Mold and bad smell in the closet - how to get rid of

Smells are an integral part of our life. Some give us pleasure, and their unpleasant manifestations create a lot of problems to eliminate them.

wardrobe
Permanently closed cabinet doors contribute to the formation of a special microclimate in the furniture with its own humidity.

Many housewives do not know how to get rid of the smell in the closet with clothes and begin to re-wash the clothes. This will help remove the scent for a short time, but you need to find the source and prevent it from occurring.

wardrobe photo
Many housewives, with unpleasant surprise, often notice that things taken out of the closet have a characteristic aroma.

How to eliminate musty smell in your wardrobe

When an unpleasant odor appears from clothes, there are many ways to get rid of it, but you cannot do without a complete audit of the linen and drastic measures to eliminate the source.

wardrobe with clothes at home
Let's look at how to remove odor in the closet, as well as the main ways to prevent its appearance.

If mold has started in a house or apartment, it is dangerous not only for clothes, but also harms the health of all residents. The source of the occurrence can be a closet in which things or air humidity are stored improperly.

smell in the closet
To know how to effectively eliminate unpleasant amber from things, you need to know why it appears.

Thorough drying

The first medicine to eliminate the unpleasant effects of high humidity in the room. Leave the cabinet doors slightly open for air circulation, and do not stack the laundry in tight piles.

open cabinet
Bringing in fresh air is the best and most affordable way to freshen things up in your wardrobe.

It is necessary to monitor the moisture content of clothes that are folded on the shelves. Rolled up underdried laundry will become a source of musty odor and you will have to get rid of it.

Odor absorbers

They will help for a short time, but they may not be able to cope if you do not carry out a general cleaning of all surfaces.

Stores sell special devices to absorb odors, but there are natural remedies that are also effective and are always available in the house.

Odor absorbers
Additionally, it is also possible to disinfect the accumulated air.

Ground coffee beans, activated carbon powder, table salt and soda, mixed in equal proportions and placed in open jars on the shelves, absorb excess moisture and eliminate odors. The mixture should be changed once a week.

coffee
The aroma of coffee is capable of overpowering many odors. The grains need to be fried, placed in a wardrobe whole or ground.

Using a sachet

Linen bags with dry aromatic herbs will not only absorb the smell of mustiness, tobacco and sweat, but also spread a pleasant aroma.

You can make a sachet yourself. Buy herbs that smell like a pleasure from the pharmacy, add dried orange, lemon or tangerine zest, mix with coarse sea salt, and arrange in small bags on the shelves.

spice sachet
The bags are placed in different parts of the wardrobe.

The sachet will need to be replaced in 3-8 weeks, depending on the moisture content and persistence of the fragrance to be removed.

Washing clothes and washing the closet

Regular damp cleaning of surfaces with detergent will keep clothes fresh and eliminate musty odors.If white spots appear on the walls of the furniture, which indicate the growth of mold, treatment with strong compounds is necessary.

cleaning the closet
All things should be removed from the wardrobe, washed and sorted. If necessary, dry-clean anything that cannot be washed on your own.

Home remedies for mold removal:

  • two tablespoons of 9% vinegar diluted in a liter of water;
  • baking soda solution: 2-3 tablespoons per liter;
  • 10 drops of hydrogen peroxide or ammonia per liter of water will remove odors.

It is necessary to wipe all surfaces with one of the compounds, leave for 2-3 hours and wash the walls and shelves with a detergent. After using peroxide, alcohol and vinegar, the smell of these products remains, a sachet or flavor will help.

flavors in the closet
It is important to dry and ventilate the cabinet well, leaving all doors open for a couple of days.

A large fabric softener wash will prevent the formation of an unpleasant odor, which must be subjected to all items in the closet.

Airing

If the furniture is used for clothing for all seasons. In summer, hang coats, fur coats and fur hats in sunlight to prevent moths and help get rid of mustiness.

filling the wardrobe
Before leaving the house, it is worth periodically opening all the doors, pulling out the drawers. While no one is at home, things can "breathe".

It is necessary to ventilate all clothes that are rarely worn. It is better to treat things with a steam generator before hanging them in the light, which will eliminate the source of the aroma.

