How to Get the Mildew Smell Out of Your Laundry

When you are busy like I am, it's easy to overlook a load of wet laundry that's been left in the washing machine for several days. Unfortunately, it only takes a day or two for that wet laundry to pick up an odd smelling "musty" odor. Mustiness in wet laundry usually means the start of mildew. To remove the mildew from your laundry, these instructions will help.

1. Presoak and rinse. Wet, mildewy laundry has to be rewashed to get rid of the smell. What works for me is to leave the mildewed clothes in the drum and start up the machine again as if I'm washing a new load of laundry. Instead of adding detergent to the wash water however, one of the following deodorizing agents is added to the load.
1 cup of borax,
1 cup of white vinegar,
1/2 cup of bleach (for white clothes only),
or 1 cup of baking soda

Let the clothes soak for a good 15 minutes or so, then let the soaking water spin away.

2. Wash again. Once the water has drained out of the wash machine, the dials should be reset as if washing a new load of laundry. The correct amount of detergent should be added to the washing machine, and then the clothes washed and rinsed as usual.

3. Hang in the sun. To finish removing any trace amount of mildew still left in the clothes, I've discovered that it's best to hang the laundry out in the sunshine for at least 4 hours. The sun has natural bleaching ability which kills mildew and odor causing bacteria. If you don't have a clothesline, a drying rack placed in the sunshine will also work.

More by this contributor:
How to remove the smell of perspiration from your clothes.
The bleaching power of the sun.
Laundry tips for sensitive skin.