How to Make Clothes Smell Clean Without Washing Them, Straight From Laundry Pros

Whether you are traveling and don’t have access to a washing machine or you’re in a time crunch and can’t spend hours waiting on a washer and dryer to remove funky smells from clothes, we asked experts to share how to remove odors from clothes without washing. The following five methods are simple yet effective, and can be used for both at-home situations and when you are away traveling.

The pros say you can use cheap and readily available household staples such as baking soda and vinegar to absorb odors if you’re in a pinch, or simply hang the garment outside and allow the sun’s rays to disinfect it. Read on for five detailed expert-recommended methods for removing odors from clothes without washing.

Hang Clothes Outside in Bright Sunlight

The first tip Tom Ceconi, president of Heritage Park Laundry Essentials, offers is simple: to remove odors from clothes without washing them, hang them outside in bright sunlight.

“The UV rays in the sun are a natural disinfectant,” Ceconi says.

The laundry expert adds that while the sun’s rays are disinfecting the smelly garments, letting a nice breeze air them out is an added benefit that helps lift the odors. While it’s an easy and free hack for removing odors, Ceconi says he does not recommend it for all fabrics.

Before you hang a smelly shirt outside in the sun, check what it’s made from, as the pro says you should never put natural fiber garments such as those made of silk or wool in bright sunlight to prevent fading.

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Spray the Garment With a Vinegar-Water Solution

If you don’t have access to a washer and need to remove foul odors from garments, take Ceconi’s advice and make your own odor-eliminating solution. He recommends mixing equal parts of distilled white vinegar and water in a spray bottle, spritzing the solution onto the garment, then hanging it up to dry.

“The vinegar will help break down and minimize the smell as opposed to fabric fresheners that just cover up smells,” Ceconi says.

Use Baking Soda to Absorb Odors

When you can’t immediately wash clothes to remove funky odors, Ceconi says you can turn to a cheap and readily available pantry staple: baking soda. The simple household item absorbs odors and can be used as both a pre-treatment before washing clothes, as well as a way to remove bad smells when you don’t have access to a washing machine.

To make a deodorizing paste with baking soda, Ceconi recommends moistening the garment’s bad-smelling areas with warm water. Then, sprinkle on a generous coating of baking soda. Allow the paste to sit, then rinse off with warm water and let the garment air dry fully before wearing.

Hang Smelly Garments in a Steamy Bathroom

If you are traveling are your clothes are smelly but you don’t have access to a washing machine, Cheryl Nelson, a certified travel preparedness expert, says steaming is your best friend. It’s a foolproof trick to give garments a quick refresh, and you don’t necessarily even need an actual steamer for it.

“Whether you use a steamer or just hang the item in a steamy bathroom, it loosens up odor particles without harming delicate fabrics,” Nelson says.

Toss the Item in the Dryer

When you are in a time crunch and don’t have hours to wait for a smelly garment to be washed and dried, use Nelson’s time-saving trick for removing funky odors. If you have a dryer handy, Nelson says you can toss the item in with a dryer sheet, a dryer ball with a few drops of lavender essential oil, or a damp cloth, for anywhere between 10 and 15 minutes.

The pro says this will help lift the stubborn odors and leave your clothes smelling fresh, all in under 15 minutes.