I started a load of laundry the other day and forgot about it, so it stayed in the machine for about two days before I transferred it to the dryer. Now my clothes have a very slight mildew smell that is enough to annoy me. What are some tricks for getting the smell out?
Rewash with a cup of baking soda. That should freshen them right up.
Rewashing with a cup of vinegar works well for getting out the stink, too. I should know. I forget about a load of laundry at least once a week.
Bleach will get rid of the mildew, just dilute it so it does not harm the clothes. Another way is boiling them. Both methods will kill the fungus and bacteria, baking soda will just mask the smell. I am sure there are other products too.
According to my book on natural cleaners, the best
way to get rid of mildew on clothes is to soak
them in a mixture of water and borax. You can
add baking soda and/or washing soda to it.
Bleach gets rid of the mildew, but it does not
kill the organism that cause it.
Washing soda is a great stain remover. I’m not
quite sure what it is (sodium carbonate, so it’s
probably related to sodium bicarbonate, common
baking soda). It’s only $1.69 a box and cleans
everything.
or
But not both at the same time.
>> Bleach gets rid of the mildew, but it does not
kill the organism that cause it.
Annie, I am not sure I understand. I thought mildew is the organism. I mean, isn’t this like saying “i killed my husband but I couldn’t get rid of him”? What more do you want?
Having a boat and living in pretty humid conditions I use Bleach to clean/disinfect just about anything. I spray it everywhere and wash the clothes in it. It seems to work pretty well.
I have never heard of using borax but I would be interested in getting more information on its uses and effects. Sometimes bleach is a problem (like in the boat’s metal water tanks).
What I should have typed was “Bleach gets rid
of the color, but the organism remains. And
can grow back.”
You know if I listen to AWB AND Lissa, my washing machine will foam like a rabid raccoon !!! LOLOL - AND the two posts were juxtaposed poifecty. I love this Board 
Cartooniverse
'What I should have typed was “Bleach gets rid
of the color, but the organism remains. And
can grow back.”
This sounds most unscientific, what is your source?
yes, this does not agree with my experience. I have a permanent battle with mildew with the humidity on the boat but I’ll tell you that, in my experience, bleach will kill everything, mildew and bacteria.
Of course mildew comes back if the conditions remain but it is not that it survived. In other words, if you never had a mildew problem and once you left the shirt too long in water and it smells funny, if you soak in bleach for a while, it will get rid of the smell and it would not come back (until you do the same thing again).
Rewash the clothes with the normal amount of laundry detergent plus a big scoop (1/2 cup to 1 cup) of 20 Mule Team borax.
Use hot water if the fabrics are up to the challenge–look at the labels.