Have you ever gotten your freshly washed clothes out of the dryer, drawer, or closet and thought, “Surely, these clothes should smell better since they were just washed!” I mean the clothes don’t smell terrible, but definitely not fresh. There’s a lingering musty smell to them as if they’d been in storage. Or worse, they still smell of your sweaty power hour at the gym. Yuck!
I know I’m not the only one to struggle with my laundry not smelling as clean and fresh as I want it to. I set out to fix the problem and figured out how to make my laundry smell better, and how to keep laundry smelling fresh between washings.
Why Your Clothes Don’t Smell Fresh After Washing
Time to tackle the underlying cause of the odor
It is essential that we understand why the odors in your clothing are happening in the first place. Rather than masking the odors with smelly-good laundry detergents, we should be trying to find the source. There are health benefits to addressing the underlying cause of the stink or staleness in our laundry.
Washing Machine
Your washing machine might be causing your laundry not to smell fresh. Washers tend to be a dark, moist environment that is a perfect breeding ground for mold, mildew, and bacteria. The lingering odor inside of your washing machine could very well be transferred to your laundry. Front-loading washing machines are the worst when it comes to mold and mildew. If you own one, you know exactly what I’m talking about. That isn’t to say top-loading machines are exempt from this problem because they too can have the same stinky issues. The key is to clean your washing machine on a regular basis – about once per month.
Improper Washing
Doing your laundry seems like a fairly straightforward process that would be difficult to screw up, right? Well, not really. There are a lot of variables to consider when doing a load of laundry, and getting something wrong could definitely be contributing to odors in your laundry.
Overloading the washer – We get busy, believe me, I get it. Who has time to do smaller loads of laundry when you can just throw the whole basket in there? It fits, so why not? Overloading the washing machine does not allow for proper washing of your clothes. There is not enough room for the clothes to move and agitate around in the tub. This is especially true if you have a front-load high-efficiency washer that uses even less water. Even though it may take more time to do, smaller loads are the way to go if you want your clothes to smell fresh after washing.
Using the incorrect type or amount of detergent – Your laundry detergent can have a lot to do with smelly laundry. If you are using the wrong kind of detergent for your washing machine, or if you are using too much or too little detergent in each wash, you are definitely adding to the problem.
Too much detergent in your wash can cause a build-up of residue that traps odors in the fabric. This build-up happens because the detergent isn’t washed entirely away during the rinse cycle. If you check your machine after the rinse cycle and still see bubbles, this could very well be the cause of your laundry not coming clean. The detergent residue also collects on the inside of your washing machine and can add to the development of odor problems inside the washer itself, as we discussed a bit in the last section.
If you have a HE washing machine, it is crucial that you are using the correct type of detergent. Many detergent companies label their products as HE safe and are designed to be used with machines that use less water. The amount of detergent needed for washing is also considerably less for high-efficiency washing machines.
Wrong water temperature – You should be using the hottest water setting that is suitable for your clothing. It is the same idea as washing your hands – using the hottest water will help to kill bacteria and cleans much better than cold water.
Leaving wet clothes in the washer too long – We’ve all been guilty of this a time or two. We get busy and forget we have clothes in the washer for hours – or even days. The longer the wet laundry sits inside the closed-up washing machine, the more of a risk you have of mildew and bacteria growing on your clothes and inside your washer. A simple rewash is typically not enough to get rid of the stink.
Water Conditions
Believe it or not, your water also has a significant impact on how clean your clothes are getting in the wash. Hard water alone can do a lot of damage to your clothing and your appliances – this includes your washing machine. The usual recommendation is to get a whole house water softener. While there are alternatives to a costly water softening system, softening the water is the only way to combat most of these conditions that plague our laundry.
Hard water – The minerals in hard water don’t allow your laundry detergent to do its job effectively. The build-up of calcium and magnesium from the water causes the fabric in your clothing to lose its integrity and become stiff and dingy. Hard water deposits also build-up in your washing machine, which causes costly problems.
Iron – If you have well water in your home, then you are no stranger to iron and rust stains on your clothing. Adding bleach or a bleach alternative is not a good idea and will make the iron stains even worse.
Sulfur – The sulfur “rotten egg” smell is common in homes with well water. This alone can cause stinky clothing.
How To Make Clothes Smell Good – Step by Step
So now that we’ve talked about all the causes and why your laundry isn’t smelling fresh, we can finally get into how to make your clothes smell good again. Let’s get to fixing your stinky laundry!
- Get Rid of Existing Bad Odors in Your Laundry
First, we need to fix any current odor problems. Here are some common smelly laundry woes that could be happening to you. If you have hard water like me, you may have to go a step further and do a full stripping of your laundry to get rid of the bad smells.
Mildew in towels?
Have your towels been left in the washer too long? Laid balled up on the floor after a shower? If so, you may have a bit of a mildew problem creating unpleasant musty odors in your towels.
Don’t worry. I’ve already done all the work for you and figured out which methods work best for removing the mildew smell from your towels.
Workout clothes smell like sweat after washing?
While exercise is great for our bodies, it wreaks (more like reeks) havoc on our workout clothes. Body oils, sweat, and bacteria can cause quite the stink in your gym clothes – and it isn’t always easily removed by normal washing.
