Left clothes in the washer overnight? Sniff first, then dry or rewash

You opened the washer and found yesterday’s load. “Leaving wet clothes in the washer for a few hours happens to everyone,” Whirlpool says, and a night isn’t a disaster either: Maytag says “You won’t usually need to rewash laundry left in the washer overnight.” Sniff first; a load that’s still musty after a rewash needs the mildew rescue wash. How long is too long? The sources don’t agree.

How long can wet clothes sit in the washer? Sources disagree

The bands below are our grouping. The sources only say “a few hours,” “overnight” and “longer than overnight,” and Martha Stewart says not to leave it for a long time.

What each source says about time:

• Whirlpool: no hour figure. How long a load can wait depends on “the load’s soil level, the water temperature, the type and amount of detergent you use and more.”
• Maytag: no hour figure, but “under the right circumstances, mildew can begin forming on clothes quickly.”
• Good Housekeeping: citing its cleaning expert Carolyn Forté, the magazine puts overnight at “approximately eight to 10 hours.”
• Martha Stewart’s site: “most people agree,” it says, that clothes “shouldn’t be left in the washer longer than eight to 12 hours.”

The washer makers give no hour count for how long a load can sit, and the two figures from lifestyle sites don’t match. That’s why every band starts with a check, not a clock.

Overnight

1. Sniff a handful of items, including the thick ones (towels, jeans, hoodies), and sniff waistbands and seams.
2. All fresh? Dry it now. According to Forté, a load that sat less than 10 hours can go in the dryer as usual, or you can run a quick rinse and spin first, without a whole wash.
3. Any odor? Rewash the whole load. Whirlpool says to “give the whole load another go in the washer before drying.” Maytag’s advice for the rewash: “Use the right settings for the soil level and fabric you’re dealing with, and consider adding a presoak option to the cycle.”
4. Sniff it again while it’s wet. Maytag: “If clothes smell fresh, toss them straight into the dryer.” Still musty? Go to the mildew rescue wash.
5. Dry it completely, right away. If the care label rules out the dryer, line-dry it or dry it flat.

Longer than overnight

Forté draws the line here. “I would try not to let the load sit in the washer longer than overnight,” she told Good Housekeeping. “Otherwise, items on top could start to dry, and they’ll likely be stiff and hard instead of soft and fluffy and the whole load could start to smell a little stale.”

So past overnight, Good Housekeeping’s advice is a quick rewash even if the load smells fine. It’s the only source we found with that rule; the washer makers leave it to your nose. Rewash as in step 3, with a presoak option if your washer has one, and sniff the load wet before drying.

Several days or a week

Martha Stewart’s advice: “don’t leave it for a long time—don’t leave it for a week.” None of the sources we used gives separate advice for three days or a week, so our call is to plan on a rewash and look closely first.

• Look before you wash. Whirlpool describes mildew as “a powdery gray or white growth on fabric, often accompanied by a musty odor and potential stains,” though “mildew may not be visible.” Mold, it says, “is usually visible as darker spots or patches on fabric.”
• Rewash in the hottest water the care label allows, then sniff it wet.
• Still musty, or spots left? That’s a job for the mildew rescue wash: a hot, care-label-safe rewash, then oxygen bleach if it’s still musty and the label’s bleach triangle allows, a sniff before drying, then a full dry.

One example of an oxygen bleach is OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover Powder ad . Never mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia or other cleaners, or run one straight after the other. Whichever you use, check its package for fabrics to avoid. OxiClean also says its powder “should not be mixed with Chlorine bleach or household chemicals other than in the wash with your regular laundry detergent,” and to “Test on an inconspicuous area prior to use.”

Does the washer smell now too?

A forgotten load can leave the machine smelling too. “If your washer smells once clothes have been removed, it may be time to clean your washer,” Whirlpool says, and Maytag notes that musty odors on clothes “can transfer to your washer, or vice versa.” Sniff the empty drum with the door or lid open.

• Front-loader, smell strongest around the door: check the rubber seal. Here’s how to clean the door gasket.
• Either type: Whirlpool’s advice is to “Keep the door or lid open in between cycles to give the drum time to dry completely.” See leaving the door open.
• Not sure where the smell is coming from? Try the washer smell finder.

How to stop forgetting the load

Tide’s rule: “Do not forget to take laundry out of the washer immediately to prevent musty smells from forming.” A few settings make that easier.

• Time the finish, not the start. On Samsung washers that have it, Delay End lets you “Set the cycle to finish automatically at a later time,” from 1 to 24 hours ahead, so set it to end when you’ll be home. Some Whirlpool and Maytag smart washers do the same through the app, with Schedule Wash. Other brands: look in the manual for a delay option.
• Turn on the end-of-cycle signal. Maytag also suggests a timer if you can’t hear the washer from where you are.
• Use a post-wash tumble option if your washer has one. Whirlpool suggests choosing one when you can’t dry right away. Your manual says how long yours runs.

If loads come out musty even when you unload on time, something else is going on. See why clothes smell musty after washing.