Often unpleasant odors appear in the closet with clothes. It would seem that wood is a dense, durable material, but its structure is porous, so it easily absorbs odors and bacteria. Determining the cause of the stench will help both get rid of the smell in your clothes closet and prevent its occurrence in the future.
The reason for unwanted odors may lie in the furniture itself - new (the coating or glue has not weathered) or old (which has absorbed all the odors over the years). Perhaps the person himself provokes the formation of an unpleasant odor by mixing dirty with clean.
How to get rid of an unpleasant smell in a clothes closet: 6 ways
Modern wardrobes are often located in poorly ventilated areas. Due to the lack of air ventilation inside the wardrobe and outside in the room, the linen begins to smell bad, this is aggravated by other reasons.
You can remove a bad stench by using 1 of 6 proven methods:
- Add dish detergent to warm water, dampen a cloth and wash all shelves and furniture walls. Then wipe everything with a clean damp sponge and remove any remaining moisture with a dry cloth.
- Mix vinegar and water (1:4 ratio). Treat the shelves with the prepared solution, using an ordinary rag or a spray bottle. Then wipe dry. There is no need to rinse off the vinegar; it will quickly dissipate.
- Prepare a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water. Wipe all furniture with the solution, then rinse thoroughly. Then wipe with a dry cloth. Aqueous solutions should not be left on wooden shelves, as moisture may cause the surface to crack or warp.
- The dry method of cleaning furniture is carried out using baking soda. Sprinkle the substance generously over the panels and leave overnight. If the stench remains, repeat the procedure.
- Activated carbon has high absorbent properties. It needs to be put on shelves.
- Mustard powder will help remove the stench. It is scattered on the shelves and left for two days. Then you can collect it with a vacuum cleaner and brush it off.
Advice! Before using the product, test it on wood material to avoid color loss.
If after treatment by any method an undesirable odor remains, it means that the source has not been eliminated or it is the glue of the wood itself that smells. Then you should use absorbent, deodorizing agents.
The most effective options are:
- pieces of toilet soap;
- dried citrus peels;
- beans, ground coffee;
- aromatic herbs, spices;
- baking soda.
Regular cleaning should be done to maintain cleanliness. It is strictly forbidden to place worn items next to clean ones.
The wardrobe needs to be reviewed and aired every season.
This is especially important if no one is using the content. Over time, dust, cobwebs, moths, cockroaches and their deposits appear there. Therefore, the wardrobe, which is rarely opened, should also be cleaned: shake out, sort through things, wipe the panels.
Where does it come from
Before you try to get rid of an unpleasant odor, you need to think about what contributed to its appearance. Often this is our carelessness. Both washed items and those that have already been worn are put into the closet. Of course, jeans and a sweater cannot be washed after each wearing, otherwise very soon they will simply become unusable. But there is one way out - to allocate one compartment where you can put away everyday clothes. And after washing, she can move to the main room, for clean things. This will prevent odors from appearing in your clothes closet. If this is not possible, then at least you need to ventilate things well after each wear. We’ll talk below about how to get rid of mustiness quickly and without much hassle, but for now let’s look at the other reasons.
How to remove musty smell from closet
There are many reasons for the specific aroma of furniture. If clothes are rarely used, tightly packed, or mixed with dirty things, all this provokes the formation of mustiness.
The most important step is to ventilate the room. When the window is open, dirt and allergens will enter things along with the air. The most optimal method of ventilation is using a breather or cleaner.
Troubleshooting methods:
- Sprinkle tea bags with perfume and hang them on the bar. Wait until they dry completely.
- Use special wood care products. They will disinfect the surface and eliminate unpleasant odors. The procedure is carried out according to the instructions of the selected cleaner.
Mustiness appears in the place where shoes are stored. You should remove the insoles from it, wash them and put them in a sealed bag.
To keep things smelling fresh and clean, and not like a damp basement, you should follow these recommendations. And the use of deodorizing agents (professional or self-made absorbers) will give clothes a fragrance.
Tips for storing clothes
To combat the musty smell of things, it is necessary to periodically conduct a global audit and sort through them.
To prevent the appearance of odors, it is better to adhere to the general rules for storing things:
- At least once every six months, do a general cleaning of the closet, for this: empty all shelves of things;
- air and dry clothes (preferably in the sun or in frosty weather);
- Wipe internal and external surfaces with a disinfectant solution and dry thoroughly.
How to get rid of the smell of mold and dampness in the closet
Increased humidity in the room leads to the formation of unpleasant odors and the delicacy of things. First of all, it is necessary to remove the source of the stench in the furniture itself. All surfaces are treated with special antifungal compounds. Clothes are washed, dried well and ironed.
