10 Ways to Deodorize Clothing

Co-authored by Ayad Mirjan and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: December 20, 2024 References

Everyone’s clothes smell funky once in a while, but what are you supposed to do when a pesky odor refuses to go away? Don’t stress—you have more tools at your disposal than you may think. Read on for plenty of handy advice to get your garments smelling fresh and clean again. In just a few minutes, you’ll be able to tackle all kinds of odors, from sweat and vomit to perfume and gasoline.

1

White vinegar

Download Article

White vinegar clears away bad smells like mildew, sweat, and body odor. Are your workout clothes smelling a little ripe? Vinegar is here to help. Does your favorite shirt have a musty odor you just can’t get rid of? Vinegar can assist with that, too. Here are a few ways to tackle different stains with this versatile deodorizer:
- Sweat: Turn your clothes inside-out and toss them back in the washer, adding 50% less detergent and ¹ ⁄ ₂ to 1 c (120 to 240 mL) of white vinegar. Then, set the washer to a rinse cycle. ^{[1]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Ayad Mirjan
  Dry Cleaner & Laundry Specialist
  
  Expert Interview. 7 September 2022.} ^{[2]
  X
  Research source}
- Mildew: Clear away the bad smell by pouring 1 c (240 mL) of white vinegar into your musty laundry load. Once the wash cycle is finished, air your clothes out in the sun.
- Stinky feet: Add ¹ ⁄ ₂ c (120 mL) of white vinegar to your wash load to help deodorize your stinky socks. ^{[3]
  X
  Research source} ^{[4]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Ayad Mirjan
  Dry Cleaner & Laundry Specialist
  
  Expert Interview. 7 September 2022.}
- Vaginal odor: Spritz the crotch of your pants with vinegar a few times before throwing them in the washer with your other clothes. ^{[5]
  X
  Research source}
- General deodorizing: Add ¹ ⁄ ₄ c (59 mL) of distilled white vinegar to your wash load around the final rinse cycle to help clear away any bad smells. ^{[6]
  X
  Research source}

2

Baking soda

Download Article

Baking soda is an all-purpose deodorizer that can eliminate plenty of bad smells. Sprinkle ½ cup (115.2 g) into your washer during the rinse cycle of your next laundry—this will clear away all kinds of general odors. ^{[7]
X
Expert Source

Ayad Mirjan
Dry Cleaner & Laundry Specialist

Expert Interview. 7 September 2022.} ^{[8]
X
Research source} Here are other odors baking soda can help with:
- Sweat: Use just a little bit of detergent along with ¼ to ½ cup (57.6 - 115.2 g) of baking soda. ^{[9]
  X
  Research source}
- Perfume: Soak the clothing in a mixture of warm water and 1 cup (130.4 g) of baking soda. Then, toss your garment in the washer and launder it as usual. ^{[10]
  X
  Research source}
- Gasoline: Work baking soda paste into the smelly parts of the garment. Hang up the clothing to dry, and then scrape off any of the dried paste. ^{[11]
  X
  Research source}

3

Sports detergent

Download Article

Sports detergent eliminates the “stink” from your stinky socks. Toss your socks in the washer with a little bit of sports detergent. After a basic rinse cycle, your socks will smell fresh and odor-free. ^{[12]
X
Research source}
- About 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of detergent will get the job done. If you’re washing a lot of clothes at once, use 2 US tbsp (30 mL) instead. ^{[13]
  X
  Research source}

4

Castile soap

Download Article

Clear away perfumey odors with Castile soap . Soak the smelly clothing item for 1 hour in a mixture of warm water and a few drops of Castile soap. Then, air-dry the garment completely. ^{[14]
X
Research source}

5

Vodka

Download Article

Pure vodka can be a great general deodorizer. All you have to do is spritz a little bit on your smelly garment and let it completely evaporate. Just like that, the odor will be gone! ^{[15]
X
Research source}
- Be sure to store your vodka in a glass spray bottle . The vodka may break down a plastic bottle.

