How to Remove the Odor of Sulfur from Clothing

Co-authored by Susan Stocker

Last Updated: September 13, 2022 References

The foul smell of sulfur in your clothing is never enjoyable. Some people equate sulfur's odor to the smell of rotten eggs. The smell of sulfur can be very difficult to remove from clothing, even with repeated washing and airing out. Luckily, a few simple household supplies could be all you need to get rid of that terrible sulfur smell.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Using Baking Soda

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Soak your clothes in a baking soda solution prior to washing them. Baking soda is a common household product that is used for much more than baking. Baking soda is commonly used to remove terrible odors and stains, so it's the perfect product to use when you're facing an odor problem.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Susan Stocker
House Cleaning Professional
Expert Interview. 8 November 2019.} It's a great deodorizer because it chemically neutralizes odors.^{[2]
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- Do not wash your clothes prior to soaking them in baking soda.
- Add 1 cup of baking soda to a large bucket or tub, or add ½ cup of baking soda to a small bucket or sink. Soak the clothing in the baking soda mixture overnight – for 8 or more hours.^{[3]
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- If your fabrics are machine washable, this method will work just fine. If clothes are dry-clean only, you should avoid this method and take them to a cleaner.
2
Wash your clothing. To better remove bad smells from your clothes, add ½ cup of baking soda to your regular detergent when you wash your clothing. It will help to neutralize the odors, leaving your clothes smelling fresh and clean.
- Wash your clothing in the water temperature indicated on the tag. Some fabrics and colors are better in hot water, some are better in cold water.
- Hang your clothing to let it air-dry. You can hang your clothing indoors or outdoors. Do not dry them in the dryer.
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3
Put your clothes in a bag with baking soda if they have an extreme sulfur smell. If you've tried the baking soda soak and your clothes still smell of sulfur, try this before washing them again. Place the dry clothes in a plastic trash bag with ½ cup of baking soda. Leave the bag sealed for a day or two, then soak the sulfur smelling clothing in a baking soda bath. After you've done this, proceed to wash the clothes again.^{[4]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Using Vinegar

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Soak your clothing in vinegar. There are many different types of vinegars. To remove the smell of sulfur, you're going to want plain white vinegar. White vinegar is a commonly used home remedy for cleaning and getting rid of strong odors. It is generally inexpensive and available at any grocery or convenience store.^{[5]
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- Add 1-2 cups of vinegar to plain water in a bucket or tub. Add your sulfur smelling clothing to the vinegar mixture and soak your clothes for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Never let your clothing soak in vinegar for more than a few hours.
2
Wash your clothing with vinegar. Adding a 1/2 cup of white vinegar to your detergent when you wash your clothes will help get rid of any odors that tend to stick to the clothes.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Susan Stocker
House Cleaning Professional
Expert Interview. 8 November 2019.} This includes the strong smell of sulfur.
- Wash your clothing in the water temperature indicated on the tag. This will stop your clothes from fading or shrinking. If your tag indicates that the clothing is dry-clean only, take it to a cleaner instead of washing it yourself.
- Vinegar also works well as a fabric softener.^{[7]
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3
Rinse out the vinegar. To remove the vinegar smell completely, wash your clothing again using regular detergent. Vinegar has a strong smell of its own, especially if you've soaked your clothing in it. It might be necessary to wash the clothing again to get the vinegar smell out.
- Hang your clothing indoors or outdoors to dry. Repeat the process if it still smells of sulfur when it's dry.
- Do not dry your clothing in the dryer until you're sure the sulfur smell is gone.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Air Drying Your Clothing

1
Hang your clothes out to dry. Hang up a line on your back porch or in your yard. Hang your clothes on it to allow them to dry outside. Odor can be better removed by line drying clothing, especially outside where there is wind. The fresh air is a great way to get rid of odor.
- Don't hang your clothing outside in freezing cold weather, or wet weather like rain or snow.
- To avoid fading color, don't hang your vibrant or dark colored clothing in direct sunlight. If your clothing is white or pastel, hanging it in direct sunlight is fine.
- If you live in cold weather, you can hang your clothing inside instead of outdoors.
2
Hang your clothes above a tub of vinegar. Vinegar is great at absorbing bad smells, so keep your clothes near vinegar to get rid of bad scents. Pour two cups of vinegar in a bathtub of hot water, and hang your clothes above the tub to dry after washing them.^{[8]
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3
Don't dry your clothes in your dryer. Drying your clothing in the dryer might make your entire house smell of sulfur. It may take a few washes or soaks to get the sulfur smell out of your clothes, so avoid using the dryer until you're positive that the sulfur smell is gone.

Warnings

Rotten odors of many biological processes are from hydrogen sulfide produced by various living organisms, rotting egg odor for instance.

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