Struggling with bad odor from clothes? Perhaps you left your clothes in the washer for days or maybe you have that stubborn smelly stain on your clothes. Don’t worry, there are ways to remove those tough odors and stains from clothes. Let’s look at some simple DIY ways you can use to remove persistent stains and make your laundry smell good.
What’s causing the Bad Smell in Your Clothes?
For starters, you will need to know what’s causing the bad smell on your laundry. One of the most common causes of the bad smell might be leaving the laundry in the washer for long. Your laundry will get moldy which is dangerous to your health, plus it can destroy your fabric. The other reasons for the bad smell of clothes might be body odors, sweat odors, cooking odors, oil odors, perfume odors, etc.
Once you know what is causing the bad smell, you will then know the best way to remove the stain and leave your clothes smelling nice. Here is a quick way to get rid of the bad odor in your laundry:
Steps to Remove Bad Smell in Laundry
What You’ll Need:
- Baking Soda
- Vinegar
- Laundry Detergent
- Fabric Softener
- Stain Remover (depends on the type of stain)
Instructions:
- Scrub the stained parts using a soft-bristled brush.
- Fill your washing machine, sink or bucket with cool water.
- Add vinegar to the water, in a ratio of about one cup of vinegar in 4 cups of water.
- Let your laundry soak in there for a few hours (depending on the stain).
- Drain the solution and wash the laundry with your usual detergent, adding 1 cup of baking soda.
- You can then use the best smelling fabric softener to add scent to your laundry. Fabric softener will not only make your laundry smell nice but it will also make it feel soft to touch.
- Check if the clothes still smell bad after washing. Just repeat the process again if the smell still exists.
- Dry your laundry, preferably in the open air and you are good to have good smelling clothes again!
Tips:
- Use Enzyme-based stain remover for oily type stains
- You can also use a heavy detergent to remove tough stains
- There is also the option of using a DIY stain remover. In this case, just mix a tablespoon of baking soda in a cup of water until you get a paste. You can then apply this paste to treat the part where there is a stubborn stain
How to Keep Clothes Smelling Fresh in Closet
When your clothes are dry, you would want to keep them smelling fresh in the closet especially if they are going to be there for a while. There are some clever hacks that will make your closet and clothes smell nice. For example, you can also mix water and essential oil (e.g. Lavender oil) and put the mixture into a spray bottle. You can then spray it lightly on your clothes to get a fragrance on them. Or keep lavender sachets or cedarwood in your closets and drawers.
Natural cleaners, like Certified Organic Soapberries, baking soda, vinegar, and natural laundry soap can help clothing stay fresh longer. Whereas soaps with a lot of chemicals and fragrances build-up in fabric and leave it smelling bad over time. Also, make sure to remove laundry from the washer soon after the cycle is done to avoid mildewy smells developing.
Wrapping Up:
We hope these solutions will help make your laundry smell nice. That said, try to avoid the things causing the bad odor in the first place!
