Any tips for removing damp, musty smell from second-hand clothes?

[Mildred01]

I’ve bought something from vinted and it smells really damp and musty even after washing. I do use a non scented mild washing powder.
i will try another detergent but wondered if anyone has any tips and tricks. Fingers crossed, thanks.

The only thing that worked for me was hanging stuff outdoors for about a week in all weathers. Frost seems to help to kill whatever makes stuff smell, so you could try putting it in the freezer too...

Add bicarbonate soda in the drum and white vinegar in the fabric conditioner bit.

What fabric is it?

Our freezer has just given in vroom, Sod’s Law! I’ll try bicarbonate and vinegar, thanks.
@Supersimkin7 It is organic cotton 55% and viscose bamboo 40% elastane 5%

It’s a sleeping bag with legs for my lo and the smell is really bothering me. Thanks all

Will soaking it in anything help?

Hang it out on the line in the sunshine to dry. Turn it inside out for a while too.

What temperature have you washed it at? Anything less than 60 is probably not going to remove odours.
I would wash with Vanish oxy action powder, then wash again in non-bio at 60, then dry outside. This has always worked for me on secondhand stuff that smells grim.

Edited to add - this is the Vanish stuff. Sorry for the Am•z•n link:
https://amzn.eu/d/0d9hWrwh

I’d use bio powder or liquid, with laundry cleanser instead of fabric conditioner. Dry thoroughly outdoors in sunshine, inside out.

I recently freshened up a musty sleeping bag by putting it on a gentle tumble dry with wool dryer balls with a few drops of essential oil added on to them, along with a scented dryer sheet. After that, I hung it outside on the line for the rest of the day.

I already had the dryer balls, but I think they cost a bout £7-£10 for a bag of them on Amazon.

I would also put on the rinse cycle with bicarb in it. Pause for a while to allow to soak. Spin out and do it again with vinegar. Then hang on the line.

Ariel cold wash gel -fabulous stuff.

Vinegar kills damp musty smells on clothes. In the wash and in the rinse, doesn’t need a hot wash.

Enormous unstoppable really heavily scented.

White vinegar kills the fungal spores of the mould. As the sleeping bag has viscose, I’d use some hair conditioner in the final rinse to soften.

Biological washing powder and air drying in bright sunlight

Thanks everyone, so many tips to try.
I haven’t tried any yet, I’m behind on my washing this weekend but I think I’ll try vinegar / bicarbonate first.

I wash his stuff at 30 degrees, is that ok?

@OrdinaryGirl would you recommend the white oxi over the pink?

@PutAGirdleRoundAboutTheEarthIn40Minutes something like the dettol laundry cleanser?

Yes, I buy the Dettol one if it’s on offer, or the Morrisons own brand version if not - both equally effective! It sorted DH’s manky smelling gym clothes, and I used it when I accidentally left the towels wet in the machine so they smelled fluffy, and it worked brilliantly. And works at low temps.

30 degrees is a cool wash. You need to wash it as hot as it will tolerate to remove the smell.

I’ve used both pink and white Vanish tubs and they both work well.

But really I would say to wash anything secondhand at 60 degrees before using anyway - lower than that doesn’t kill bacteria or viruses and won’t remove allergens or body oils.

It’s the equivalent on MN of telling people you stamp on puppies for fun, but I wash most things at 60, using Persil non-bio 3-in-1 pods, with no fabric conditioner.

The chemicals left in after will be really bad for the baby.

Not all things can be washed at 60 C, especially if they have things like elastane in them.
I suggest long 40 C wash programme with normal laundry tablets, 1 scoop of oxy powder ( store brand - white oxy for whites, pink oxy for coloureds, ) and a small glug of super market own brand conc disinfectant in the conditioner drawer. Sanitises the clothes and machine just as good as the more expensive laundry disinfectants. Never had any issues with skin irritation and clothes always smell fresh.

I have found that soaking the item overnight in dilute white vinegar, then rinsing and drying usually works very well. The latest items I have done this with were a pair of man made fibre shorts and some balls of acrylic yarn from a charity shop. I unwound the balls of yarn into hanks, soaked, rinsed and spun them then rewound into balls. Not a hint of a smell afterwards.

I used white vinegar on sports kit to get rid of musty smells. Soak for a day, then wash as usual (40 degrees for us)

Thank you so much everyone- still haven’t tried it yet! I have 3 airers but still not enough room for more loads.

I usually wash towels, bedding, my clothes at 60 as I have awful eczema and my sons at 30 as I’m scared of shrinking and dying colours!
thanks for the tip @OrdinaryGirl i should wash second hand clothes at 60 and will from
now.

the smell was so bad it made his pjs he was wearing underneath smell too, and the packaging stunk of mould. Is that normal? I don’t see any mould spots anywhere, but I don’t know if I should complain or leave bad feedback.

maybe I will try these tricks first to see if the smell washes out and then can leave feedback- typing my thoughts!
thanks all x

White vinegar