Help me de-funk my clothes
February 12, 2023 11:00 AM Subscribe
What's the best way to keep clothes smelling fresh in drawers?
Especially between seasons. I'd rather not have to wash everything once the weather starts warming up and I switch to lighter clothes, for example. I find they smell a little stale once they've been in there a while.
Especially between seasons. I'd rather not have to wash everything once the weather starts warming up and I switch to lighter clothes, for example. I find they smell a little stale once they've been in there a while.
Can you just hang them outside/in front of an open window? Sunlight and fresh air should do it.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 11:07 AM on February 12, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by TWinbrook8 at 11:07 AM on February 12, 2023 [2 favorites]
”Feline Pine” pine pellet kitty litter in little muslin bags works well. The pine smells great and in this form helps absorb excess ambient moisture and odor.
posted by Silvery Fish at 11:22 AM on February 12, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by Silvery Fish at 11:22 AM on February 12, 2023 [7 favorites]
My grandfather would put bars of soap in his drawers. It kept everything smelling fresh.I do it as well.
posted by heathrowga at 11:34 AM on February 12, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by heathrowga at 11:34 AM on February 12, 2023 [8 favorites]
I am sensitive to odors. I find that masking the odor with another odor results in two odors so now the stale smell is a floral plus stale smell which is not better to me.
One idea is to do an extra thorough wash with the sanitize cycle on the washer or with an added enzymatic cleaner in the rinse cycle which often necessitates air drying to improve results. This way the clothing is as clean as possible before being stored and there is nothing to be stale (new clothing does not smell stale after being stored). Various enzymatic laundry additives can be found marketed for scuba and athletic gear, hockey in particular. I used them to great success for lacrosse gear and also stinky teenage clothing or towels that had been stored damp when no amount of regular laundering would remove the odor.
As mentioned by Silvery Fish, decreasing the humidity and odor in the storage area may diminish the staleness. Also make sure that the drawer or storage area is very clean and does not smell stale or that smell will impart to the clothing.
As mentioned above by Twinbrooks, sun and air may work. Sun is a natural sanitizer, UV light kills bacteria.
Fabreze spray actually removes odors. I do not like the scented Fabreeze, and it can be tricky though not impossible to find the unscented version.
(Personally, I wash the clothing again after being stored for 6 months as it makes me itchy if not which I think is due to dust even though the clothing is in a closed drawer.)
(Especially this time of year, in locations where it is cold, when people wear coats that have been stored since last year, I smell dirty clothes. I can tell that either the clothes have been worn for days without being washed or the coat was stored last year without being washed. I smelled this at a meeting yesterday and in line at the grocery store so commonly.)
posted by RoadScholar at 12:47 PM on February 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
One idea is to do an extra thorough wash with the sanitize cycle on the washer or with an added enzymatic cleaner in the rinse cycle which often necessitates air drying to improve results. This way the clothing is as clean as possible before being stored and there is nothing to be stale (new clothing does not smell stale after being stored). Various enzymatic laundry additives can be found marketed for scuba and athletic gear, hockey in particular. I used them to great success for lacrosse gear and also stinky teenage clothing or towels that had been stored damp when no amount of regular laundering would remove the odor.
As mentioned by Silvery Fish, decreasing the humidity and odor in the storage area may diminish the staleness. Also make sure that the drawer or storage area is very clean and does not smell stale or that smell will impart to the clothing.
As mentioned above by Twinbrooks, sun and air may work. Sun is a natural sanitizer, UV light kills bacteria.
Fabreze spray actually removes odors. I do not like the scented Fabreeze, and it can be tricky though not impossible to find the unscented version.
(Personally, I wash the clothing again after being stored for 6 months as it makes me itchy if not which I think is due to dust even though the clothing is in a closed drawer.)
(Especially this time of year, in locations where it is cold, when people wear coats that have been stored since last year, I smell dirty clothes. I can tell that either the clothes have been worn for days without being washed or the coat was stored last year without being washed. I smelled this at a meeting yesterday and in line at the grocery store so commonly.)
posted by RoadScholar at 12:47 PM on February 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
I use sneaker balls for this purpose. They're small, cheap, and come in a myriad of scents.
posted by skye.dancer at 1:40 PM on February 12, 2023
posted by skye.dancer at 1:40 PM on February 12, 2023
Save those silicon packets to put in shoes, drawers, etc. Moisture makes that smell much worse. You could get storage bags from which you remove the air with a vacuum cleaner. Cedar spray will discourage moths and smells fresh.
posted by theora55 at 5:19 PM on February 12, 2023
posted by theora55 at 5:19 PM on February 12, 2023
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posted by raider at 11:06 AM on February 12, 2023