Milk bath

The acid present in milk does a good job of spreading mold and getting rid of mustiness, smoke and sweat odors.

You need to free the cabinet from things, bring milk to a boil, put the hot container on the shelf and close the doors tightly until it cools completely.

boiled milk
Milk has long been used to eliminate mold and unpleasant odors.

Condensation formed on the walls must be washed off with water and detergent, preferably with a citrus scent, and leave the cabinet for airing for 24 hours.

Flavors

Many gadgets are sold in stores that exude a pleasant scent for a long time. Usually it is a small plastic container filled with mixtures that gradually part with pleasant smells. Enough 2-3 pieces laid out on the shelves and for several months you can forget about the mustiness.

fresheners in the cupboard
Today, any hardware store also has a wide range of ready-made fragrances.

You can use pleasant-smelling soap and candles as a source.

What to make a do-it-yourself flavoring agent:

  • citrus peels, pre-dried in the oven, relieve mustiness for 4-6 weeks;
  • an apple cut in half, will absorb the unpleasant odor and give the linen freshness, you just need to remember to remove it after 1-2 days;
  • a few drops of aromatic oil or your favorite perfume applied to a cloth napkin will remove the mustiness from the cabinet;
  • cinnamon sticks, vanillin and herbs in a bag will relieve the effects of mold formation for a long time.

The main thing you need to know is that if dirty clothes are stored in the closet along with clean ones, then the flavors are powerless. Highlight a separate section in your closet for casual and infrequent wear.

What not to use against bad odor

If pets live in the house, it is worth refusing to use solutions for washing and fragrances with a pungent smell. Vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, chlorine and ammonia are unpleasant for animals and they will try to kill the source of the aroma with their marks. For cleaning surfaces, it is best to use a baking soda solution that does not leave odors.

soda solution
Also, baking soda is placed in open saucers in the corners of the wardrobe, periodically replaced with fresh one.

Keep cats who like to sleep on a soft bed in the closet with clothes, otherwise the shelf will become a permanent place to sleep, which will not add pleasant aromas to the linen.

Do not use deodorants, perfumes or eau de toilette on your clothes - this can leave stains. To scent the air with your favorite perfume, it is best to use a cloth with a few drops applied to it.

perfume
The best option is the use of floral aromas.

A combination of several aromas in a closed space of furniture can create an unpredictable result, and you will have to rewash all linen, wash and air the cabinet for a long time.

What causes a bad smell in the closet

There may be many reasons for the occurrence. And most housewives think about how to get rid of mold in the wardrobe and do not consider options for destroying the source.

smell in the closet photo
Poorly dried items placed in the closet dry slowly and contaminate other clothes with the smell of dampness.

Causes of mold and bad odor and how to deal with them:

  1. High humidity in the apartment. Air dehumidifiers, regular ventilation of the room and opening the cabinet doors will help.
  2. Furniture close to the wall can be a source of mold. There must be a distance of at least 10-15 cm between the wall and the cabinet for normal air circulation.
  3. Dust can be a breeding ground for pathogenic bacteria and mold, and clothing attracts it. Regularly carry out wet cleaning in the apartment and wipe the shelves and walls of furniture.
  4. Improper storage of clothes. It is better to select separate shelves for linen made of synthetic and cotton fabrics. Synthetics absorb odors faster, but it is also easier to part with them when washing. The mustiness of cotton is more difficult to wash.
  5. Do not put poorly dried clothes in the closet, this is especially dangerous in winter, when clothes are brought into the house from the street after washing. Dry your laundry at room temperature.
  6. Do not store clean clothes and worn clothes together on the same shelf. Use the hangers in the large compartment for casual dresses, T-shirts and trousers.
  7. When getting rid of odors in the closet, do not use several strong scents at the same time - this can have an unpleasant effect.
  8. Regularly sorting and inspecting clothing for contamination, hanging it out and washing it will help prevent mold and its effects.

Subject to the rules of washing, drying and storing things and using fragrances, clothes will always exude a scent of freshness and cleanliness. And housewives will not have to get rid of the unpleasant effects of mold in the closet.

flavors in the closet
Proper storage of things, taking care of their safety will make the house clean and healthy.

Video: how to get rid of the smell in the closet

https://youtu.be/BnItlnEXTxw

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