Ewww- What’s that Closet Smell?

It’s happened to all of us- on the first warm day of spring, we go to put on that fun summery sundress or pair of linen pants, only to discover that musty, “closet-y” smell emanating from us shortly thereafter. Even if you launder your clothes before hanging them back in your closet at the end of a season, the smell still seems to invade. Over time, remedies such as mothballs and cedar chips have come into existence, but neither is really appealing if you don’t want to smell like chemicals or a hamster cage all day. What are we to do?

Fortunately there is a solution. Follow these steps to keep your clothes smelling springtime fresh, even when you haven’t worn them since last spring:

           Give your Closet a Good Cleaning- First things first, right? To stop the stinky-closet-smell cycle, you must first clean out the closet itself. Purge any items you haven’t worn in one year, and space out hangers for your remaining clothes so they have room to breathe in there. Launder all the clothes you have elected to keep, so you can be sure they start out fresh. If your closet is carpeted, vacuum the floor and get in corners with the crevice tool to remove any dust. If your closet still has that old library sort of smell to it, you may even consider painting to give it that “new” smell.

      Shoo out the Shoes- How many of us really wear all the shoes we currently have in the closet? Since shoes often can be the cause of a musty closet smell, whittling down your shoe collection to only the ones you actually wear can help cut down on odor-causing factors. Once you’ve given the boot (HAHA) to the shoes you don’t wear, wipe down the ones you do wear and sprinkle the insides with baking soda or baby powder. Fresh shoes=fresh closet!

      Absorb the Odor…Naturally- I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to walk around all day smelling like an air freshener dangling from the rearview mirror of a taxi. This is why I elect not to use air fresheners in my closet. Absorbing odor, rather than simply masking it, is a key component of the war on closet stank. Try a natural odor-absorbing agent like coffee grounds, white vinegar, or our good friend baking soda, in a small container with holes punched in the lid. Tuck the container in your closet and you’re all set!

You can take the clothes out of the closet, and you certainly CAN take the closet out of the clothes! Once you’re done making your closet odor-free, you’ll notice a big difference in the way your clothes smell, which can really make a difference in the way you feel!