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Deodorizing clothes – how to make your clothes smell fresh

You've just washed your clothes, but for some reason they still smell. Whether it's a slight smell of sweat on your clothes or a musty and damp smell, bad smells on your clothes always make you feel uncomfortable (and no one wants to sit in the office or at the dinner table feeling insecure). Smelly clothes are frustrating, but usually you can freshen up the scents quite effortlessly. If you've been wondering how to remove odors from clothes, read our guide, where we tell you the best home remedies, clothes drying tricks and tips for removing odors from clothes – without necessarily washing them.

How to get the smell of sweat out of clothes

Sweat, moisture, mold, smoke, food – whatever smell is stuck in the fibers of your clothes, you can get rid of it pretty quickly with handy home remedies. Take care of odors from clothes with these tricks, for example:

Baking soda – this is the perfect weapon for removing odors and it also brightens your clothes. If your laundry smells particularly bad, throw in about 90 g of baking soda and then add detergent as usual. Your clothes should come out of the washing machine with a fresher scent. If the smell is really persistent, you can soak the clothes before washing.

Vinegar – you can use vinegar in the same way as baking soda. Put it in the washing machine with normal laundry detergent or soak smelly clothes in vinegar before washing overnight. For soaking, prepare a mixture of three parts water and one part vinegar.

Remember: never mix vinegar and bleach. Their combined reaction can produce toxic chlorine gas.

How to make clothes smell fresh for a long time?

You may be wondering both how to get the smell out of your clothes and how to make your clothes smell good and fresh for a long time.

Using scented detergents is one good way to delay unwanted odours from settling on clothes.
When your clothes are drying, give them room to breathe. Avoid placing the laundry drying rack in a small room. The longer the clothes dry, the more likely it is that you will have to think again about how to get the musty smell out of the clothes.
Your clothes must be completely dry before you put them in the closet. If you store damp clothes in a drawer or closet, they won't dry out – and it's very likely that mold will form on your clothes or in your closet.
Try wearing an undershirt or a regular t-shirt under your clothes. If your most common concern is how to get the sweat smell out of your clothes, an undershirt absorbs most of the sweat. This will keep your outerwear fresh.
Always iron your clothes before you store them. Iron or The steam from the garment steamer kills bacteria and removes odours – and thus keeps your clothes fresher for a long time.

How can I remove odors from clothes without washing?

Sometimes your clothes may smell a little strange, but they are still not dirty. In such a case, throwing clothes in the washing machine may seem like a waste of water. This way, you can remove musty smells from clothes without touching the washing machine.

Hang your clothes outside for a couple of hours. Just the outdoors makes any garment smell much better. In addition, sunlight can kill bacteria, which makes this method especially effective during the warmest months of the year. If you have colorful clothes, keep in mind that abundant sunlight can fade them. White clothes, on the other hand, often look better when they have been in the sun for a while.
Put the clothes in a plastic bag in the freezer. The bad smell is often caused by bacteria that break down sweat stuck to clothes. The cold temperature of the freezer kills the bacteria that cause bad odors – and thus makes your clothes more bearable for the nose for a little longer.
If you often wish your clothes smelled a little fresher, you can also invest in a device that saves you time. The Philips 8000 Series portable garment steamer is a fast and effective germ killer. It also removes bad odours from clothes – and smooths out wrinkles at the same time.

If you're wondering how to get rid of the smell of smoke from your clothes or an effective way to remove the smell of sweat, these tips will help you quickly get rid of musty smells on your clothes – and you'll feel fresh and clean again in every situation.