Freshness in every corner: how to remove an unpleasant smell from a closet with clothes?

If your wardrobe smells of tobacco, sweat and other unpleasant aromas, don’t rush to put an end to it. Removing smells from a clothes closet is no more difficult than cleaning up the kitchen. Please be warned that cleaning will take some time. In order for the shelves to smell fresh and clean, you need to approach the matter in detail.

Clearing the shelves

A bad smell from the closet is an excellent reason to “generalize.” First thing:

1. Empty shelves and drawers.
2. Review and smell everything that was in the closet.
3. Fold clean clothes separately. Don't rush to return it back.
4. Place items with the slightest hint of an unpleasant odor in the dirty laundry basket.

The source of an unpleasant smell in the closet, as a rule, is clothes that are not fresh. Once worn, a shirt can no longer be placed with clean clothes.

Even if things look clean, after wearing them, particles of sebum always remain on the fabric. Biological material becomes food for bacteria. When they multiply, a foul odor appears, which is especially noticeable in a closed cabinet space where air does not move.

Let's start the wash

To get rid of the unpleasant smell from clothes, you need to wash them. In 90% of cases, standard machine washing at 40 degrees with the addition of washing powder helps.

You can remove musty smells by using fabric softener. Add it when washing - and things will smell fragrant.

Sometimes your laundry still smells bad. Usually these are things that have been dirty for a long time, work clothes and sportswear.

How to get rid of strong tobacco, sweaty and other unpleasant odors?

1. Dissolve a bar of brown laundry soap, cut into pieces, in 5 liters of hot water.
2. Soak “smelling” clothes for 3 hours.
3. Wash in a washing machine at 60 degrees with double rinsing (if the composition of the product allows).
4. Hang to dry outside or in a well-ventilated area.

For the future: synthetic fabrics require special attention. They absorb odors faster and are more difficult to part with.

Processing the cabinet

Dust settles inside the cabinet, which also becomes a source of musty smell. The space inside must be washed at least once every six months, and preferably every season (at the time of a wardrobe audit). How to do it correctly:

1. Remove all removable parts.
2. Go through the vacuum cleaner.
3. Wash the “floor”, “ceiling” and walls of the cabinet. Don't forget about shelves, holders and hooks.

You can use soap solution, kitchen appliance care products, or regular table vinegar. The latter is diluted in a ratio of 1:3 with water and rubbed onto the surfaces. The vinegar will smell very strong at first. You need to leave the closet open and create a draft in the room. In an hour, everything will disappear, and the mustiness will also disappear.

Inspect the back wall of the cabinet. If there is a high level of humidity in the room, fungal spores can settle on it.

If mold is detected, the furniture will have to be moved away and properly treated:

1. Remove the fungus with undiluted table vinegar. Saturate the rag and wipe away the stains.
2. When the wood is dry, coat it with varnish, drying oil or paint with antifungal components.

Find a way to cope with high humidity and avoid placing the cabinet against the wall. The distance between the wall and furniture should be at least 5 cm.

The last stage is aromatization

In order for the “spirit” of stale clothes to completely disappear, you should place a fragrance in the closet.

There are special balls, sachets, helium plates, and fabric pads that emit a pleasant aroma and additionally protect clothes from moths. No, no, this is not grandma’s version with mothballs. Modern products are also produced with the scent of fruits, pine and cedar, and flowers. Everyone can choose a scent to their liking.

You can make your own cabinet fragrance:

• Collect aromatic herbs, dry them, wrap them in a piece of cloth and tie them with a ribbon.
• Pour baking soda into a small container and add 5-7 drops of your favorite essential oil.
• Place a bottle of perfume that runs out (with the lid open) in the closet.
• Sew coffee beans or orange peels into a fabric bag.

Even a brand new cabinet can emit an extremely unpleasant odor. Often this is due to improper care of things.Darkness and still air encourage the growth of fungus and bacteria. Therefore, it is very important to keep clothes clean, dry them completely, and also periodically clean the closet from dust. If you follow these 3 rules, you won't need any flavoring!