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How to Get Mildew Smell Out of Clothes

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Rewash the clothes with laundry detergent in the hottest water the care label allows, and do not put them in the dryer until the mildew smell is gone. The American Cleaning Institute says you can add white vinegar, borax, or baking soda to the wash for a stubborn musty odor, and use a bleach that is safe for the fabric if the smell or the stain remains. Badly mildewed fabric may already be weakened beyond repair.

Last updated: November 13, 2026.

Mildew grows when fabric stays damp. Clothes left in a washer, stored slightly wet, or packed in a closed hamper after a sweaty day are the usual source. Heat from a dryer can make both the smell and any stain harder to remove. This guide is for mildew and musty odor on washable clothing. For smoke from cigarettes, a campfire, or a house fire, use our separate page on how to get smoke smell out of clothes.

Why clothes smell like mildew

Mildew is a type of mold that thrives on damp fabric. The American Cleaning Institute’s flood-cleanup guidance notes that wet textiles are a breeding ground for mold and mildew, and that clothes left wet for any length of time can show mildew later. A short delay in a washer can be enough, especially in a warm room. For how long a load can reasonably sit, see how long clothes can sit in the washer.

The washer itself can also be the problem. Residue, a damp rubber gasket, or a machine that is rarely left open to dry can pass a musty smell into a clean load. If every load comes out smelling the same, clean the machine first. Our guide on how to clean a washing machine covers that step.

What you can treat at home

Read the care label before you start. Machine-washable cotton, linen, and many polyester or cotton blends can usually be treated with the steps below. University of Georgia Extension says to always pretest a cleaner on a hidden area, and not to use any product or method the care label forbids.

Wool, silk, leather, and anything labeled dry-clean only belong with a professional cleaner. Chlorine bleach is not for wool or silk; the Cleaning Institute says sodium hypochlorite bleach should not be used on those fibers. If the garment is already weak, stained dark, or falling apart, washing may not restore it. ACI’s stain guide notes that badly mildewed fabrics may be damaged beyond repair.

A step-by-step method for washable clothes

Use this sequence on items the care label says you can wash. Work outdoors or in a ventilated area if you are brushing off visible growth, so you are not spreading spores around the house.

1. Get the clothes dry to the touch, and brush off loose growth outdoors

Pull damp clothes out of the washer or hamper as soon as you can. Hang them in fresh air so they are no longer wet. For visible mildew, University of Georgia Extension’s method for apparel is to brush the growth off outdoors first, then apply detergent to the stain and launder. Do this outside when you can, and wash the brush afterward.

2. Wash with detergent in the hottest water the label allows

Use a regular laundry detergent and a complete cycle, not a quick rinse. ACI’s mildew advice is to launder stained items with a bleach that is safe for the fabric and the hottest water recommended on the label. If you are not adding bleach yet, still use that hotter setting when the label allows it.

3. Add vinegar, baking soda, or borax for a stubborn odor

For musty smells that remain after a normal wash, the Cleaning Institute says you can add white vinegar, borax, or baking soda while washing. Use one of those additions at a time, and follow the product label for amounts. Vinegar can help with unpleasant odors, though ACI notes it may leave an odor of its own and is not a disinfectant.

Never combine vinegar with chlorine bleach. Vinegar is acidic, and the Cleaning Institute warns that mixing chlorine bleach with ammonia or acidic products can be dangerous or even deadly. If you use vinegar in one wash, run a full rinse before you consider a bleach wash.

4. Use a bleach that is safe for the fabric if the smell or stain remains

If the care label allows liquid household bleach (sodium hypochlorite), ACI’s mildew and flood-cleanup pages both point to it for mildew on washable fabric. Test an inside seam first, as ACI’s bleach directions describe: dab a bleach-and-water solution there and check that the color holds. Add bleach to the dispenser or the wash water according to the product and washer manuals — not in a heap on dry clothes.

If chlorine bleach is not recommended, use a color-safe oxygen bleach. ACI says oxygen bleach can help remove stains and odors, works on all washable fabrics, and is most effective in warm-to-hot water. Add powdered oxygen bleach to the wash water before the clothes. It does not disinfect the way chlorine bleach does, and it should not be mixed with chlorine bleach or ammonia. For boosters, see whether you can use OxiClean with laundry detergent.

