April 21, 2026, 3:43 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
For many, doing laundry is not exactly a favorite household chore. It’s all the more frustrating when clothes smell worse after washing than before.
You throw dirty and sweaty clothes into the washing machine after gardening, and after the wash cycle, they feel dirtier than before. They smell musty, almost stinky. What could be the cause? Is there something you can do about it, or do you need to buy a new washing machine? myHOMEBOOK asked Bernd Glassl from the German Cosmetic, Toiletry, Perfumery and Detergent Association.
Why do clothes smell after washing?
Smelly laundry can have various causes, explains Glassl. On one hand, dirt that doesn’t smell good can remain in the clothes even after washing. On the other hand, bacteria in the laundry can be the reason for the odor. Their metabolic processes produce byproducts that don’t smell pleasant.
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What can you do about smelly laundry?
You can try several things, the expert explains: “If it’s because the residual dirt wasn’t properly rinsed out, an additional rinse cycle should be performed. It can also help to use more water for the wash cycle; this function is called ‘water plus.’”
Too little detergent could also be the reason the laundry smells. Glassl recommends always paying attention to the correct dosage, “which means appropriate to the water hardness, the degree of soiling, and the amount of textiles. The dosing instructions can be found on the detergent packaging.”
If it’s neither too little water nor too little detergent, Glassl offers another tip: “Additionally, you can use a hygiene rinse that has an antibacterial effect. You add the hygiene rinse to the fabric softener compartment of the dispenser drawer, and it comes into contact with the textiles during the final rinse cycle.”
Can you prevent smelly laundry?
If you want to avoid having your laundry smell unpleasant in the first place, you can take precautions, the expert explains.
- “Laundry should be removed from the washing machine as soon as the program ends and hung to dry outdoors if possible, or if that’s not possible, dried in a dryer.” If textiles are left damp in the washing machine drum for too long, bacteria have plenty of time to form unpleasant-smelling byproducts.
- “To prevent layers of slime with bacteria and possibly mold from forming in the water-carrying parts of the washing machine–even those you can’t see–you should definitely run a wash program with bleach-containing full or universal washing powder at least once a month at a minimum of 60°C.” It’s better to avoid an “ECO program” in this case, as it doesn’t reach 60 degrees.
- “After removing the laundry from the washing machine, the door or lid should be left open and the detergent drawer pulled out so they can dry. The detergent drawer should be regularly removed and cleaned.”