When the rainy season comes, many Filipinos resign to the fact that their clothes would smell musty because of indoor drying.
But according to a fabric enhancer brand, indoor drying is not the number one cause of unpleasant smell in clothes.
The distinct musty odor, Downy said, is actually caused by germ growth, which may start as early as after washing the clothes, regardless of the laundry means—and not directly because clothes are dried indoors.
Downy shares these pro-tips to help keep clothes germ-free and malodor-free, especially during the wet season.
Wash ‘high-risk laundry’ ASAP
The longer clothes remain damp with sweat and other bodily dirt, the more germs will grow. Items susceptible to more germ infestation, such as soiled gym clothes, children’s PE uniforms, shared towels, clothes used in food preparation, clothing worn over a wound, and healthcare worker’s uniforms should be washed as soon as possible, and with more attention, too.
These laundry items should be washed separately from others. Homemakers can protect themselves from infection by wearing gloves when handling high-risk laundry.
Stop staph
According to a 2014 study “Microbial Odor Profile of Polyester and Cotton Clothes After a Fitness Session,” several odor-causing germs are found to grow in different types of fabrics.
Many healthy people normally have staphylococcus (or staph) on their skin, in their noses, or other body areas. Most of the time, the germ does not cause an infection or symptoms, but when they do, it can make them or others sick. To avoid staph infection: wash hands thoroughly with soap and water; keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered until they heal; and do not share personal items such as towels, underwear, or cosmetics.
Use a detergent reinforcement
Various global studies show that the use of water with temperature of 60 degrees Celsius or higher in washing clothes can be effective in killing possibly pathogenic bacteria.
Those who dry their clothes in the sunshine are actually killing germs as well. But for those who can’t hang clothes outdoors due to space limitations and the season’s weather conditions, there can be a solution that is more accessible and controllable: use an ingredient known as Didecyl Dimethyl Ammonium Chloride, which can be found in Downy AntiBac. This ingredient ruptures the bacterial cell wall, thereby preventing germ growth and minimizing bacteria population that can contribute to musty-smelling clothes.
“To beat the enemy, we have to know the enemy. We need to be particular in treating the root cause of musty malodor to achieve long lasting freshness, not just during the rainy season, but throughout the all-year humid conditions,” said Cedric Le Goff, Downy Philippines country marketing manager.
He continued, “This can only be accomplished by the exhaustive prevention of germ growth in all the clothes that we wear—be it pambahay or panlakad. With Downy AntiBac, we can eliminate the germs that cause malodor in our clothes and provide long-lasting freshness.”