How to Get Fishy Smell Out of Clothes

[toc]

The smell of fish is one that many people are not fond of, but it can be difficult to get out. Fishy smells can linger for days and even weeks on clothes in your house. This blog post will show you how to get rid of the unpleasant odor from your clothes.    You will need a couple different products and some time to let them work their magic before the smell disappears completely.

How to Get Fishy Smell Out of Clothes

Method One

Before the washing machine, people used to boil their clothes in a pot of water. This is still one method for removing bad odors from articles of clothing.

Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil on the stove. Add your smelly dress or shirt into the boiling water along with several lemon rinds to add a little acid.

The citric acid will attach itself to the molecules of the fish scent and lift them from your clothes. Leave your article in the hot water for about an hour, then remove it and allow it dry completely.

Method Two

Place your smelly clothes in a plastic bucket of hot water with dish soap and baking soda.

Allow your clothes to soak for several hours or overnight. Add more baking soda and vinegar if needed.

You can also add some fresh lemon peels into the water as well as they have the same effect of removing fish smells from clothes.

Remove your clothes from the bucket and put them into the washing machine. Wash them on a regular cycle using high heat to help remove residual odors.

Method Three

Soak your smelly clothes in baking soda water overnight or for at least 12 hours. The next day, wash them in the washing machine using a gentle cycle and cold water.

This may take two different attempts before all of the smell is removed from your shoes. Lay them in the sun to completely dry to help remove any odors left over.

Add vinegar or baking soda for more deodorizing power when soaking your clothes, as this will help. When washing your fish-smelling clothes, add some lemon peels or rinds into the water as well.

Make sure that you do not use too much soap when washing, as this can cause a fishy smell to be left behind. If you are not concerned about colors, use chlorine bleach on white clothing and allow it to set for at least fifteen minutes.

Additional Tips on Consider When Getting Fishy Smell Out of Clothes

Use caution with colored fabrics as chlorine bleach can strip dyes from clothes, causing a dye stain which will be difficult to remove.

Machine dry your clothing after washing if you do not want to use an outside line or clothesline in your yard. Since heat and sun are natural deodorizers, allowing your clothes to hang in the sun before drying will help remove odors a little faster.

Laundry detergent can have an effect on your clothes’ smell, so you should choose carefully when buying laundry soap for washing fishy smelling clothes. Look for products with enzymes as well as deodorizers added into them in order to help fight off smells.

Does Baking Soda Remove Odors from Clothes?

In short, baking soda is an ingredient in many of the laundry detergents that you purchase at a grocery store or department store. Baking soda naturally acts as a deodorizer and often comes with scented oils to add fragrance into your clothing. Baking soda can help remove any dirt or grime from clothes, while breaking down body oil and perspiration that builds up throughout the day. Baking soda is also useful for removing odors from carpeting and furniture in a house by absorbing oils that cause an unpleasant smell.

Is Baking Soda or Washing Soda Better for Laundry?

Washing soda is better for laundry. It can be used in place of baking soda and shampoo to remove dirt and oil from clothing. Washing soda should never be used on clothing that are colored, because it has a bleaching effect which will cause the colors in your clothes to fade over time. Washing soda should also not be used with bleach as it will create toxic fumes.

Can I Put Vinegar and Baking Soda in y Washing Machine?

This is a question that many people ask and while it may seem like an obvious answer, the truth is that you should not do this. The most important reason for why you shouldn’t put vinegar in your washing machine is because of the smell. Unlike baking soda which can help remove odors with its fresh scent, vinegar has a very strong scent. Putting vinegar in your washing machine is a great way to add the smell of sour laundry into your entire home. Just imagine how bad this would be if you use a lot of it when doing laundry?

The other reason why many people say you should never use baking soda or vinegar in your washing machine is because they are both corrosive chemicals that can break down certain parts in your washing machine. Using vinegar and baking soda to do laundry is a great way to destroy the rubber gasket inside your washing machine which can cause rusting over time.

Both baking soda and vinegar are used for cleaning purposes, but neither one should be added directly into a washing machine with clothes because of possible damage that can be caused. If you must use vinegar to do laundry, it is better to add a cup into the soap compartment of your washing machine instead of adding it directly into the drum with clothes.

Conclusion

There are many ways to get the fishy smell out of clothes, and some may be more effective than others. The article has provided a list of different methods that people have used for getting rid of this odor including vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice or bleach.