The Top 8 Toughest Odors to Remove From Clothes (2024)

How to Remove Perfume Scent From Clothing

1. Make a Baking Soda Solution

   Fill a large sink or bucket with cool water. Dissolve onecup ofbaking sodain four cups of hot water and add the solution to the cool water.

   

2. Soak the Garment

   Completely submerge the garment and allow it to soak for at least four hours. Overnight is fine.

   

3. Wash Normally

   Wash as directed using a heavy-duty unscented laundry detergent.

   

4. Repeat as Needed

   Check the garment for odor. If you can still smell the fragrance, repeat the steps.

   

5. Dry the Garment

   Dry as directed by the care label ordry the garment on a clothesline in the fresh air.

   

   Tip

   For at-home odor removal from non-washable fabrics, hang them outside on a breezy day. Or just sprinkle some baking soda all over the garment, let it sit in the tub overnight, then shake it out the next day.

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How to Remove Sweat Odor From Clothing

A shirt may look and smell clean after washing. But an hour or so into wearing it,here comes the sweat odor.

Removing Sweat Odors From Washable Shirts

1. Scrub the Armpits

   If the deodorant build-up has left the fabric stiffand a heavy sweat odor is present, mix a one-to-onesolution of white distilled vinegar and water and use a soft-bristled brush or an old toothbrush to scrub the armpits before soaking.

   

2. Make a Vinegar Solution

   Fill a washing machine, large bucket, or sink with cool water and add one cup ofwhite distilled vinegar.

   

3. Soak the Shirt(s)

   Add the garment and allow it to soak for at least 30 minutes. Drain the vinegar/water solution.

   

4. Wash as Usual

   Wash as usual in cool water with a heavy-duty laundry detergent (PersilProClean orTide).

   

   Tip

   For shirts that have beenwashed but still have an odor, mix a solution of twocups of baking soda in a washer tub of lukewarm water. Add the shirts and allow them to soak for at least 24 hours. Follow by washing as directed.

Removing Sweat Odor From Gym Clothes

Working up a sweat can be a good thing, but that sweat (and the smell) can be difficult to remove from today'shigh-performance fabrics, like those found in workout clothes.

1. Add White Distilled Vinegar

   Add onecup of baking soda orwhite distilled vinegarto your wash water each time you wash exercise clothes. The baking soda or white distilled vinegar will help neutralize odor and make your detergent work more efficiently.

   See Also

   Is it normal to smell in your pants on your own?5 reasons your discharge smells bad — but not necessarily fishyFeeling Fresh (for Teens)How to Get Rid of Inner Thigh Odor from Sweat | Thinx

   

2. Air-Dry Garments

   Hang fabrics to air-dry. Do not machine-dry fabrics. The high heat can bind any body oil and its bacteria to the fibers.
   

   

   Tip

   Try not to wear workout clothes again until they've been washed, as another layer of body soil will just build on the previous one. If you can't wash activewear daily, soak the clothes in a plastic container with water and baking soda until laundry day.

How to Remove Gasoline Odor From Clothing

Whether you work with fuels or have a gas pump splashing accident, gasoline and diesel oil odors can be challenging to remove.

These steps will work well on small fuel stains. If the fabric is heavily stained with gasoline, it should be discarded. Remember that fuel is flammable, soneverplace garments that even faintly smell of fuel in a clothes dryer. If the garment is labeled dry clean only, point out and identify the stain to yourprofessional dry cleaner.

1. Pretreat Stains

   Use an enzyme-based stain remover or a bit of heavy-duty liquid detergent to pretreat these oil-based stains. Work the stain remover into the fabric with your fingers and allow it to process for at least 15 minutes before washing the garment.

   

2. Wash in Hot Water

   Wash the item in the highest-temperature water appropriate for the fabric. Repeat as needed before drying if odor persists.

   

3. Soak Clothes If Odors Linger

   Soak the stained clothes in cool water with onecup baking soda for at least four hours or overnight if the odor persists.

   

4. Add Ammonia if Necessary (Optional)

   Fill the washer with warm water and add one cup of household ammonia if the baking soda still doesn't do the trick. Soak for two or three hours. Drain the soaking water from the washerand wash as usual.

   Warning

   Do not use any chlorine bleachduring the ammonia soaking or washing process, as dangerous fumes can form.

How to Remove Cooking Odor From Clothing

Any home cook who fries food or a fast food worker will tell you that fabrics can quickly absorb odors and hold onto them even if there are no stains. Microscopic grease particles from frying are in the air and embedded easily in fabric fibers.

If you've gotten stuck next to the fryer or grill when wearing dry, clean-only clothes, point out the odors to your dry cleaner. If the odor is light, hang the non-washable garment outside on a breezy day for several hours.

1. Wash the Clothing

   Wash on the regular cycle in the hottest water recommended on the fabric's care label. Use a heavy-duty laundry detergent capable of removing the oily molecules.
   

