
Experience has taught us has that repeated washing of clothing to remove lingering odour could cause damage to threads and other forms of wear and tear. This is something we certainly do not want, especially in case of expensive clothing items. If some of your clothes, particularly the sweaty ones you may have worn to the gym, continue to smell bad even after a wash, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are still dirty. But we all want them to have a nice, long-lasting fragrance once they are washed, right? We’ve tried home remedies like coffee, vinegar and baking soda, but they haven’t really given us the desired results. Well, there are several other ways to make your clothes smell fresh and nice without repeated washing to prevent daily wear and tear. Read on!
1. Wash Your Clothes Immediately
The first step with regards to how to remove bad odour from clothes is to wash them soon after use. Don’t let your sweaty clothes linger on in the laundry for a very long time as it will get even more difficult to remove the odour from them. The quicker you wash these clothes, the easier it is to remove bacteria, germs and bad odour from them.
2. Use Warm Water and Fabric Conditioner to Remove Bad Odour
In our experience, it is very helpful to wash dirty clothes with warm water. You can check the garment’s label and figure out the highest temperature at which the fabric can be washed to avoid any damage. We also think it is a good idea to soak the garments in a detergent for about 10 minutes before washing. If the bad odour is quite intense, then soaking for 30 to 45 minutes is advisable.

After wash, we recommend using a product like Comfort Fabric Conditioner, which is both a fabric softener and clothes freshener. We’ve noticed that our clothes look as good as new after a single rinse with Comfort Fabric Conditioner. It adds a nice shine to the clothes and leaves them smelling clean and fresh all day long! We find the product quite easy to use and just half a cap can help wash a good quantity of clothes quite effectively. Read the instructions on the packaging to understand the proper use of the product.
3. Ensure the Machine Doesn’t Have an Overload of Clothes
It is very important to check how many clothes you’re putting into your washing machine during one wash cycle. If the machine is overloaded, then the clothes won’t have space to tumble and get washed properly. This means that the sweat and odour will linger on. We have also noticed that for clothes that are extremely sweaty, it might be a good idea to add another rinse cycle in case the machine allows it. As soon as the clothes are washed, we take them out to be hanged for drying.
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4. Air Them Out in the Sun to Remove Lingering Smells
We have learnt that a very simple way of eliminating odour from our clothes without repeated washing is to allow them to air dry in the sun. Sunlight, in addition to a fabric conditioner, is among the most efficient ways of combating musty smell as well as other bad odours. When your clothes blow in the light breeze, it also helps air to naturally flow through the fabrics. We have noticed that this method is successful when we allow the clothes to be in the sunlight for a minimum of one hour. This has always helped us to get rid of nasty smells from clothes without having to go for a second or third rinse.
5. Use Newspaper to Absorb Smells
This may sound strange, but an efficient way of making your clothes smell fresh and clean is to make use of newspapers. How? Well, we have noticed that the material is successful in absorbing trapped moisture even in the worst smelling areas, typically caused by oils or sweat. Make a few balls of newspaper and place them in the sweaty areas overnight. The paper will soak up all the moisture in addition to the odours. If overnight is not possible, then let the newspaper balls sit for at least a few hours to work efficiently. But remember, this is only an aid to washing and using a good fabric conditioner.
Use these tips to get rid of bad smell from your clothes without multiple washes!