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Rainy Season Laundry Smell: The Source of Musty Odor and the Ultimate Solution

Published: November 10, 2025
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🌧️ That Musty Smell in Rainy Season Laundry: Root Cause and Fix

When the rainy season hits, no matter how clean your laundry is, a characteristic musty and unpleasant odor develops during the drying process. This often leads to the vicious cycle of re-washing. This smell is not merely due to humidity; it stems from problems with the washing process and drying environment. I'm sharing the fundamental solution to completely eliminate rainy season laundry odors.

🔬 The Main Culprit of the Odor: 'Moraxella Osloensis Bacteria'

The cause of this musty smell is bacteria left on the fabric, specifically Moraxella osloensis.

  • This bacterium remains on the fibers even after washing, feeding on body oils and residual moisture and multiplying rapidly.
  • It proliferates explosively in humid, poorly ventilated environments, and during its growth, it emits volatile substances that cause the foul odor.

💨 3 Ultimate Solutions to Target the Source of the Smell

1. Use 'Oxygen Bleach' in the Wash:

  • Eliminating the bacteria is paramount. Add a tablespoon of oxygen-based bleach (sodium percarbonate) along with your detergent to the washing machine.
  • Oxygen bleach is excellent at sanitizing by destroying the bacteria's protein structure and breaking down odor-causing substances. Chlorine bleach bleaches colors, but oxygen bleach is relatively safe for colors.

2. Washing Machine 'Tub Cleaning' is Essential:

  • Mold and grime inside the washing drum are also major odor sources. Before the rainy season, use a washing machine cleaner and run the 'Tub Clean' or 'Sanitize' cycle. A clean interior is key to clean laundry.

3. Lower the 'Humidity' in the Drying Environment:

  • You must avoid the environment that bacteria love—humidity above 70%. When drying indoors, the longer it takes for laundry to dry, the higher the chance of odor.
    • Utilize a Dehumidifier: Place a dehumidifier near the clothes rack to lower the humidity. (Highly recommended)
    • Fan/Air Circulator: Direct a fan or air circulator at the laundry to forcibly circulate the air, minimizing the drying time.

Space Out Your Laundry: Do not hang clothes too close together; spacing out the hangers allows for proper airflow and speeds up drying. Minimizing the 'damp state'—the golden time for bacterial growth—is the core strategy for beating rainy season laundry smell.