How to Get the Mildew Smell Out of Clothes Left in the Washer

Step by step

1. 1

   Sniff the load

   Pull out two or three pieces and smell them up close, especially thick things like towels and jeans. Maytag says a musty smell from damp clothes is a sign they sat too long. It may come from mildew, a type of mold that grows in dark, damp places with little air.

2. 2

   Look for spots

   Shake each piece out and check it in good light. Mildew can leave stains, not just a smell, and stained pieces need the extra steps under “When it will not work” below.

3. 3

   Rewash hot, with a booster

   Put on gloves. Add oxygen bleach powder straight into the empty drum (the OxiClean Versatile label says fill to the bottom of line B for a regular load). Load the clothes, add your usual detergent measured to the line, and wash in the hottest water the care labels allow.

   On a care label, “hot” means 112°F to 145°F.

1. 4

   Sniff again before the dryer

   When the cycle ends, take a quick sniff. Maytag’s rule is simple: if the clothes smell fresh, they go straight into the dryer. If not, do Step 5 first.

2. 5

   Soak the stubborn ones

   Fill a clean tub or big bucket with warm water, never boiling. Stir in the oxygen bleach powder: the OxiClean Versatile label says fill the scoop to line 3 for each gallon of water. Let it dissolve all the way.

   Push the clothes under and leave them 1 to 6 hours. Then wash them again as in Step 3.

   Have washing soda instead? The Arm & Hammer label gives its own presoak for tough odors: 2 tablespoons per gallon of water, for at least 30 minutes and best overnight. Then wash as usual, and use one soak or the other, not both.

3. 6

   Dry it right away, all the way

   Move the clothes into the dryer or hang them open the moment the cycle ends. Maytag suggests setting a timer while the washer runs, so it does not happen twice. Make sure thick seams and waistbands are fully dry before anything goes in a drawer.

   What it looks like when it worked: the clothes smell fresh before they go in the dryer, and nothing goes in a drawer damp.

When it will not work, and what to do instead

Sometimes the smell is stronger than one rewash. Here is what to do then.

• There are mildew spots. The University of Georgia Extension says to brush the mildew off outdoors, rub detergent into the spot and wash it. If the spot stays, soak it in a bleach that is safe for the fabric, like the Step 5 soak. Handle these pieces gently, because UGA warns that mildew weakens fibers.
• Every load smells, even ones you moved right away. Then the washer itself may be holding the smell. Maytag says musty smells can move from clothes to the washer and back again. See How to clean a front-load washer and stop the musty smell.
• You see mold on the wall or floor near the washer. The EPA says that if mold covers more than about 10 square feet, or there was a lot of water damage, you should hire a contractor with mold experience.
• It is towels that keep going sour. Towels have their own reset. See How to get the sour smell out of towels.
• You want to try vinegar. Maytag suggests a soak in a tub, not the washer: 1 cup of vinegar in warm water for about 30 minutes. Rinse the clothes well afterward, because Maytag says vinegar can damage washer parts, and never add any bleach to that tub.
• It is wool, silk or dry clean only. Skip the powder and take the piece to a dry cleaner.

Why it works

That musty smell is what happens when wet fabric sits in a dark, closed drum. Maytag describes mildew as a type of mold that does well in exactly those damp, airless spots.

Laundry researchers say clothes left in humid conditions develop smells, and slow drying leaves more bacteria on the fabric. A washer drum full of wet clothes is about as humid as it gets.

Heat and oxygen bleach are the answer. Cool, quick washes do a poor job of clearing smell-causing bacteria and skin oils, and oxygen bleach makes up part of the difference.

Then fast drying keeps it from starting over. The EPA’s rule for anything that gets wet in a home is to dry it within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth. A load of laundry deserves far better than that, so think minutes, not days.