Does your winter coat smell musty? Prepare a natural clothes deodorizing spray

How can we get by without our heavy winter coats at this time of the year? Every year, when it's time to dig out these warm garments from the closet, they sometimes carry an unpleasant, 'musty' smell from being stored away for so long. Even if we've washed and dried them thoroughly before storing them at the end of the last cold season, this odor can still develop and persist. In most cases, the culprit is humidity in the closet, possibly leading to the development of mold.

To deal with this, the first step is to let the garments air out for a bit. Take them out of the closet and hang them in a well-ventilated area, ideally exposed to sunlight (which is a great, natural sterilizer in itself). This often helps eliminate the unpleasant odor. However, if it persists, you have two options: either wash everything again or continue airing out the garments/coats while simultaneously using fabric deodorants. And you can even make these deodorants at home using natural ingredients!

Deodorize coats with a lavender scent

Creativo

With just 3 ingredients, you can prepare a DIY deodorant that lasts a long time and can be used on winter coats (as well as other clothing and even household linen). Here's what you need:

• A spray bottle (preferably in glass) with a fine mist sprayer. Recommended capacity: 500 ml
• Distilled water - to avoid impurities in regular water that could spoil the scent of the product or damage fabrics.
• Pure vodka: alcohol is needed to carry and fix the fragrances. Unscented vodka, even of low quality, works well. Alternatively, you can use disinfectant alcohol (such as isopropyl) that does not have a strong odor.
• Essential oils of your choice: you can use a single oil or a mix according to your tastes or following recipes. A perfect trio for this type of deodorant is tea tree (10 drops, and which helps combat mold and fungi), lavender, and lemon (each, 20-25 drops).

Preparation:

• Pour 120 ml of the vodka into the bottle.
• Add the essential oils.
• Shake to mix.
• Add 120 ml of distilled water.
• Mix again and close the bottle.

Whenever you want to use this deodorant, shake it up a bit and spray it at a distance of 20 cm from the garment/s.

The quantity of alcohol in this recipe is high in order to neutralize bad odors (it also works against sweat). So, if you want to use this product on delicate fabrics, it's better to prepare the mixture with a lower proportion of alcohol to water ratio. For example, you can use just 60 ml of vodka. The deodorant will be lighter but safer for delicate materials.

Regarding leather specifically, try it first on inconspicuous areas first to see if the spray will damage the garments.

Enhancing the deodorizer with baking soda

senivpetro/Freepik

Some deodorant recipes include baking soda - usually one or two tablespoons are enough. This certainly works well in absorbing odors, but can leave stains on some fabrics.

The best way to use baking soda is to dissolve it first in hot water before adding it to the spray. Again, test on a hidden part of the garment to check if any stains are produced.

How do you deal with your winter coats if they come out of storage smelling musty?