes.
Coffee is an appropriate natural alternative to baking soda because it behaves similarly, absorbing the smells after extended exposure.
Method 1:
- Pour enough coffee grounds into a sizable plastic or paper bag.
- Place the smelly clothes inside the bag and close it. The coffee will start absorbing the smells instantly.
- Leave the bag on a surface for hours or overnight for maximum efficiency.
- Rinse the clothes under cold running water till the water runs clear.
- Place the clothes into the washer and wash them correctly.
- Air-dry the clothes under direct sunlight.
Method 2:
- Hang the smelly clothes on a drying rack in a well-ventilated room.
- Pour coffee grounds into a sizable bowl and place it under the hanging clothes. The coffee grounds will absorb the smells from the clothes.