6

Newspaper

Download Article

Clear away stinky shoe odors with wads of newspaper. Crumple up any old newspaper and stuff it into your stinkiest pair of shoes. Then, let the newspaper sit overnight so it can work its magic. When morning rolls around, the stinky scent in your shoes will be completely gone. ^{[16]
X
Research source}
- For an extra fragrant touch, drip a few drops of vanilla extract into the newspaper before stuffing them into your shoes.
- Disinfectant spray can also help your shoes smell fresh! Pull out the shoe’s insole, spritz it with spray, and air it out for a day. Just slip the deodorized insole back into your shoe, and you’re good to go! ^{[17]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  Cleveland Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source}

7

Steam

Download Article

A fresh blast of steam clears away any fried-food odors from your clothes. The next time you’re about to take a hot shower, hang up the smelly clothes in your bathroom. The steam from your hot shower will help air out your clothes and leave them smelling fresh. ^{[18]
X
Research source}
- Turn on your stovetop exhaust whenever you cook fried food—this can help prevent your clothes from smelling oily.

8

Fresh air

Download Article

Fresh air helps clear away strong odors from your clothes. When the weather is breezy and sunny, hang your garments outside for a few hours—the fresh air may help clear away the fragrant scent . ^{[19]
X
Research source}
- If outdoor air-drying isn’t an option for you, try air-drying your garments in an open, well-ventilated space instead.

9

Bleach

Download Article

A bleach and hot water combo works wonders on vomit-covered clothes. Clear away any leftover throw-up from the clothing and stick it in the washer with your regular detergent and a ¹ ⁄ ₂ c (120 mL) of bleach to get rid of the vomit smell . If possible, run the soiled, smelly clothes through both a pre-wash and regular wash cycle with the water set to high heat. Then, tumble-dry the sanitized and deodorized clothes on high heat. ^{[20]
X
Research source}
- Be careful using bleach with any colored garments, and always read the clothing care label before adding it to your wash load.

10

Commercial stain remover

Download Article

A commercial stain remover helps clear away gasoline odors . Pour a little bit of baking soda over any fresh gasoline stains to blot them up. Then, apply a commercial stain remover directly to the gasoline with a bristled scrub brush . Wait 15-20 minutes so the stain remover can work its magic, and then let the garment soak in hot water for 30 minutes. Air-dry the garment instead of tumble-drying it to prevent any fire hazards. ^{[21]
X
Research source}

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

How do you deodorize clothes quickly?

Susan Stocker
Professional Cleaner
Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of green cleaning practices.

Susan Stocker

Professional Cleaner

Expert Answer

Wash them by hand or in the washing machine and throw in a cup of white vinegar. That will usually wipe out any obnoxious odors. The other really important thing is that you should wash your clothes after every time you wear them to keep odors from building up. Think about it like a stove. If you wipe your stove down every time you cook, it's never going to develop a thick layer of grease. It's the same thing with your clothes.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 2 Helpful 0
Question

What's the best way to eliminate a urine smell in clothes?

Janice Tieperman

Community Answer

Dissolve some baking soda in a large container or tub of warm water. Then, soak the smelly clothes in the mixture for around 15 minutes. Transfer the soaked garments to your washer and start a cycle right away.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 0
Question

Do these solutions work for brand new t-shirts ordered online that are not cheap, yet smell awful?

Janice Tieperman

Community Answer

They definitely should! Baking soda and white vinegar in particular are great deodorizers, and should get rid of any bad smells right away.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 3 Helpful 1

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Tips

Use a little less fabric softener, especially when you’re washing your sweaty clothes. The extra build-up from the softener can trap unpleasant odors in your clothing. ^{[22]
X
Research source}

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Try switching to cotton underwear instead of wearing something synthetic, like polyester or spandex. Synthetic materials will collect plenty of different odors, while breathable cotton won’t. ^{[23]
X
Research source}

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
You can use baking soda and vinegar to clean a smelly washing machine .

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Warnings

Don’t add any white vinegar to a load of laundry that you’re cleaning with chlorine bleach. When mixed together, vinegar and bleach create toxic fumes. ^{[24]
X
Research source}

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

[1]

Expert Source

Ayad Mirjan
Dry Cleaner & Laundry Specialist

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

Go to source

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

Log in

10 Ways to Deodorize Clothing

Steps

White vinegar

Baking soda

Sports detergent

Castile soap

Vodka

Newspaper

Steam

Fresh air

Bleach

Commercial stain remover

Expert Q&A

Tips

Warnings

You Might Also Like

References

About This Article

Reader Success Stories

Did this article help you?

Quizzes

You Might Also Like

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Featured Articles

Featured Articles

Watch Articles

Trending Articles

Quizzes

Explore Categories