Why does laundry get smelly if it stays wet? A textile scientist explains how to fix it

You forget a load in the machine overnight, and by the morning it smells worse than before you washed it.

Most of us are familiar with that “wet dishcloth” smell. Worse, once it’s settled into your clothes, it can be difficult to get rid of.

So what’s going on, and how to fix it? The answers lie both with biology and with textile science, which helps explain why some fabrics are worse affected than others.

The hidden living things in the water

Damp fabric at room temperature is close to an ideal microbial habitat. They have warmth, moisture and abundant…

© La Conversation - mercredi 16 septembre 2026