You can try out some DIY odor removing methods, or there are lots of laundry detergents on the market made specifically for activewear. If you are battling really funky smelling workout clothes, then you might need a detergent with enzymes.
Odor from pets?
If you have a pet-friendly home like I do, then more than likely, you have struggled with pet urine or the impossible pet odors that linger in fabrics around your home. It may be your pet’s bedding or your own bed sheets after Fido’s unfortunate accident in the bed that are needing a good washing and deodorizing.
In my house, a single stinky pet bed can cause the entire house to smell…erm…off-putting. The smell of “dog” is also on our clothing regularly because, well, we love our dogs and cuddle with them and train with them often. The extra steps we take to deal with pet odor in our house is worth it to us.
OxiClean Odor Blasters are the best we’ve found for battling pet odors in the laundry.
- Clean Your Washing Machine
The next step is to make sure your washing machine is clean and isn’t harboring any nasty odors. If you have odor issues inside the washing machine itself, then you could be transferring the stink onto your clothing.
Front loading washing machines are notorious for getting mildew around and under their rubber gaskets. Hard water can also contribute to lingering musty or mildew smells in your washer. Clean your washing machine on a regular basis with a good washing machine cleaner. I try to do mine at least once per month.
- Wash Your Clothes Properly
It’s time to take a good look at your regular laundry process. As we talked about above, mistakes in your laundry routine may be causing your clothes to retain odors. It is especially important to get your laundry routine whipped into shape if you have a high-efficiency washing machine.
Read clothing labels – Keep your laundry sorted and separated based on washing instructions.
Detergent amounts – Only go by the manufacturer’s recommendations for detergent amounts. Always use the measuring scoop or cup that is included with the laundry detergent. Using too much detergent in your laundry can cause a build-up in your clothes that holds on to odors.
Go easy on the fabric softener – Residue and build-up from fabric softeners can trap odors. If you choose to use a fabric softener, be sure that you don’t use too much and watch for signs of build-up over time.
Use the warmest water possible – Don’t wash your clothes in cold water unless directed by the clothing label. Warm or hot water in combination with the detergent work together to kill odor-causing bacteria and cut through the grime hanging out in your clothes.
Wash in small loads – Although washing in smaller loads isn’t usually ideal, it is the best way to get your clothes clean. Smaller loads give the water and detergent room to flow through your clothes as they are being agitated and rinsed by the washer.
Do an extra rinse – There’s a chance the detergent doesn’t get completely rinsed out of your clothing. A good way to tell if you need to do an extra rinse is if there are suds in the washtub after the rinse cycle completes. Doing an extra rinse will ensure that all the detergent is washed away.
Transfer laundry to the dryer promptly –
- Prevent the Stink
Don’t let your laundry pile up – Keeping up on laundry isn’t an easy feat, but getting into good laundry habits will help a lot with keeping your clothes fresh and clean.
Take laundry out of the washer immediately – Don’t let your wet laundry sit in the dark, warm environment of the washing machine. During the summer months, or if you live in a warmer climate, this is even more important. Get in the habit of setting a timer after you’ve started your washing machine. Many of us have access to Siri or Alexa now and days. It’s not uncommon to hear me calling out to my robot, “Alexa, set a laundry timer for 1 hour.”
Hang wet towels to dry completely – Make sure to hang all wet and damp towels where they are fully expanded and have plenty of circulating air as they dry. Don’t leave any wet towels or wash rags wadded up in the sink or corner of the shower. In the summer, hang your pool towels out in the sun.
Wash heavily-soiled clothing separately – Don’t wash really dirty, oily, sweaty clothing with your other laundry or towels.
Don’t leave workout clothes in your gym bag – This goes for any sport or athletic clothing. Take everything gross and sweaty out of your bag as soon as you get home and throw it in the wash – or for a pre-soak if the situation requires it.
Clean your washing machine regularly – Prevent machine odors from transferring onto your clothing.
- Tips to Keep Clothes Smelling Fresh Longer
Nice smelling laundry detergent – If you really love smelling like fresh laundry, find a laundry detergent that you enjoy the scent of.
Laundry scent boosters – There are tons of scent boosters on the market now. You just add a bit to your wash, and the scent is supposed to stay for weeks. Another way to use them is to put them inside a thin linen drawstring bag and tuck them into your drawers (just be sure they are not accessible to pets or children!)
Freshen up your storage areas – Lack of ventilation can cause your clothing to become stale in closets and drawers. A great way to prevent odors in your clothes is to use something like Arm and Hammer Moisture Absorber and Odor Eliminator or Bamboo Charcoal Purifying Bags in areas such as closets, drawers, under-bed storage, and hampers.
Scented dryer sheets – If you’re in a hurry, this is the way to make your clothes smell nice fast! Pulled a shirt from the closet that smells a bit stale? Throw it in the dryer with a scented dryer sheet and a damp cloth for 5-10 minutes, and it will come out smelling fresh. Bounce, Method, Downy, and Gain are all great for this.
Here’s to Amazing Smelling Laundry!
Now that we have addressed why your clothes aren’t smelling fresh and the steps on how to make your laundry smell good again, I hope I have given you enough information to tackle your stinky laundry woes.
Share your best tips and tricks for how you make your laundry smell good in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!
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