To eliminate unpleasant smells from your clothes, use a steam iron or one of these other tips
Clothes that smell bad even after being washed and dried is a common occurrence. At the root of this problem, there can be various causes and if you don't have time to wash everything again, what can you do? The answer could be an easy one: get yourself a vertical steam iron.
Sometimes, when using the washing machine, dryer or drying racks, we may make some mistakes to lead to clothes becoming smelly or even moldy. Let's see what remedial action we can take:
Use a steam iron to eliminate unpleasant odors from clothes
Certain bacteria that accumulate between fabric fibers and cause unpleasant smells in clothes. But by using a vertical steam iron, with its high temperatures, we can certainly neutralize these smells. Many of these irons also have a specific function to remove hair and other dirt that adheres to fabric.
One pass with the iron should be enough, even at lower temperatures than those used normally. In just a few minutes, the garments no longer give off bad smells.
Other remedies to combat bad smells from developing
Pxhere
Another way to make unpleasant odors disappear from already-washed clothes is to expose them to another source of heat, the sun. When the odors are mild, simply putting the clothes in a sunny and well-ventilated area for a few hours can solve the problem. However, direct exposure to sunlight, especially in summer, should be avoided for dark garments that could fade.
It's important never to leave the clothes in the washing machine for too long after washing: it's a closed, humid environment where the clothes remain crumpled up against each other. These conditions are conducive to the proliferation of the bacteria and mold responsible for bad smells.
Avoid using too much detergent or fabric softener, as they may not be rinsed away thoroughly, causing unpleasant odors when they remain trapped amongst the clothes fibers.
Don't overload the washing machine or dryer with too many items, to ensure proper cleaning and drying throughout.
For less delicate items that are already dry but still smelly, you can also spray a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water on them. This spray should eliminate any unpleasant odors. To ensure that fabrics are not damaged, it's always best to perform a test on a hidden corner of the garment first to check if the vinegar will cause any damage. It is recommended to use white vinegar or wine vinegar, which do not stain clothes.
What is your favorite method for removing unpleasant odors from clothes?