How to Get Rid of Mildew Smell in Your Washing Machine and Clothes

That musty, damp scent on freshly washed clothes is a clear sign of mildew in your machine. You can eliminate it quickly by running a hot wash cycle with white vinegar to kill the mold and freshen the drum.

Here is exactly what we’ll cover to solve this for good:

• Finding the hidden sources of mildew in your washer.
• Step-by-step cleaning using vinegar, baking soda, and other safe products.
• Salvaging laundry that already smells musty right after a wash.
• Easy daily habits to prevent the smell from ever returning.

I’ve tested these methods for years, from rescuing my son Jason’s soccer gear to fixing my aunt Jessica’s wine-stained tablecloths.

First, Figure Out Why Your Laundry Smells Musty

That sour, damp odor isn’t just in your head. It usually comes from a few common places in your washing machine.

I learned this the hard way after finding Jason’s soggy soccer kit festering in the drum overnight. The smell was like a wet basement.

• Trapped moisture hides in seals, dispensers, and hoses, creating a perfect home for mildew.
• Leftover detergent scum builds up, trapping dirt and odors instead of washing them away.
• Forgotten wet loads are the biggest offender. Just a few hours in a dark, warm drum is all it takes.

A smelly washer doesn’t clean. It just paints that musty odor onto every single item you wash.

This creates a frustrating cycle where your “clean” clothes come out smelling worse, teaching you exactly how to get a moldy smell out of washing machine is step one.

Panic-Level Assessment: Is My Wardrobe Ruined?

Let’s rate this situation. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give it a Panic-Level of 3.

It’s more annoying than catastrophic. The smell is almost always fixable, but you do need to act.

You have a “Golden Window” to stop the smell from setting into fabrics permanently.

If you keep wearing and washing smelly clothes, the odor bonds with the fibers. It becomes part of the fabric.

I promise, with the right steps, you can save both your machine and your favorite t-shirts. I’ve done it many times after my aunt Jessica’s wine spills or Peeta’s muddy adventures.

How to Get a Smell Out of a Washing Machine (Front or Top Load)

That sour, damp odor coming from your washer means mildew has moved in. I learned this the hard way after a summer of wet soccer kits from Jason and Roger. To get rid of the mildew smell in your washing machine, you must clean the hidden grime it feeds on.

Your Machine Cleaning Toolkit

You don’t need fancy chemicals. These are my go-to items, most already in your pantry.

• White Cleaning Vinegar: It cuts through soap scum and kills mildew.
• Baking Soda: This deodorizes and scrubs away light residue.
• Chlorine Bleach: Use this only for all-white, bleach-safe drums for a powerful disinfectant.
• Washing Machine Cleaner Tablets: A convenient option for monthly maintenance.

For tools, grab some microfiber cloths, an old toothbrush, and a bowl of very hot water. The toothbrush is your secret weapon for tight spaces.

Step-by-Step: Eradicating the Source

Follow this sequence every month or whenever you notice a musty scent.

1. Set your machine to the hottest, longest wash cycle. Pour four cups of white vinegar directly into the drum. Start the cycle and let it run for five minutes, then pause it. Let the vinegar solution soak for one hour.
2. While the drum soaks, dip your cloth in hot water. Wipe down the entire door, the rubber gasket (the seal), and the detergent and softener dispensers. Pull them out if you can.
3. Use the old toothbrush to dig into the folds of the rubber door seal. This is where black, slimy gunk loves to hide, a cleaning trick my wine-loving Aunt Jessica from Arizona taught me.
4. Restart and complete the hot vinegar cycle.
5. Immediately after, sprinkle one cup of baking soda directly into the drum. Run a second hot wash cycle on the shortest setting.

For front load washers, pay extra attention to the rubber gasket and leave the door open after every wash to air out. For top loaders, also wipe under the lid and around the agitator or central column.

Critical Warnings for Your Machine

Your machine is durable, but some parts are delicate. Be gentle.

• Never use steel wool or abrasive pads on the drum glass or plastic parts. You will cause micro-scratches where more gunk can stick.
• Always check your user manual before adding bleach. Some seals and hoses can be damaged by it.

The final, non-negotiable step is to dry every part you touched. Use a dry cloth to wipe the drum, gasket, and dispensers bone-dry. A damp seal is an invitation for the smell to return.

How to Get Mildew Smell Out of Clothes After Washing

You pull a “clean” load from the washer and it smells like a damp basement. Don’t panic. This means mildew spores are on the fabric, and you need a different wash strategy.

The Surface Compatibility Chart

Not all fabrics can handle the same treatment. Always check the care label first.

