[dropcap]V[/dropcap]ery few things are as annoying as musty and unpleasant smelling laundry. Over the years, I have had a few bad experiences where my clothes emerged from the wash smelling of anything, but freshness and fragrance. I know a lot of people who have had similar experiences too. The first reaction is usually to research for the best washing and dry-cleaning services in the vicinity or buying a portable washing machine. People who can afford this option usually choose it, others start researching in other to find solutions.
The latter seemed a more realistic option for me and that is what I chose. In this article, I shall cover how to wash clothes, tips to prevent mildew, as well as steps to drying and storing laundry. I shall touch on everything between these processes.
1. Pretreatment Can Make a World Of Difference
Never ever, joke with the pretreatment of dirty clothes, especially if they already have an unpleasant odour. Taking steps to soak the clothes in water and detergent and a few drops of essential oils can change your results dramatically. Pretreatment guarantees that your clothes smell fresher for a much longer time. But there are other things you can do to ensure that your clothes retain their fresh fragrance long after they have been washed.
2. The Right Storage
Your method of storing clothes can hugely determine the duration of your clothes’ fragrance. Store your washing properly, and you’ll have sweet-smelling clothes. Store your clothes haphazardly and you’ll have musty clothing.
So how can you store your washing?
First, ensure that every piece of clothing is completely dry. Protect your laundry from intense smells and aromas especially those from the lavatory and the kitchen. Ensure that your drawers and wardrobes have enough space. Try not to pack your clothes too closely.
3. Wash Towels and Blankets Separately From Your Clothes
Resist the temptation to wash your clothes together with terry materials. Thick and abrasive materials tend to absorb and emit a lot of smells and dirt. Imagine your towels and blankets rubbing against your clothes. Terry towels will only irritate your silk or cotton clothing and create minute balls of fibres. This process is called pilling.
Washing blankets and towels will ensure that your clothes stay fresh and clean for a longer time.
4. Use Lasting Fragrances
It is important to learn more about the most effective detergents, disinfectants and fragrances. Learning will help you know which products are likely to make your clothes smell fresh longer and which products won’t.
If you want your clothing to smell sweet for a long time, then do some research, Find out which brands give clothes longer lasting freshness and fragrance. Or you can take them to a great laundry service in your area. If you don’t know any, do a search on the internet. For instance, when my friend visited the UAE, she searched for Laundry Dubai Marina and she found a reliable one.
If you can’t make the clothes smell fresh, you can hire someone to do it for you.
5. Wash wet clothes right away
Don’t delay the laundering of wet clothes. This is because mildew tends to flourish where there is moisture. This explains why wet and dirty clothing stinks a lot more than dry, dirty clothes.
Leaving damp dirty clothing for longer periods toughens the laundering work. Sometimes, the smell will refuse to go away until after several sessions of washing and rinsing.
As much as possible, wash off wet clothes immediate they have been taken off. Alternatively, you can air dry them outside or a clothes hanger. This will discourage the growth of mildew. Once the dirty clothes are dry, you can keep them together with the other dirty clothes.
In conclusion, making your laundry smell cleaner for longer periods is easy to accomplish, especially if you follow the aforementioned steps.
