How Do I Get Smells Out of Clothes: What Helps and What Makes It Worse

You’ve washed your gym clothes three times and they still smell like sweat. Or your jacket reeks of smoke from a bonfire. Or your towels come out of the wash smelling musty. Regular detergent cleans dirt but doesn’t always remove odors, because odors come from bacteria, body oils, and environmental compounds that bond with fabric fibers. Some treatments help. Others make the smell worse. Here’s what helps and what makes it worse when getting smells out of clothes.

Clothes odors are caused by bacteria, body oils, mold, food compounds, smoke, and environmental pollutants that bond with fabric fibers. Regular detergent cleans dirt but doesn’t always kill bacteria or break down the compounds that cause odors.

To get smells out of clothes, wash with 1 cup of white vinegar and enzyme detergent in hot water, add half a cup of baking soda for extra deodorizing, and dry in the sun. For stubborn odors, use a laundry sanitizer. Don’t use fabric softener, don’t use cold water for odor-causing loads, and don’t put smelly clothes in the dryer.

What Helps

White vinegar. Vinegar kills bacteria and neutralizes odor compounds. Add 1 cup to the wash cycle. The vinegar smell dissipates during the wash.

Baking soda. Baking soda absorbs odors and neutralizes pH. Add half a cup of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda to the wash cycle.

Enzyme detergent. Enzymes break down body oils and food compounds that bacteria feed on. Use Tide Free and Gentle.

Hot water. Hot water kills bacteria and dissolves body oils. Use the hottest water safe for the fabric.

Laundry sanitizer. For stubborn odors, use Lysol Laundry Sanitizer in the rinse cycle. It kills 99.9% of bacteria.

Sun drying. Sunlight kills bacteria and mold. UV rays are a natural disinfectant.

Oxygen bleach. Oxygen bleach kills bacteria and removes odors without the harshness of chlorine bleach.

Pre-soaking. For stubborn odors, soak clothes in warm water with enzyme detergent for 30 minutes before washing.

What Makes It Worse

Fabric softener. Fabric softener coats fibers in a waxy film that traps odors and bacteria. Skip it for odor-causing loads. Use vinegar instead.

Cold water. Cold water doesn’t kill bacteria or dissolve body oils. Use hot water for odor-causing loads.

Putting smelly clothes in the dryer. Dryer heat can set odors permanently. Always air dry and check the smell first.

Too much detergent. Excess detergent leaves residue that feeds bacteria. Use 2 tablespoons per load.

Leaving wet clothes in the washer. Wet clothes grow bacteria and mold within hours. Transfer to the dryer within 2 hours.

Not cleaning the washing machine. A dirty machine transfers odors to clothes. Clean with affresh Washing Machine Cleaner monthly.

Overloading the washer. Overloading prevents clothes from moving freely and detergent from circulating. Fill no more than three-quarters full.

Comparison: What Helps vs. What Makes It Worse

Action	Effect on Odor
White vinegar in wash	Helps (kills bacteria)
Baking soda in wash	Helps (absorbs odors)
Enzyme detergent	Helps (breaks down oils)
Hot water	Helps (kills bacteria)
Laundry sanitizer	Helps (kills bacteria)
Sun drying	Helps (UV kills bacteria)
Fabric softener	Makes worse (traps odors)
Cold water	Makes worse (doesn’t kill bacteria)
Dryer	Makes worse (sets odors)
Too much detergent	Makes worse (feeds bacteria)
Leaving clothes in washer	Makes worse (grows bacteria)

FAQ

How do you get smells out of clothes? Wash with 1 cup of white vinegar and enzyme detergent in hot water, add half a cup of baking soda, and dry in the sun. For stubborn odors, use Lysol Laundry Sanitizer. Don’t use fabric softener or cold water.

Does vinegar remove odors from clothes? Yes. White vinegar kills bacteria and neutralizes odor compounds. Add 1 cup to the wash cycle and wash in hot water with enzyme detergent.

Why do my clothes smell after washing? Clothes smell after washing because bacteria, body oils, or mold have bonded with the fabric and regular detergent doesn’t remove them. Wash with vinegar in hot water. Also, check if your washing machine needs cleaning.

Does baking soda remove odors from clothes? Yes. Baking soda absorbs odors and helps neutralize pH. Add half a cup to the wash cycle along with vinegar and detergent.

How do you get sweat smell out of gym clothes? Wash in hot water with enzyme detergent and 1 cup of white vinegar. Add half a cup of baking soda. For stubborn odors, use Lysol Laundry Sanitizer. Don’t use fabric softener.

Can you put smelly clothes in the dryer? Don’t put smelly clothes in the dryer until the odor is gone. Dryer heat can set odors permanently. Always air dry and check first.

References

1. Tide. “How to Remove Odors from Clothes.” tide.com.
2. The Spruce. “How to Get Smell Out of Clothes.” thespruce.com.
3. Good Housekeeping. “How to Remove Laundry Odors.” goodhousekeeping.com.
4. Lysol. “Laundry Sanitizer Guide.” lysol.com.