You pull a jumper out of the back of the wardrobe, lift it to your nose and there it is: that stale smell that won't shift no matter how much you air it. Working out how to get the musty smell out of clothes is easier once you know where it comes from: it isn't «wardrobe smell», it's bacteria and mould spores living in the fibre. And come autumn, between the rain and laundry drying indoors, the problem multiplies. Here's what works, both for the musty smell in stored clothes and in freshly washed ones.
Why clothes smell musty
The smell isn't produced by the water, but by what grows in it. When a garment spends hours damp — in the drum, on an airer in an unventilated living room or folded in a drawer — bacteria and mould find exactly what they need: moisture, warmth and traces of skin and detergent.
The four most common causes:
- Laundry forgotten in the machine. After a good hour sitting wet in the drum, the smell has already taken hold.
- Slow indoor drying. If a garment takes more than a day to dry, it's going to smell.
- The washing machine itself. Door seal, drawer and filter build up biofilm; if the appliance smells, the laundry smells.
- Too much detergent or fabric softener. Residue that doesn't rinse away is food for bacteria.
Quick rescue: getting the musty smell out without washing
For a garment you've just taken out of the wardrobe and want to wear today:
- Air it first. Two or three hours on the line outside or by an open window, with air moving past it. Moving air does more than any product.
- Spray it with diluted white vinegar (one part vinegar to three parts water) over the fabric, without soaking it. The vinegar smell disappears as it dries and takes the mustiness with it.
- Give it steam. One pass with a clothes steamer or a steam iron, at the temperature the care label allows, kills off a good share of the bacteria.
- Bag it with baking soda. Put the garment in a large bag with a small bowl of baking soda, seal it and leave it for 24 hours. It absorbs the smell without touching the fabric.
It's an effective stopgap, but if the smell returns the moment you put it on, the garment needs a wash.
The wash that really removes the smell
A normal cycle isn't enough, because the residue clings to the fibre. Do this:
- Pre-soak: two hours in lukewarm water with a glass of white vinegar per five litres.
- Add half a cup of baking soda straight into the drum, in with the clothes, not in the drawer.
- Wash at the highest temperature the label allows. 40 degrees is usually enough; on cotton towels and sheets, 60 degrees puts an end to the problem.
- Long programme and double rinse, with the machine half loaded. If the laundry can't move, it can't rinse.
- No fabric softener. It masks the smell for a few days and then makes it worse. If you want fragrance, use a few drops of essential oil in the final rinse.
- For whites: two tablespoons of sodium percarbonate in the soak disinfect and bring the white back.
And take the laundry out of the drum as soon as the programme ends. That's by far the single habit that prevents the most odour.
Musty smell in freshly washed clothes: check the machine
If the laundry comes out clean and already smells bad, the source is the appliance. Once a month: an empty cycle at 90 degrees with two glasses of vinegar or a dedicated cleaner, drawer removed and scrubbed, door seal wiped dry with a cloth after every use and the door left ajar between loads. The filter, every two or three months.
How to stop the musty smell coming back in the wardrobe
| Common mistake | What it causes | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Putting clothes away still warm from ironing | Condensation inside the wardrobe | Wait until they've cooled completely |
| Wardrobe pushed against an outside wall | Condensation damp at the back | Pull it a few centimetres off the wall |
| Sealed plastic bags | They trap moisture in with the garment | Breathable fabric garment covers |
| Overstuffed wardrobe | Air can't circulate between clothes | Leave a gap between hangers |
| Never aired out | Stale air and a shut-in smell | Open the doors for 20 minutes a week |
It helps a lot to put a moisture absorber or a bowl of coarse salt on the top shelf, and to swap mothballs for lavender sachets or cedar shavings, which keep moths away too.
Before you wear it again
When you rescue clothes from the back of the wardrobe at the change of season, the smell isn't the only thing they bring with them: there's also lint and hair clinging to wool and knitwear. A quick going-over with a reusable lint roller makes the garment presentable in two passes and cleans itself, with no sticky refills to get through. If there's a dog or cat in the house, you'll notice the difference on the very first jumper.
In short
Airing, vinegar, baking soda and a long wash without softener solve almost every case. The rest is prevention: take the laundry out in time, dry it fast and don't shut clothes away in a wardrobe that can't breathe.
At Velia Select you'll find practical pieces for looking after your clothes and your home, built to last and to make everyday life that bit easier.