How to get a musty smell out of stored clothes

Where the smell comes from

• Clothes put away slightly damp, including pieces just steamed or ironed with steam.
• Outfits stored worn and unwashed, since body oils and food traces feed the growth.
• A wardrobe pushed against a cold outside wall, or packed so full that air cannot move.
• Plastic covers and sealed boxes that hold moisture in.
• A suitcase closed for months after a trip, especially one that came back from a humid place.
• Washing left sitting in the machine, or dried slowly indoors, before it was put away.

Washable clothes: cotton, lawn, linen and blends

Follow each care label and test anything new on a hidden area. Our washing and care guide has the fabric-by-fabric basics.

• Air first. A few hours outdoors or by an open window loosens most of the smell.
• Wash with your usual detergent at the warmest temperature the label allows, without crowding the drum.
• For a stubborn smell, soak the piece beforehand in cool water with a few spoonfuls of bicarbonate of soda dissolved in it, or with a little white vinegar. Check an inside seam for colour loss first, and never combine vinegar with bleach.
• Dry fast and fully, outside if you can. Plain whites benefit from sun; colours belong in the shade.
• Smell it before ironing. Heat can make a lingering odour harder to shift, so wash again if any remains.

Silk, velvet, embroidered and dry clean only pieces

Water is not an option here, so use air and time.

• Hang the piece on a padded hanger in a shaded place with a through-draught for two or three days.
• Place it in a clean lidded box or cotton garment bag with an open dish of bicarbonate of soda or a pouch of activated charcoal, not touching the fabric, and leave it for several days.
• Steam lightly from a distance if the label allows, after testing, and let it dry completely.
• Avoid perfumed fabric sprays, which cover the smell and can mark silk.
• If it lingers, take it to a dry cleaner and say the problem is a musty smell.

Clothes that smell of the suitcase

Clothes that smell after travelling have usually picked it up from the case. Wash or air the clothes as above, then empty the suitcase, vacuum the lining, wipe it with a cloth wrung out in mild detergent solution and leave it open in dry air until no smell remains. Store it with a charcoal pouch inside. Our guide to packing formal outfits explains why unpacking promptly matters after a journey between climates.

Checking the wardrobe itself

If the clothes smell, the space probably does too. Empty it and smell the bare interior. Look at the back panel, corners and underside of shelves for dark specks, and feel whether the wall behind is cold or damp. Wipe the surfaces with mild detergent solution or diluted white vinegar, then leave the doors open until everything is dry.

The storage guide goes further on damp and moths. In a humid home, fabric choice helps as well: our article on fabrics for humid weather explains which dry quickly. If you are ordering through Fabric + Stitching, tell us about your climate on the quote form and we suggest fabric with that in mind, agreed with you before cutting.

• Move the wardrobe a few centimetres off an outside wall.
• Leave gaps between hangers and do not fill shelves to the top.
• Add a moisture absorber and replace it as directed.
• Use cotton covers, not plastic.
• Put clothes away only when they are clean, cool and fully dry.