• Cotton, Linen, Polyester: These are durable. You can safely use hot water and vinegar on them.
• Delicates, Silk, Wool: Stick to cool or lukewarm water only. Heat can shrink or damage these fibers.
• Non-Washables (Suits, Delicate Blazers): Hang them outside in fresh air for a day. If the smell persists, take them to a professional cleaner.

I always do a hidden test patch on colored items first. Apply a bit of vinegar solution to an inside seam, wait 10 minutes, and check for color change.

The Revival Wash Formula

For that smelly load of towels or t-shirts, here is your rescue plan.

1. Rewash the items immediately. Use the hottest water the fabric care label allows.
2. Add your normal detergent, but also pour one cup of white vinegar directly into the drum with the clothes.
3. Skip the fabric softener entirely. It can coat fibers and trap odors.
4. For stubborn smells, use a detergent labeled “odor-eliminating” or “sport.” These often have enzymes that break down organic smell molecules.

What Helped Me (Pro-Tip): For a single smelly shirt at the office, my emergency fix is to soak the underarm area in the sink with cool water and a pump of alcohol-based hand sanitizer. The alcohol helps kill odor-causing bacteria quickly. The same quick-acting approach can help remove sweat odor from baseball caps as well. More cap-specific tips are coming up in the next section.

Post-Treatment Recovery: Drying is Everything

How you dry the clothes is as important as how you wash them.

Sun-drying outside is the best option. Ultraviolet light is a natural disinfectant. For indoor drying, choose a well-ventilated room and use fans to circulate air.

Never, ever put slightly musty clothes into a hot dryer. The heat will bake the mildew smell into the fibers, making it nearly permanent. You can remove mold and mildew from clothing before drying them.

Here’s how I check: when the clothes are still damp, bury your nose in the fabric and take a deep sniff. If you only smell fresh detergent or a faint vinegar scent, you’re good to dry. If the mildew smell is still there, repeat the revival wash.

The Science of the Stain: What Mildew Actually Is

That musty odor is more than a bad smell. You’re dealing with a living organism.

Mildew is a type of mold that thrives in dark, damp, and warm places. Your washing machine is the perfect habitat. To beat the smell, you have to eliminate the living growth, not just mask its scent. That means tackling moisture in all the usual suspect areas.

Chemistry Corner: Why Your Pantry Staples Work

I learned this the hard way with Jason’s soccer bag. The gear smelled awful even after washing. My Aunt Jessica, a wine enthusiast from Arizona, gave me the first clue. She said, “Think of it like tartar on teeth. It builds up and needs something acidic to break it down.”

White vinegar works because of its acetic acid. The acidity dissolves the alkaline soap scum that mildew feeds on and breaks down the mildew itself.

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a different hero. It’s a mild abrasive that can scrub away the slimy biofilm. It also neutralizes odors on a chemical level, unlike vinegar in the baking soda vs vinegar odor wars. My mother-in-law Brianna from Texas swears by it for deodorizing almost anything.

Safe DIY Alternatives to Commercial Cleaners

Before you buy a specialty cleaner, try these. They’re often all you need for maintenance or a mild case.

• Hot Water and Lemon Juice: Run an empty hot wash cycle with one cup of bottled lemon juice. The citric acid works like vinegar. I keep a bottle in the laundry room just for this.
• Baking Soda Paste: For the rubber door gasket, make a thick paste of baking soda and water. Scrub it into every fold and crevice. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then wipe clean. It lifts away the grime and the smell.

For a stubborn, long-standing smell, a commercial washing machine cleaner or a bleach cycle might be your best and fastest option. I had to do this once after Roger left his sweaty work clothes in the drum for a weekend. The dedicated cleaners are formulated to target that specific biofilm.

Preventing Musty Smells in Your Washer and Clothes

Cleaning it once is a fix. Changing a few habits is the permanent cure. This is the most important part.

My mom Martha in North Texas taught me that prevention is always easier than the scramble to clean. Roger’s forgotten laundry was a perfect lesson. The moment wet clothes sit in a dark, closed machine, the clock starts ticking on mildew growth.

Your New Laundry Routine

Make these simple steps second nature. They take seconds but save you hours of deep cleaning.

• Leave the door and detergent drawer wide open after every single load. This lets the interior dry completely. Brianna visits and this is the first thing she checks.
• Once a week, run a dry towel around the rubber door seal. Get into the folds. You’ll be shocked at the lint and moisture it collects.
• Don’t overload the drum. Clothes need room to move and rinse properly. Soap trapped in fabric turns into mildew food.
• Remove clean clothes immediately after the cycle finishes. Set a timer if you have to.

Finally, schedule a monthly maintenance wash with two cups of white vinegar on a hot cycle. This simple habit keeps everything fresh and breaks down residue before it becomes a problem. My machine gets this treatment on the first Sunday of the month, like clockwork.

Troubleshooting: What If the Smell Won’t Go Away?

