Clothes that have a subtle scent of lavender: find out how to do this in a few simple steps
Wearing clothes that smell fresh and clean is always a pleasure, and correct washing and drying is not enough to guarantee this: sometimes clothes can take on an unpleasant odor that's inside drawers or closets. And this is especially true when we open up these storage areas very often.
So, what can be done? In addition to keeping the furniture itself clean, taking steps to deal with humidity build-up - and the musty smell it causes - becomes a prime concern. And in terms of scenting our clothes pleasantly, we can turn to using a much beloved plant: lavender. Let's find out more:
What to do about musty-smelling furniture
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Using deodorants is not very effective if the root causes of the musty smell are not dealt with. So, how do we do this?
The first habit to get into is to periodically open up drawers closet to allow them to air out. Do the same with any clothes which have been stored in these locations for long periods.
The musty small is primarily caused by humidity: therefore using rock salt and/or baking soda to absorb excess humidity inside dark, closed-up closets and drawers should be made a priority action.
Additionally, to combat humidity and unpleasant odors, you can use small bowls of activated charcoal to absorb these elements. And you don't have to throw the charcoal away once it has reached its saturation level: if you leave the charcoal out in the sun for a few hours, it can be reused!
Lavender for fresh-smelling clothes
There are essentially two ways to use lavender: using the flowers and leaves, or using its essential oil.
- Lavender flowers and leaves: although this plant has an intoxicating scent even when it is freshly picked, it still retains water and humidity, so there is the risk that fresh bunches of lavender placed in drawers and closets will rot.
This is why it is always recommended to dry the plant first, using both the leaves and the flowers. Whatever the drying method used (air, oven, sun, etc), when you have a few handfuls of properly dried leaves and flowers, you can put these into breathable bags.
You can buy these bags, make them yourself or use some other readily available resource (emptied-out tea bags, for instance).
Place these bags on the shelves, and amongst your clothes (inside the pockets of your coats, shirts or trousers, for example). Just remember to remove these before wearing or washing them!. Doing this, your clothes will smell great!
- Essential oil: There are also various ways to use lavender essential oil. You can again use breathable bags (as described above) into which you have put Epsom salts, or table salt, or baking soda, mixed in with two or three drops of essential oil.
Instead of using bags, these ingredients can be mixed in small bowls which you can then put into drawers and closets.
Finally, you can add a few drops of lavender essential oil to a spray bottle containing water (preferably distilled) and denatured alcohol (three or four tablespoons per half liter of water will be fine), ready to spray on clothes whenever necessary.
Have you ever tried any of these methods?
