Let me guess – you’ve cooked up a delicious fish dinner, only to realize later that the smell has somehow transferred to your clothes. Or maybe you’ve had an unexpected run-in with fish at the market or during a fishing trip.
Whatever the case, that lingering fishy odor can be stubborn and unpleasant.
But don’t worry – with the right techniques, you can easily banish that fishy smell and have your clothes smelling fresh again.
In this post, we’re sharing a few tips and tricks that’ll help you figure out how to get fish smell out of clothes, so you can feel confident and odor-free in no time.
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How to Remove The Smell of Fish in 3 Simple Steps
There are lots of different ways to go here, but we’ll start with the most effective one.
1. Soak the Item Overnight
Your first instinct might be to toss the fishy clothing in the washing machine and use the strongest scented laundry product you have. Don’t do that!
Instead, you want to head to your pantry and grab the baking soda.
Baking soda is incredibly good at absorbing and neutralizing the compounds responsible for bad smells, and it works well on acids, oils, and greases. So, fish oil odor is right up the powder’s alley.
Start by pouring half a cup of baking soda over a bucket of warm water. Then, make sure the clothing is fully submerged and let it soak overnight.
Pro Tip: Some people boost the soak solution’s strength with vinegar, and we’ll cover the details in a minute!
2. Go for the Longest, Hottest Wash Cycle Possible
The baking soda absorbs most of the fish oil smell from the fabric. Next, you want to use the washing machine to break the compounds down.
Ideally, you’ll use hot water with an enzyme-based laundry detergent on a long cycle. But there are a few notes here:
- Not all fabrics can handle the heat. Make sure to check the recommended water temperature on the care label.
- Maybe you don’t have any enzymatic/bio cleaners. In this case, you could use your favorite laundry detergent.
- Don’t wash anything else with the fishy items. The unpleasant smell might pass on to them.
3. Hang the Clothing Out to Dry
Next, you want to line-dry the clothes. We recommend hanging them somewhere with plenty of sunlight and either fresh air or good air circulation.
You’d be surprised how much a good airing can do for lingering odors. In fact, hanging the clothes out would be our main advice for someone who can’t wash their fishy clothes at the moment. It should help the smell dissipate at least a little bit.
Since you already did an overnight soak and one washing cycle, your odds are much better. Hopefully, the unpleasant odor will be out at the end of this step.
However, if there’s a lingering odor of fish on the clothes after they have dried, you’ll want to rinse and repeat all three steps.
Alternative Approaches for Removing Fish Oil Smells
The three-step method handles most fish odor problems we’ve come across. On the off chance that it doesn’t, we’d like to share some alternative solutions.
Soaking Variations
When the baking soda alone doesn’t cut it, try adding a bit of white vinegar to the warm water. Then, let the fishy clothes sit in the bucket for 30 minutes or so.
Some people apply lemon juice on their smelly items, too. However, this approach can be risky.
For one, the acidity might ruin delicate fabric fibers. Plus, it could fade the colors away. If you really want to try lemon juice, at least do a spot test before going all out.
Heads-up: Dish soap might do wonders for cleaning oils and greases around the house, but laundry experts warn against using it on delicate textiles.
The Hang and Spray Method
We’ve heard of people washing the stinky clothing items in the washing machine as usual and hanging them outside before dousing them in a fabric freshener.
This tactic might mask the fishy smells temporarily. We’re not sure that would remove the smell from the clothes, though. That’s why it might be a good idea only if you don’t have time for an overnight soak and multiple wash cycles.
Oxygen Bleach (Good for Bait Stains, Too!)
If you’re dealing with a stubborn bait or fish oil stain, along with a nasty odor, oxygen bleach might be the answer. Adding a few tablespoons with your regular laundry detergent should do the trick.
It won’t break down the fabric fibers like traditional chlorine bleach would. It’s also suitable for dyed fabrics. But, of course, it’s always wise to do a patch test first.
Final Thoughts
In short, a long baking soda soak followed by a wash with enzyme-based detergent and line drying is the best way to get any lingering smells from fish out of your clothes.
Remember that it’s often easier to designate an outfit for fish-related activities. So, if you can’t remove the smell from your clothes, you could just make them your fish-handling attire from now on!
