Tips for odor-free clothing {Guest Post} April 5, 2015

Hello friends, yesterday’s Goodwill thrifting haul was very successful and I can’t wait to show you what I got, but here is a picture of a pair of cute, yet too small shoes that I didn’t get!

Do you remember my YouTube video in which I talked about disinfecting accessories, well in that video I failed to include a tip on how to remove odors from clothing.  

As much as I try to avoid thrifting clothes that have an odor, sometimes it’s unavoidable, especially if it’s a must-have vintage piece.  So today’s guest post from Edna Thomson gives us a few tips for removing odors from clothing whether they come from thrifting or from natural body fluids.

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Having smelly clothes? You are not alone. We all experience this problem from time to time during hot summer days and sometimes all year long. Whether you like doing physical activity in the gym or you just sweat more than normal, your clothes can still be fresh using a couple of methods. Have a look. 

Method 1: The Vinegar Solution

Start by putting the drain stopper on your sink. Fill the sink with clean water. Add two cups of vinegar and soak your clothes inside. Let sit for half an hour or so. When the time is up, toss the clothes into the washing machine and run a full cycle. Hopefully, your clothes will come out fresh and odor-free.

Another way to do this is to add vinegar directly to your laundry. Ideally, you will add ½ cup or ¼ cup vinegar to the rinse cycle and let the machine do the trick. Make it two cups if you want to deal with a heavy stink.

As you know, vinegar is a natural odor remover and there is no need to explain how effective it is.

Mind you that the vinegar should not be mixed with the detergent, mainly because it will neutralize its effect. Put simply, you should add the detergent separately of the vinegar. Note that the laundry won’t come out fresh as limes, no matter how hard you’re hoping it will. However, as it dries, the bad smell will go away eventually.

Method 2: The Baking Soda Solution

Prepare a solution of water and baking soda. Just add one cup of soda and fill the rest of the sink/container with water. Then soak your clothes for about half an hour. When the time has elapsed, do as in the previous method – put your laundry in the washing machine and wash as usual, adding the detergent you usually use.

The ingredients in the baking soda will help deal with bad odors. If you need more evidence about its efficiency, let me point out one thing. Baking soda is the main ingredient in many homemade deodorants, mainly because of its ability to absorb bad smells. 

Both methods work well for smelly clothing. Whether you want to freshen your gear or your work clothes, it’s strictly a matter of personal preferences. Determine for you which of the two methods works better for you. This means that you may have to experiment before you can tell which is the most convenient.

Alternative Methods

But what if none of the methods works? Well, there are other options as well. Check this out:

• There are a variety of specialty detergents which, added to the wash cycle, either along with the detergent or used separately, will make sure your clothes smell just fine when they dry. Search the stores for appropriate products and feel free to experiment. Just to name a few that may work for you, you can use Scent-A-Way, Tide Pus Febreze Sport, WIN, OdorKlenz, etc. Most of these cleaners not only remove bad odors, but also retain the color of the clothing and are used by many companies like TenancyCleaners W4.
• Who knew that good old freezer can help you eliminate bad odors. It may sound crazy but putting your clothes in the freezer will actually deal with the bad smells. Of course, make sure you put them in a plastic bag to keep them from direct contact with the cold.
• A natural method for dealing with the problem is to hang your clothes in the sunshine. Just make sure they are inside out. This is the greatest odor neutralizer that Mother Nature provides for us.
• In addition to the regular detergent you use, you may want to add another solution to boost the former’s effect. For example, you can use Charlie’s Soap or borax.
• Finally, make sure you use less detergent when washing your smelly clothes. Even though it seems illogical, it’s the best way to ensure that your stinky wash comes out odor-free. Using lots of detergent will cause build up in the fabric, which will prevent the product to work its magic.

Disclaimer: This Guest Post was written by someone other than the author of DeDivahDeals. The author of this post, has submitted their article to DeDivahDeals for the purpose of being published on this blog as a Guest Writer.

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