Warning! Never put wet laundry in your wardrobe: this will inevitably lead to mold, which is almost impossible to remove from the fabric.
To avoid dampness and its consequences, use the following methods:
- Baking soda is poured into glasses and placed in the wardrobe. Over time, the product is updated.
- Table salt absorbs moisture and stench. The cleaning process is carried out similarly to the previous one. The salt needs to be replaced when it becomes rock salt.
- An effective means for removing mold is ordinary Whiteness. The surface is treated with it and washed off immediately. The procedure helps destroy the fungus.
If the cause of dampness in the apartment is not eliminated, mold will reappear and things will begin to smell unpleasant. Therefore, air humidity should be restored to normal. Move furniture away from the damp wall and install a dehumidifier. Place sachets of silica gel on the shelves, which absorbs moisture.
Method No. 8 - odor absorbers
In everyday life, baking soda, activated carbon, and zeolite can be used as an odor absorber. Baking soda is a means of disinfection and odor neutralization. It can be poured into an open container or bag and placed in several areas of the closet. Baking soda can also be flavored by sprinkling it with a small amount of essential oil or perfume.
Activated carbon is used in the production of industrial odor absorbers for refrigerators and carbon filters. Buy a pack of this product at the pharmacy, put it on saucers and place it on the shelves of the closet, after a while you can change this inexpensive carbon filter.
Zeolite is a mineral that is used in adsorbents for refrigerators, cat litter, it is used in water purification, in filters, etc. It can be poured onto plates like soda and placed in areas that need it most.
How to eliminate the smell of tobacco in a clothes closet
If you put a smoky jacket or shirt in the wardrobe, they will quickly fill the entire wardrobe with the smell. Clothes may also smell of tobacco if you have smoked in the room.
Clean things absorb the stench very quickly. Cigarette smoke is quite persistent, but it is possible to get rid of it. To eliminate the smell of tobacco in the closet, you need to remove all dirty clothes and those that came into direct contact with them.
Effective ways and means:
- Hang a wet towel in the wardrobe and leave for an hour. After replacing with another, repeat the procedure up to 4 times. If the tobacco is very ingrained, soak the cloth in a solution of vinegar and water.
- Arrange lavender sprigs. They will give a pleasant fragrance to your linen.
- The use of fragrances is effective: bags of cotton wool or cloth are soaked in essential oils.
Preventive measures
Let's look at how to prevent persistent unpleasant odors on clothes:
- Get rid of the constant unpleasant smell in the house, otherwise your clothes will inevitably have a smell.
- Store dirty laundry in mesh baskets, wash them more often, and avoid allowing things to remain piled up for a long time.
- Keep the automatic machine dry and clean, leave the door open for ventilation.
- Place things for storage only in a completely dry condition.
- To prevent laundry from souring, do not keep it soaked in basins for too long, 1-3 hours is enough.
- Clean storage areas, wash cabinets and chests of drawers. Keep unused old items separately.
- If the item smells of sweat or has acquired a different smell, wash it immediately, do not put it in the closet, so as not to infect the entire wardrobe with an unpleasant spirit.
High humidity should not be allowed in the apartment, otherwise the spirit of mustiness and dampness will permeate things. Housing needs to be ventilated regularly.
A person is constantly surrounded by thousands of smells, but it is not necessary to wear them on himself. In order for things to smell clean, you need to take care of your clothes, wash them on time, and air them in the fresh air. Many simple methods and professional products help remove unpleasant odors and make clothes clean and fragrant with freshness.
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Ironing
Modern irons are equipped with a steam production function. This is very convenient, as it allows you to quickly deal with any wrinkles in the fabric. But there is another problem here. Modern women are short on time, and after ironing their underwear, they immediately put it away. As a result, they face the same problem. When you take things out, you can smell not the delicate aroma of fabric softener, but a sour, pungent, moldy smell. And again I would like to say that it is easier to prevent the smell from appearing in the closet with clothes. You won’t have to think about how to quickly get rid of such a nuisance if, after ironing, you leave the laundry on the ironing board for several hours.
Drying clothes
After you've spent time and effort restoring order in your closet, you need to prevent the unpleasant smell from appearing again. To do this, you need not only to wash the laundry well, but also to dry it properly. It is best if it hangs in the hot sun. This is both drying and disinfection. But make sure that no one smokes nearby, otherwise the damp cloth will absorb the smell of tobacco. If the laundry is drying at home, try not to cook anything too fragrant: pies, fried fish. At least use a hood. Otherwise, then the whole wardrobe will smell like the kitchen, and you will have to start all over again. And remember: first you need to get rid of the cause, and then start washing things.