The arrival of rainy season offers the much-needed respite from the scorching summer heat, but brings the discomfort of drying the clothes. Laundry becomes a cumbersome chore in this season. Due to wet weather, your clothes remain damp and gives an unpleasant musty smell. So, the major problem that almost every household face in monsoons is how to get rid of musty smell in the clothes.
The challenge is that the combination of humid temperatures and torrential rain makes it difficult to dry your clothes. It becomes seemingly impossible to keep apparel fresh and clean. in this season. Like cloth fresheners and aromatic detergents, several hacks can help you survive the wet weather. The laundry tips that we are discussing in the article are time-tested. So, you can rest assured to get considerable relief from bad smell odors your clothes in no time.
1. Do Not Collect Wet Clothes
Most of the people have a habit to pile up dirty wet clothes in the machine or the laundry basket and wash them when tons of clothes are collected. This tendency can contribute to a foul smell. So, make it a point to not accumulate damp clothes.
Daily washing is a good habit to follow in this season. It can help you prevent unpleasantly, and musty odors to a significant extent. The sooner you clean your clothes, the easier it will get to remove them.
2. Line dry your damp clothes
The way you dry your clothes determines how sooner they get dried. As the possibilities of getting bright sunlight in this season are low, you may not want to waste time hanging out your clothes outside and expecting them to dry. But the weather can change at any time. In place of rain, you can suddenly see nice sunshine.
It is best to capitalize on this opportunity to dry your fabrics. The warming effect of the sunlight and natural air will ensure quick drying of clothes. Sun rays can soak all the dampness and associated odor effectively and leave your clothes fresh, and clean.
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3. Use Baking Soda Or Vinegar
Vinegar and baking soda are two other important ingredients that you can use to remove the stinking smell from your clothes during the rainy season. All you need is to add a cup of baking soda or white distilled vinegar to your good quality washing detergent.
Both these ingredients are natural deodorizers, and possess powerful anti-microbial properties that let you destroy fungi and eliminate the musky smell from the clothes. They work by neutralizing bad odors and help you get rid of the mildew-like smell. Another way to use baking soda, is to add two to three tablespoons of it in a breathable container. Now place it in the closet.
In place of adding vinegar in the soapy water, you can take a spray bottle and add equal amounts of vinegar and water in it. Spray this solution one or two times to prevent any unpleasant stale smell from the clothes. The right way to spray this solution is to turn the clothes inside out and spray the mixture on them.
Use the above recipes, not just in the closet but also in dresser drawers. These are the simple and affordable tricks that you should start using to see its benefits.
4. Properly Dry Your Clothes
One of the main reasons behind the unpleasant smell from damp clothes is due to inadequate drying of clothes. This odor worsens with passing time. So, look for ways to dry them as soon as possible. It is futile to wait for the sun to come out of the clouds and shine brightly in this rainy season.
Try drying your clothes in your home. Properly squeeze your wet clothes to remove the excess water from it. Now spread or hang them and keep the fan on throughout the day. For speedy drying, you should prefer locations that are close to windows. Open the windows to ensure good ventilation. On the next day, you will find completely dried clothes.
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5. Use A Fragrant Detergent
Another way to get rid of the musty smell is to wash your clothes in a fresh smelling detergent. It can do wonders on your damp clothes. Go for a laundry detergent that has good freshening properties. Nowadays you can easily find detergents from top brands that are perfumed with a variety of smells. Scented detergents like a lemon and rose infused detergent can give you considerable relief.
Both these fragrances are so refreshing. Lemon is acidic in nature. The presence of its extract in the detergent can help eliminate fungi that can lead to a musty smell. This technique is a sure shot way to revitalize your dingy and damp clothes.
These detergents are formulated to leave your fabrics clean, fragrant and bright without you making any extra effort. If you don’t get detergent in this fragrance, then there is one more thing that you can do. Add some rose water or lemon juice to the soapy water and immerse your dirty clothes in it. Your clothes will get that lingering scent and it will stay in them even after they get dried.
6. Keep Silicon Bags Or Chalk In The Wardrobe
Silicon bags have the distinctive ability to absorb the foul smell from the garments. You can get it easily in a local or online market. All you have to do is to keep them in your drawers and wardrobe to ensure your clothes stay fresh, and dry. Alternatively, you can try placing a couple of white chalks in the wardrobe that will give you a similar benefit. The amazing moisture absorbing qualities of chalks will help you dry your clothes faster.
7. Use Scented Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets are another good idea to keep your clothes odor-free. It has the ability to soak foul smell and make the laundry smelling great. Dryer sheets come with a fragrance that lends a nice refreshing smell to the closet. All you need is to place a few dryer sheets in your garments and into the shelves of the closet. This is a wonderful trick that will help you get rid of stale smell in your clothes.
