Musty Smell In The Laundry Room? (Possible Causes & Fixes)

Most of us associate a laundry room with fresh cotton and pleasant-smelling detergent. We all want to know that our clothing is clean and smells good after a wash. But far too often, the laundry room becomes a zone of smelly, musty odors. Why does your laundry room smell like sweaty socks instead of fresh laundry?

Your laundry room likely smells musty because of the presence of mold or mildew. Bacteria grow in washing machines and dryers, on damp clothing, and in other moist areas. To get rid of the smell, deep clean your washing machine and any excess lint in the dryer. Then ventilate the laundry room and machines, and deodorize the air.

Musty odors are generally caused by mold or mildew growing somewhere. Mold and mildew thrive in dark, damp, and warm places. When humidity is high or a material remains damp for more than 24 hours, mold spores are attracted.

They collect and emit a sour-smelling hydrogen sulfide gas. Mildew can grow within 24-48 hours in a moist environment, and is considered a milder mold.

Laundry rooms present the perfect conditions for mold to thrive. Many of them have little ventilation. Washing machines and dryers create a damp, warm environment. Wet clothing can remain stagnant for too long and foster bacterial growth.

Let’s explore some common causes of the musty smell in your laundry room.

The most likely culprit of a stinky laundry room is your washing machine. Washers, especially front load washers, are very susceptible to mold growth.

Soap scum, clothing debris, and dirt get trapped in the detergent drawer and rubber gasket. These organic materials combined with moisture easily grow mold. Damp clothing sitting in the washer drum for too long can also cause mildew growth.

To prevent mold from growing in your washer, remove your clothing as soon as the cycle finishes. Keep the washer drawer open after a wash cycle to air out the drum.

Consider regularly cleaning out the detergent drawer to prevent soap scum from turning to mildew. If mold has already begun growing inside your washer, you will need to deep clean it.

Can’t tell where the musty smell is coming from? Remove everything from your washer and dryer. Take a big whiff of the insides of each machine. Is the smell weak here? You may have smelly clothing hang-drying or clumped up in your hamper.

When the laundry room can’t properly circulate air, clothes don’t hang-dry in a timely manner. If they stay damp too long, they can begin growing mildew. When this happens your towels, clothes, and linens will smell musty. The odor is similar to a wet dog or dirty gym socks.

Bad-smelling clothes that are placed in the dryer can pass the mildew and odor onto the dryer itself. If your clothes get damp and you place them in a hamper, they can also begin growing mildew. This will stink up your hamper and contribute to the overall musty scent in the room.

If we’re being honest with ourselves, we’re sometimes terrible at ventilating our laundry room. We might run a load in the washer, then leave it sitting in there for hours. Then when we run it in the dryer, we keep the door closed to block the sound. And after we hang up the laundry to dry, we might close the machine doors out of habit.

All of these bad habits lead to a very humid, dark, and stagnant laundry room. When the air can’t circulate, the clothes and machines dry too slowly. This moisture build-up leads to the growth of bacteria and collects mold spores.

It is essential to properly ventilate your laundry room. Keeping the humidity down, drying your clothes properly, and leaving machine doors open for drying can prevent musty smells.

If the stink isn’t coming from your washing machine, it may be coming from your clothes. Clothing and towels can get musty when they’re not dried properly. They might also have mildew growing on them from excess detergent after a wash.

There are a couple ways to get the moldy smell out of clothing. Instead of fabric softener, add a cup of distilled white vinegar to the softener drawer. In addition, you can sprinkle baking soda over your clothing before starting the wash cycle. Then if possible, dry your clothing in the sun. Sunlight kills off unwanted microbes.

You’ve taken steps to clean your machines and clothing. But if your laundry room is poorly ventilated, the problem will keep happening. To prevent future mold growth and odor, it’s essential to keep the room ventilated.

You can do this by leaving the laundry room door open, especially when using the machines. After running a wash cycle, keep the washer door and detergent drawer open. This will allow the drum and machine to air out properly.

Another option is to place a dehumidifier in the laundry room. This is the most effective way to keep moisture out of the air. If you live in a humid climate, consider investing in a dehumidifier. There’s only so much you can do to manually ventilate your space in a subtropical or tropical region.

If ventilating alone doesn’t clear up the musty smell, consider placing out deodorizers. You can purchase them online, or make them yourself. Here are a few effective deodorizers to place around your laundry room that will absorb the smell:

Related Questions

Why does vinegar deodorize?

Vinegar is made of fermented liquid. It contains acetic acid. This acetic acid bonds well to bacteria molecules. Its acidic qualities dismember the cells in these molecules. Acetic acid in vinegar also stops fungi from being able to convert sugar into energy. This stops the fungi from growing and spreading.

What is the best laundry detergent to remove odors?

Are your clothes coming out of the washer still stinky? Try OxiClean Odor Blasters Stain & Odor Remover as a pre-treatment. Then use a liquid detergent such as Tide Plus Febreze Odor Defense. To remove sweat from clothes, try Sweat X Laundry Detergent. Make sure to get a HE detergent compatible with a HE washing machine to prevent soap scum.

Why is mold bad for you?

Mold is not detrimental to your health, but it can cause adverse symptoms. Molds contain allergens. Individuals with sensitive skin can experience allergic reactions when touching or inhaling mold. Some molds also produce toxic substances called mycotoxins. Reactions to mold can include stuffy nose, watery eyes, sneezing and coughing, and skin rash.