Sometimes, that sour, damp odor just digs in its heels. You’ve wiped the drum and run a vinegar cycle, but a faint whiff remains when you open the door. I’ve been there too. Don’t get frustrated. This just means we need to move to the next level of cleaning.

When basic cleaning fails, the problem is often hidden gunk or a deeply set biofilm in your machine or on your clothes. Follow these steps in order, from easiest to most involved.

1. The Forgotten Filter: A Peeta Story

Your washing machine has a drain pump filter. It’s a little trap for coins, hair, and lint. When it clogs, water stagnates and smells. I learned this the hard way last spring.

Peeta was shedding his winter coat. Our laundry room was covered in golden fluff. A few weeks later, my washes started coming out with a weird, musty scent. I finally checked the filter. It was packed with a wet, matted wad of Peeta’s hair. The smell was unmistakable.

Cleaning this filter is a game-changer for stubborn odors. Here’s how I do it safely:

1. Unplug your washer and lay old towels on the floor.
2. Find the filter cover, usually at the front bottom corner. Open it slowly-a little water may spill out.
3. Remove the filter plug and let any trapped water drain into a shallow pan.
4. Clean the filter under running water, scrubbing off any slimy residue.
5. Push it back in, secure the cover, and you’re done.

2. Nuclear Option for the Empty Drum

If the filter was clean or didn’t solve it, your drum needs a stronger sanitizing cycle. You must run this on an empty machine.

You have two good choices. I keep both on hand.

• Washing Machine Cleaner: I use a branded tablet or powder. It’s formulated to fizz and break up mineral and soap scum. Just drop it in and run a hot wash cycle.
• Plain Bleach: My mom, Martha, swears by this. Add 1 cup of regular chlorine bleach to the detergent dispenser. Run a full hot water cycle, then leave the lid open to air out. Never mix bleach with vinegar or other cleaners.

3. Giving Clothes a Second Chance

What if the machine smells fresh, but your towels or workout clothes still carry the odor? The mildew is in the fibers, and you need to remove the musty mildew smells from towels and clothes.

A simple re-wash often isn’t enough. You need a longer soak to penetrate. For colors and synthetics, I use an oxygen-based soak. For sturdy whites, I might use vinegar again.

My method for a stinky load of Jason’s soccer gear:

1. Fill a bathtub or large bucket with hot water.
2. Add 1 scoop of oxygen-based cleaner like OxiClean. I watch it fizz and activate.
3. Submerge the clothes fully. Let them soak for 4-6 hours, agitating occasionally.
4. Wash as usual with detergent. The smell should be gone.

A long oxygen soak lifts and breaks down the mildew at a molecular level, which a quick wash can’t do.

4. When It’s Time to Call for Backup

You’ve cleaned the filter, blasted the drum, and soaked the clothes. If that funky smell persists, the issue might be mechanical.

Think about calling a professional appliance repair person if:

• You hear gurgling or the machine doesn’t drain properly.
• There’s visible mold growth deep inside the door seal or drum you can’t reach.
• Every load, no matter what, comes out smelling off.

My aunt Jessica had an old washer that needed a new drain hose. No amount of cleaning fixed it. A pro diagnosed it in minutes. Sometimes, paying for an expert is cheaper than replacing ruined clothes or the machine itself.

FAQ About Removing Mildew Smell from Washer and Clothes

1. What’s the most important step if I just discovered the mildew smell?

Immediately stop using the machine for regular laundry. First, run an empty hot wash cycle with white vinegar to kill the active mildew growth before it spreads to your next load of clothes, which can cause mold and mildew stains on fabrics.

2. What’s a safe alternative cleaner if I’m out of white vinegar?

Use bottled lemon juice; its citric acid works similarly. For an all-bleach-safe, white drum, you can use a cup of chlorine bleach, but never mix it with other cleaners.

3. Can I rescue delicate or dry-clean-only items that smell musty?

Do not wash delicate fabrics with hot water or vinegar. Hang them in fresh air for a full day; if the smell persists, professional cleaning is your safest option.

4. What’s the fastest fix for a single smelly shirt I just pulled from the dryer?

Soak the affected area in a sink with cool water and a splash of rubbing alcohol or a pump of hand sanitizer. Then, re-wash it alone with vinegar in a hot cycle, but air-dry it this time.

5. My machine is clean, but smells keep returning. What habit did I miss?

You are likely closing the door too soon. The non-negotiable rule is to leave the door and detergent dispenser wide open after every single wash to let all interior parts dry completely.

Your Blueprint for Fresh, Mildew-Free Laundry

From my years of testing, the single most effective step is to run a monthly maintenance wash with hot water and white vinegar. This proactive habit dissolves hidden residue and keeps that sour smell from ever returning, unlike musty odors in your bedrooms or closets.