8. Essential Oils
These oils are made from the natural fragrance of plants. The distinctive smell of these oils uplifts mood as well as keep clothes smelling fragrant. All you need is to add one-fourth teaspoon of your preferred oil in your clothes dryer in the last rinse. Essential oils also have moth-repelling properties that can keep your clothes in closet free from odor and moths.
All you need is to soak paper napkins, or cotton balls in the oils and keep them at different places in the closet. However, as cotton balls or napkins may lose their fragrance over time, you need to replace them with the new ones so that your wardrobe smells fresh and nice every time.
9. Soap Bars
A perfumed soap is another great way to remove musty smell from clothes. It lends a pleasant aroma to clothes and the surroundings. Wrap a soap bar in a thin fabric and fold it in the drawer, and a closet. This will enable their smell to bypass your clothes without exposed them to the chemicals present in the soap.
10. Scented Wooden Hangers
Hangers are a way to organize your closet and keep your clothes smelling scented and fresh. Wooden hangers are sturdy and functional. Now, you may also get them in scented forms to hang light to heavy clothes easily. These hangers have the ability to absorb moisture, prevent molds from destroying them and impart a pleasant smell. Aromatic lavender fragrance wooden hangers are an excellent substitute in place of artificial insect repellents.
11. Potpourri
Prepare a homemade potpourri or buy one from a perfume shop to infuse a wonderful fragrance in the closet. You can also prepare your choice of potpourri using a selection of herbs that not just smells great but also repels insects from a place.
Prepare a potpourri with a combination of essential oils such as tansy, lavender, spearmint, rosemary, and cedarwood chips. Add this mixture in small sachets and keep them in different corners of the wardrobe and drawers. Change them with new ones every month.
12. Scented Cotton Balls And Paper Napkins
Perfumed cotton balls and paper napkins are available in the market to get rid of a musty smell. You can also prepare your own scented cotton balls and napkins, by soaking it in your choice of perfume and place them inside the glass jar. Seal the jars with a thin and breathable fabric, and keep them in the closet. Alternatively, you can also use naphthalene balls, and odonil in the closet to fill your wardrobe with a nice smell.
13. Use Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal is an effective air purifier and an odor absorber. It has the ability to filters out mold spores from the closet. Place a cube of activated charcoal in a breathable container. Keep it in the closet. The best part of charcoal blocks is that they are reusable for two years. Place these used blocks in sunlight for some time. It will release any odor that it has absorbed before. You can use it further to absorb foul odors.
14. Disinfectants and Air Fresheners
There are several strong air fresheners in the market that can render a pleasant smell to the closet. Spray these fresheners into the closet in a few days. Here is a simple DIY recipe to prepare an effective air freshener. Add ten to twelve drops of essential oil in half a cup of white vinegar and half a cup of plain water. Put this mixture in a spray bottle. Shake this DIY freshener and spray it on your clothes. The musty smell will quickly disappear from the clothes.
15. Avoid Damp Footwear In The Closet
If even after following the above steps, you do not see any reduction in the musty smell on clothes then it indicates that it could be due to a stinking closet. You need to perform a thorough cleaning of your wardrobe. What you can do is prevent storing damp footwear in the closet and also, prevent pets to enter storage spaces. Empty, purge, clean and re-stock your clothes in the wardrobe.
- Empty the closet. Set aside any damp clothes, and footwear that aren’t washed and dried properly. Wash and dry them properly before you put them back in the closet.
- Clean it from top to bottom using an effective disinfectant cleaner. It could be a store-bought cleaning solution or you can even prepare it at home. Fill a bucket with warm to hot water and add half a cup of white distilled vinegar or baking soda in it. You can add a few drops of rose water, lemon or lavender essential oil in it to leave a fragrant touch after cleaning.
- Make sure you keep the doors of the closet open till it dries completely. Once it is properly cleaned, aired out, and deodorized, you can start storing your clean and dry clothes in it. This is a lengthy but effective way to keep your clothes and closet fresh and odor-free.
16. Always Carry A Pair Of Clothes When Going Outside
In the rainy season, you may expect rain at any time during the day. It can also happen that you get drenched in rain. To deal with such weather emergencies, it is good to carry a pair of fresh shirts along with you so that you can change them quickly whenever the need arises.
Conclusion
The increased humidity and extreme perspiration in the monsoon can cause your garments to stink. It makes it quite challenging to keep your clothes clean, dry and fresh in this wet season. But do not let the monsoon dampen your mood. Try these tips to get rid of the unmistakable smell from wet clothes easily. It will keep them smelling fresh and great.
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