How to get durian smell out of clothes

To get durian smell out of clothes, hang them outside in fresh air as soon as possible, then soak them for 30 minutes in cool water with half a cup of white vinegar or a few spoons of baking soda, wash them with your normal detergent, and dry them outdoors in the shade or a breezy spot. For flesh or juice stains, scrape off any pulp and pre-treat the spot with detergent before the soak. Repeat the soak once if a faint smell remains.

Durian season is a joy, but the smell clings to cotton, hair, car seats and anything nearby. The strong odour comes from sulphur compounds that stick to fibres, so a simple rinse is often not enough. Here is how to get clothes smelling fresh again.

Act quickly

1. Take the clothes off and air them outside. Do not throw them into the laundry basket with everything else, or the smell spreads to the whole load.
2. Scrape off any durian flesh with a spoon or the back of a knife. Do not rub it in.
3. Rinse the stained area from the back under cool running water to push the pulp out of the fabric.

Pre-treat stains

4. Apply a little liquid detergent to any stain and work it in gently with your fingers. Leave it for ten minutes.
5. For oily marks, a drop of dishwashing liquid helps. Durian flesh is rich and leaves oily residue, similar to the stains in our oil stain guide.

Soak to remove the smell

6. Make a soak. Mix half a cup of white vinegar into a basin of cool water, or dissolve three or four tablespoons of baking soda. Use one or the other, not both together, because they cancel each other out.
7. Submerge the clothes for 30 minutes. Press them down so all the fabric is wet.

Wash and dry

8. Wash on a normal cycle at the warmest temperature the care label allows, with your usual detergent. Do not add extra detergent; it does not remove smell faster.
9. Smell the clothes while wet. If the durian smell is still there, repeat the soak before drying.
10. Dry outdoors in a breezy, shaded spot. Moving air carries away the last of the odour. Avoid drying indoors, where the smell can linger. If you must, use a fan and an open window.

Removing durian smell from delicate fabrics

For silk, wool, or anything labelled dry clean only, skip the vinegar soak and the washing machine. Air the item outside for several hours, then hang it in a well-ventilated room. If a smell or stain remains, take it to a dry cleaner and point out the stain; see what dry cleaning actually does.

Durian smell on your hands, car and fridge

• Hands. Run water through the empty durian husk and rinse your hands in it, a traditional trick, or rub them with a slice of lemon and wash with soap.
• Car. Leave the windows open, remove any packaging, and place an open bowl of baking soda or coffee grounds inside overnight.
• Fridge. Wrap leftover durian tightly in several layers or a sealed container. An open box of baking soda absorbs smell.

How to avoid smelly clothes next time

• Wear an apron or an old T-shirt when opening and eating durian.
• Eat outdoors where the smell disperses.
• Use disposable gloves to handle the flesh.
• Wash the clothes the same day, before the smell sets in.

Mistakes to avoid

• Mixing durian clothes with other laundry before deodorising them.
• Using perfume or fabric spray to mask it. The durian smell often returns once the scent fades.
• Using hot water on fresh pulp stains before rinsing. Heat can set the oily residue.
• Drying in a closed room. The smell stays in the fibres and moves to the room.

Does the smell stay in some fabrics longer?

Yes. Polyester and other synthetics tend to hold odours longer than cotton, because oils cling to the fibres. Sportswear and polyester blouses may need two soaks. Cotton and linen usually come clean after one. If a musty smell appears later, see how to get rid of musty smell in clothes.

Why durian smell is so hard to wash out

Durian flesh carries a mix of strong-smelling compounds, including sulphur compounds similar to those in onions and garlic, plus fruity esters. They cling to oily residue on fabric and to the natural oils from your skin, so the smell sits deep in the fibres rather than on the surface. That is why a quick rinse rarely works, while a soak followed by a full wash and fresh-air drying usually does. Water alone cannot carry the oily part away; detergent is what breaks it up, and moving air removes what is left.

Removing yellow durian stains

Durian flesh can leave a pale yellow mark, especially on white cotton. After scraping and rinsing from the back, work a little liquid detergent into the stain and leave it for ten minutes. If a yellow shadow remains after washing, soak the item for an hour in warm water with an oxygen-based stain remover, following the packet, then wash again. Check that the stain is gone before drying, because heat from the sun or a dryer can fix it. For whites that have yellowed in other ways, our guide to yellow stains on a white shirt has more detail.

Durian smell on bags, towels and tablecloths

Tote bags, tablecloths and towels used at a durian feast follow the same steps. Shake them out outdoors first, soak them in vinegar water, wash them on their own, and dry them in fresh air. For bags that cannot be soaked, wipe the inside with a cloth dampened in diluted vinegar, then leave the bag open in a breezy shaded place for a day. A few spoons of baking soda in a cloth pouch left inside the bag overnight absorbs what is left. Tablecloths with oily patches should be pre-treated with a little dishwashing liquid before they go in the machine.

A quick checklist

• Air outside straight away
• Scrape and rinse from the back
• Pre-treat stains with detergent
• 30 minute vinegar or baking soda soak
• Normal wash, check smell while wet
• Dry in a breezy shaded spot

FAQ

Does vinegar remove durian smell from clothes?

Yes. A 30 minute soak in cool water with half a cup of white vinegar neutralises much of the smell before washing. Rinse well and dry in fresh air.

Can I use baking soda instead of vinegar?

Yes. Dissolve a few tablespoons of baking soda in the soak water. Use one or the other, not both at once.

How long does durian smell last on clothes?

Without washing, it can linger for days, especially on synthetics. A soak and wash usually removes it the same day.

Help with stubborn smells near Cheras Yulek

If the smell or a durian stain will not come out of a favourite outfit, bring it in and we can take a look. Superman Laundry is at 17-1 Lorong Durian, Taman Cheras (Cheras Yulek), 56100 Kuala Lumpur, open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 7pm. WhatsApp 013-833 5526 to ask about an item before you bring it in.