If a stain remains, University of Georgia Extension describes a 10- to 15-minute soak of 1/4 cup chlorine bleach, if it is safe for the fabric, or a sodium perborate (oxygen) bleach, in 3/4 cup water, then rinse and launder. It also lists salt and lemon juice, followed by drying in direct sunlight, then rinsing and laundering. Pretest either method, and skip chlorine bleach on wool, silk, and any fabric the label says not to bleach.

5. Air-dry, then check before using the dryer

Hang the clothes until you can judge the smell and any remaining spots. The Cleaning Institute’s general stain advice, and its flood-cleanup laundry steps, is not to put items in the dryer until you are satisfied with the result, because dryer heat can set stains. The same caution applies to a musty odor. If the smell is still there, wash again rather than drying. Repeat as needed. Fabric softener and dryer sheets can wait until the odor is gone; they are more likely to mask a smell than to remove it.

Towels, athletic wear, and stored clothes

Towels and workout clothes often smell musty first, because they sit in a hamper or bag while still damp. Wash them sooner and dry them completely. Clothes coming out of seasonal storage can smell musty even without visible spots. ACI’s winter-wardrobe advice is to wash them in hot water, or dry-clean them, and to add vinegar, borax, or baking soda if the odor is stubborn. A heavier soak is not the first method described here and is not suitable for every fabric. See what laundry stripping is before you try it.

How to keep the smell from coming back

  • Move wet clothes to the dryer or a line as soon as the wash ends. Do not leave a finished load sitting in the drum.
  • Dry items completely before you fold or hang them in a closet.
  • Leave the washer door or lid open between loads so the drum can dry, and clean the machine on a regular schedule.
  • Do not store dirty, damp clothes in a closed hamper for long periods.
  • Wash or dry-clean seasonal clothes before you pack them away, and again if they smell musty when you take them out.

If the odor seems more like urine than mildew, or you are dealing with mold questions about what detergent can and cannot do, see what laundry detergent is best for urine odor and whether laundry detergent kills mold. For a wider set of stain methods, use our laundry stain removal chart.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Drying clothes that still smell musty. Heat can set an odor and a mildew stain. Air-dry and rewash first.
  • Mixing chlorine bleach with vinegar or ammonia. ACI says this combination can be dangerous or deadly. Keep bleach as its own step.
  • Covering the smell with fragrance. Softener, scent beads, and perfume sprays do not replace a proper wash and a full dry.
  • Using chlorine bleach on wool, silk, or any fabric the label forbids. Use oxygen bleach only where it is allowed, or take the item to a cleaner.
  • Brushing visible mildew indoors. UGA Extension’s first step is to brush it off outdoors so spores are not spread through the house.

Frequently asked questions

Will vinegar get mildew smell out of clothes?

It can help as part of a wash, not as a substitute for detergent. The American Cleaning Institute lists white vinegar, borax, or baking soda as additions for a stubborn musty odor. Wash with detergent, add one of those if needed, and never pour vinegar into a cycle that also contains chlorine bleach. If the smell remains, a bleach that is safe for the fabric is the next step ACI describes.

Can I put mildew-smelling clothes in the dryer?

Not until the odor is gone and any stain has lifted. ACI says not to put stained items in the dryer until the stain is removed, because heat can set it. Hang the clothes, check them, and wash again if they still smell musty.

What if the mildew stain will not come out?

Rewash with a bleach that is safe for the fabric, using the hottest water the care label allows. UGA Extension describes a short bleach soak when a stain remains, and an optional salt-and-lemon-juice treatment followed by sunlight, then another wash. If the fabric is already weak or the discoloration is heavy, it may not recover. ACI notes that badly mildewed fabrics may be damaged beyond repair.

Is a mildew smell the same as smoke odor?

No. Mildew comes from damp fabric and mold growth. Smoke odor is from particles that cling to fabric after tobacco, a campfire, or a fire. The wash-and-air-dry idea is similar, but the details differ, and the two problems should be treated as separate jobs. Use this page for mildew, and how to get smoke smell out of clothes for smoke.

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