How to Get Rid of Musty Smells in Closets and Drawers 🧺

You pull a sweater from the back of the closet, or a pillowcase from the bottom drawer, and it smells like a damp basement. That smell is a signal, not just a nuisance: University of Missouri Extension says musty odors indicate mold growth.

Here is why it happens, how to clear the smell, and how to keep closets and drawers dry.

What's behind the smell

Mold needs moisture. Closets collect it three quiet ways:

• Damp clothes. Rain, sweat or a load put away half dry.
• Worn clothes. Missouri Extension notes clean clothing is less likely to mildew than soiled clothing.
• Cold outside walls. Closets on exterior walls run cooler. North Dakota State University Extension says closet air there can reach mold-friendly humidity even when the house is dry.

Why it matters: an air freshener covers the odor, but the moisture stays and the smell returns.

Clear it out, step by step

1. Empty the closet or drawer. Look in corners and along baseboards for spots.
2. Wash or air what smells. Launder by the care label, and hang the rest outdoors on a warm, dry day; Missouri Extension recommends sun and air for stored things.
3. Clean hard surfaces. The EPA's advice: scrub mold off with detergent and water, then dry completely.
4. Know your limit. The EPA says most people can clean a patch under about 10 square feet themselves. Moldy carpet and other absorbent materials may need to go.

Keep it dry

• Watch humidity. The EPA advises keeping indoor humidity below 60%, ideally 30–50%.
• Air before you store. University of Kentucky Extension suggests airing worn clothes several hours or overnight first.
• Let air move. Open the doors or run a fan. Don't pack the rod tight.
• Absorb moisture. Silica gel absorbs moisture from the air. Calcium chloride does too, but it turns liquid and can eat holes in fabric, so keep it well away from clothes.

Hidden tips

Pull things off the outside wall. NDSU advises storing items away from an exterior wall so air can circulate. In our old Cape Cod, the guest room closet sits on an outside wall. A few inches behind the boxes fixed it.

Take off the dry-cleaner plastic. Kentucky Extension says those bags trap moisture and odors against the fabric.

Cat litter for drawers. The same extension service suggests a sachet of plain cat box filler in dresser drawers, and activated charcoal in mesh bags for closets. Use them after drying, not instead.

Save this: musty closet cheat sheet

Bottom line: dry first, freshen second.