This kind of musty odor will typically come out after a wash, but if you don’t wash your clothes fast enough or your washing machine isn’t clean, it can settle into the fabric and become much harder to get out.

This can happen if you accidentally forget to move your clothes from the washer to the dryer, your washing machine or dryer aren’t clean, or your clothes sit in the hamper for too long.

You may need to do this multiple times to fully get rid of the bacteria and fungus causing that smell. Your dryer could be harboring the bacteria as well, although it’s typically the washing machine to blame on this one.

If you are short on space and you do need to use a hamper, no problem. So long as you air the clothes out for a bit before putting them in the hamper, you should curb that odor dramatically.

You can pick up a specialty detergent designed for synthetic athletic wear at most big box general stores. Traditional detergent is designed for cotton clothing, and it’s not going to get any caked-in scents out of your synthetic gear, but specialty detergent will!

The hotter the water, the faster that bacteria and sweat will dissolve out of the clothing fiber.

If the smell still isn’t out, wash the clothes with only white vinegar, then run another cycle with just 1 cup (230 g) of baking soda before drying. [9] X Research source

Fragrance-free detergent is likely going to get your clothes cleaner than any scented detergent, even if your clothes don’t smell as fresh! A lightly-scented lemony detergent is probably going to be fine, but that super potent ginger-mango-lavender stuff is probably going to make it harder to get that odor out.

Leaving your damp clothes in the washing machine for too long will also cause your washing machine to develop the smell that makes your next load musty.

This may keep your next load of laundry from coming out musty.

If it’s too cold out for this or you don’t have the room, then don’t worry about it. So long as you dry your clothes quickly once the wash cycle ends and your washing machine and dryer are clean, you shouldn’t have a problem with this musty smell.

Dry cleaning an item once should give your clothes a clean slate moving forward. If you’ve cleaned your washing machine and dryer, and you no longer let your wet laundry sit in the washing machine, the unpleasant aroma shouldn’t come back.

Mildew is especially problematic if you have a weakened immune system, allergies, asthma, or any kind of chronic lung condition. [18] X Research source