Pick up a freshly washed piece of garment from the pile of your laundry; hot out of the dryer, does it smell fresh and clean or does it have peculiar odors or has a distinct sour smell? Most of us have been through situations when it was simply impossible to get the odor out of clothes even after running them through two wash cycles. If your have been trying to wade your way through piles of laundry that does not smells less than fresh even when they are just out of the dryer, here are some simple tips that can be used to ensure that your clothes come out smelling fantastic each time.
The Basics
How fresh your laundry smells will depend on scores of factors such as how dirty the clothes were when you put them in the washing machine, the detergent used, the load of the machine and the type of water (hard or soft) etc. So, it is essential to follow manufacturer instructions for both the appliances as well as the washing products such as detergent and fabric softeners
If you want your laundry to smell good, you need to start with a clean washing machine. One of the easiest ways to ensure that your laundry appliances do not smell musty and dank is to not leave any clothes in them once you are done washing. If your washing machine still smells like something died in it, fill it up with hot water. Don't throw in the clothes as yet and don't switch the machine on. Just pour in 2 cups of distilled white vinegar in the machine and let the liquids stay put for about half an hour. This will take the musty odor out of the machine which gets easily transferred to freshly washed laundry. You may also want to try out one of the other deodorizing products specially designed for washing machines and dryers.
Turn on the machine now and let the water and vinegar concoction gush through every part of the washer, use the regular water cycle. Then, add the load of laundry with one capful of detergent and let the washing machine do its job. After the clothes have gone through one each cycle, pick one up and smell it to make sure that everything is good.
Put the clothes in the dryer as soon as you are done washing them and use a scented fabric softener sheet when drying your clothes.
Other tips to get fresh smelling laundry include using very hot water to wash clothes (whatever is permissible for a particular type of fabric) and drying your clothes on the line. The fresh air and the sun shine can get your clothes smelling really fresh.
How Do You Like Your Laundry To Smell?
There are two schools of thoughts when it comes to fresh smelling laundry; people who want their clothes to smell good and those who just want them to smell clean without any odors. If you fall in the later category, the vinegar and water mixture will prove very useful. You don't always have to go through the entire machine cleaning procedure. Just add a cup of vinegar with the laundry load to the machine along with a non scented detergent and this should do the trick
Dealing With The Real Smelly Laundry Jobs
The above tips can work wonders for normal clothes but we all have had to deal our fair share of laundry nightmares from time to time; from cigar odors, to kitty pee and from the disgusting smell of mildew in the towels to the stench of sweat in the armpits of your clothes. Here is a look at two powerful substances that can help you to tackle the truly messy laundry jobs.
Cigar: Not everybody appreciates the smell of a Cuban; particularly, when it is emanating from your clothes. To get the smell of cigars and cigarettes out of your clothes, soak them in some warm water with a few drops of some dish soap such as Dawn for about 10 minutes. The next step is to put the clothes in the washing machine the Dawn laced water and all; give them a few swirls and soak again for 30 minutes. Run the normal wash cycle and the let the clothes get spin dried. Spray a product called Ozium on the clothes while they are still wet and transfer them to the dryer or line-dry them.
Mildew: If your clothes smell of mildew, use good old Borax to get rid of the smell. Mix 2-3 tablespoons of Borax in the water, it will not only remove the musty odor but will also kill the fungus and bacteria in the clothes. However, do not use Borax if you are hand washing your clothes.
Pee: Oh yes, this is a tough one, baby pee or the real worst kind kitty pee. Most people would simply discard their clothing after a pet toilet training mishap; however, there is a way to get the foul smell of urine out of the clothes. Since the stench is strong, you will need to bring in the heavy artillery such as baking soda and vinegar.
Start by applying a paste of baking soda and water on the areas that have the urine stains, let the mixture sit on the fabric for a few minutes; do not rinse the mixture out yet. Add a cup of vinegar to some hot water and put the clothes through a normal wash cycle in the washing machine. These two steps are usually enough to remove baby pee odor but you may have to repeat in case of kitty pee.
You can also use the mixture of baking soda and water on the armpits of your shirts to get rid of sweat stains and odor. Mix some Borax with water to soak your socks to get rid of the smell and the bacteria in them.
These are some of the most effective ways to get great smelling laundry. The best part of using these natural products is that they do not leave harmful chemicals back the cloth fiber. Vinegar, Borax and Baking soda are easily available and incredibly cheap. So, the next time you have smelly laundry on your hands, you know what to do.
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