How can I get a mildew smell out of clean sheets and towels?

Answer by  girton77 (14)

Buy Oxy Clean powder. Rewash your sheets and towels using this along with your detergent. If the mildew smell is very strong do a double wash.

Answer by  Bones (105)

The first step is to check the inside of the washer for a lingering mildew odor. If there is a smell, the empty washing machine should be run at the hottest setting with the manufacturer's recommended amount of bleach. Leaving the door of the machine open between uses will help prevent the formation of mildew.

Answer by  swimsis (152)

Wash them in hot water with bleach, if possible. If not, step 2 is to put 1 cup or more of white vinegar in the rinse cycle. Let it agitate to mix, then let it soak for an hour or so. Then, rinse and hang outside, in the sun is best, for at least 24 hours. Repeat if needed.

Answer by  Stylee (48)

There are two ways to combat this problem. The first way is to rewash the sheets and towels with a little baking soda and a good smelling laundry detergent. The second method is to is put the sheets and towels in the dryer with a pinch of baking soda and a dryer sheet; the outcome is comparable to rewashing them.

Answer by  Dana46 (2345)

Wash the linens again with a bit of bleach if they are white, or color safe bleach that utilizes hydrogen peroxide if they are not. Put vinegar in the rinse water as the enzymes will help to deodorize the sheets as well as soften them. The vinegar smell will go away as the sheets dry.

Answer by  laundrymama (29)

If your linens are white then the best way to remove the mildew smell is to rewash, using detergent plus 1 cup of bleach in hot water. For colored fabrics use scented detergent with non-chlorine bleach and allow the items to soak 45 minutes before starting the wash cycle. In both cases add fabric softener to the rinse cycle.