What Do Musty Clothes Smell Like?

By

Dollmaker

I thought THAT smell from the washing machine was the mildewy wet clothes smell and the musty clothes smell is when you have had a box of clothes stored in the attic for a year through the seasons of cool, warm, humid, wet, and cool again, mixed with the dust particles, etc. Just not a fresh smell.

I can't believe we are discussing mildewy vs musty. :)

BTW, just run the empty washer on low, hot water with bleach every once in awhile to kill the mildewy or musty, whichever you prefer to call it, bacteria growing in your washer.

Dollmaker

By

Deeli

Not a musty thrift store smell to me either ...

To be able to smell that smell first hand simply take an old t-shirt, wet it and wring it out, place it in plastic bag and tie the bag closed for a day or two ;-) Oh, of course, you'll definitely want to wash it well a time or two and dry it after ;-) You'll never forget the odor ;-)

By

Glenn'sMom

I don't know about everybody else's defination of musty but for me it is NOT the thrift store smell. It's more like the "oops! I left the laundry in the washer too long" smell. Like the beach towels that got left crumpled in the trunk and dried that way smell. Like the gym clothes left in the locker for the whole term smell. Like the almost mildew smell of anything damp that didn't get cleaned and dried properly.