   

   Tip

   Boost the cleaning power of any detergent by adding onecup of baking soda or one-half cup of borax to the washer.

2. Soak If Needed

   If washing correctly does not remove the odor, soak the clothes for at least two hours in a solution of hot water with two cups of baking soda. After soaking, wash the garments again.

   

How to Remove Musty and Mothball Odors From Clothes

Musty and mothball odors can be difficult to remove, butseveral things can be done to speed the process.

Removing Musty and Mothball Odors From Washable Clothes

1. Wash With Baking Soda

   Fill the washer or a large sink with water and detergent and add one cup of baking soda. Mix well and allow the clothing to soak for at least one hour before completing the washing cycle.

   

   See Also

   How Long Does Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) Last? | Ro

2. Add Distilled White Vinegar

   Add 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar to the final rinse to cut through any remaining product residue.

   

3. Hang to Dry

   Hang the freshly washed clothing on a clothesline outside to dry. Fresh air is perhaps the best freshening agent of all.

   

Removing Musty and Mothball Odors From Dry-Clean Only Clothes

1. Place Clothing and Baking Soda in a Container

   Place the smelly garment in a large, sealable plastic tub or bag with an open box of baking soda. Let the container remain sealed for several days as the baking soda absorbs the odors. Repeat the process several times (with a fresh box of baking soda each time) until all of the odors are gone.

   

2. Hang to Dry

   Hang the clothing outside—away from direct sunlight—to air-dry.Make a trip to the dry cleaner to remove the odor if it remains.

   

How to Remove Mildew Odor From Clothing

Clothing stored in a warm, damp area over the winter may develop a mildewy smell. This type of mold creates a bad odor and leaves unsightly stains. If left untreated, mildew can decay the fabric that it sits on.

1. Place Clothing in the Washing Machine

   Add items to your washer, but don't overfill it. Overfilling the wash basin may inhibit the removal of mildew odor.

   

2. Add Laundry Detergent and Vinegar

   Add heavy-duty laundry detergent, as recommended on the bottle, along with 1 cup of vinegar.

   

3. Set the Cycle and Water Temperature

   Wash your items on a normal cycle using hot water. The heat, combined with the acid from the vinegar, will kill mildew and eliminate the smell.

   

4. Line-Dry Your Clothing

   Hang your clothing outside in the sun as a final step to combat mildew odor. Repeat the process from the beginning once dry, if your items still smell,

   

How to Remove Smoke From Clothing

A night out on the town may leave your clothes smelling of cigarette smoke. Luckily there's a way to freshen them by the next morning.

1. Load the Washing Machine

   Place your smoke-filled items into the washing machine.

   

2. Add Detergent and Baking Soda

   Add a heavy-duty detergent, along with 1 cup of baking soda to your washing machine. Baking soda will neutralize the odor left behind by a smoky night out.

   

3. Select the Cycle and Water Temperature

   Clean your items on a regular cycle using warm water. Cold water may not entirely eliminate the smell of smoke.

   

4. Dry Your Clothing

   Place your clothing in your automatic dryer along with a dryer sheet. Run the dryer for a full cycle until the clothes are dry and smell fresh.

   

How to Remove Foot Odor from Socks

Athletic shoes and socks can take on a stinky smell after a hard workout at the gym. This smell is often due to bacteria growth from sweaty feet. Removing this smell from your socks requires an extra soak before washing.

1. Soak Your Socks

   Fill a sink with a ratio of 1 gallon of water to 2 cups of distilled white vinegar. Place your socks into the solution and allow them to soak for at least half an hour—the longer, the better.

   

2. Wash as Usual

   Place your socks into the washing machine with your other laundry and wash them, as usual, on the normal cycle.

   

3. Machine Dry

   Dry your socks in an automatic dryer using scented dryer sheets for added freshness.

   

How to Remove Vomit From Clothing

The unpleasant task of washing clothing covered in vomit can be minimized by first placing everything into the washing machine without coming into contact with the vomit. The initial washing cycle may take care of the problem, but sometimes, additional stains may require further treatment.

1. Put Clothes in the Washing Machine

   Place the articles of clothing straight into the washing machine by themselves.

   

2. Add Detergent and White Vinegar

   Add laundry detergent per the instructions on the bottle, along with 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar.

   

3. Set the Machine Cycle

   Set your washing machine to a normal cycle and run the cycle.

   

4. Inspect for Stains and Rewash

   Check the clothing for additional stains. If stains are present, treat them with a stain remover, and then wash them again.

   

5. Line Dry

   Line-dry the articles of clothing to assure there are no more stains. Machine drying may set stains and prevent removal in the future.

   

Additional Body Odors

Most other clothing odors, like those left behind by bodily fluids or sickness, can be neutralized by soaking clothing items in a sink filled with water, plus a mixture of vinegar or baking soda. Both products work to kill the microorganisms that cause the odor, while neutralizing the actual scent itself. If you need to call in the big guns, however, a specialized detergent or laundry booster should do the trick.