fabrics in drawers and wardrobes

It's not so much a "fresh" smell, but better than a "stored in a drawer" smell - I take those little inserts from ads and magazines that have scent samples, and toss one in the drawer. I try to stick to the ones I like the smell of, of course, and find that they really don't have a lot of oomph once you take them out, but they have just enough to make a pleasant smell in the drawer.

I like the odor of cedar, so I use the little cedar balls like:

Beverly

I put an unwrapped cake of soap (that has a nice smell) in.

You might consider taking the drawers out altogether, cleaning and airing them a bit, and then relining them with some kind of paper. Scented drawer liners are so nice, and they absorb the "old drawer" smell that antique chests always have.

I like to throw in a handful of mulling spice or cloves. It's best to wrap it first in cheese cloth so it doesn't stain fabric. Juno

I put dryer sheets in the linen closets. That's what the sheets smell like after I launder them. So putting the dryer sheets in the closet too makes them smell like they just came out of the dryer. :)

Sharon

I like the tiny cedar balls, because they remind me of grandma's house.

I seem to recall that you are somewhere in the Sydney region? If my recall of your location is right, could it be due to the high humidity of the area? Perhaps putting some lavendar sachets in their might work or just be ready to give them a washing agian at the beginning of the season.

Lavender seems to be the most frequently mentioned aroma and it's always my first choice. My drawers don't smell

but I think lavender is the freshest scent of all.

I collect sprigs of lavender and tie them and put them among clothes, I put a few drops of lavender oil on a bit of soft cotton and put them in the folds of clothes which are to be stored for a few months, my family often gives me lavender soap, talc, water and bath oil (because they know I love it and they don't have to tax their brains for presents) and I keep the unwrapped soap among underwear until I need the soap. Empty containers of the other products are also put among stored clothing, they emit their scent for a surprisingly long time.

Like someone else, though, I do wonder about why your drawers smell stale, I haven't known that even with my C19th large chest of drawers. If you can it would be a good idea to take them out of the carcase, give them a good scrub and a thorough airing. Paper liners do smell nice and fresh when new, I've no idea how long the fragrance lasts though because I've never used them. My old chest is lined with blue sugar paper, well stuck down. It's been like that since new, apparently.

I also wonder if anyone in your house smokes? When I smoked everything in the house, even in drawers, had a stale smell. It was particularly noticable when I gave up the weed and my husband didn't until a year later. Some houses and their occupants and clothes have an odour of stale frying, it clings for a long time even on the cleanest clothing. Then there's the problem which happens when fabrics aren't thoroughly dried after laundering, they develop a distinctive odour over time. We're just back from a weekend with a son's family, their spare bedding had this problem and we daren't say anything :-)

Please don't be offended by any of these comments, it's not an accusation of lack of hygiene, just possibilities I've noticed from my own experience. We don't smoke or fry any more, our house just smells of beeswax I'm told - although I can't detect it unless like this weekend we've been away for a few days.

Mary

A low-wattage incandescent light bulb in a wardrobe will keep it slightly warmer than the room, which will drive out the dampness that causes odors in sealed-up places. The light should be in the ceiling, same as if installed for the light, to be sure that nothing can fall onto it and start a fire. (Rather a pity, as it would work better if it warmed the closet from the bottom.)

I don't think it's been mentioned yet that it helps, after cleaning a drawer, to expose the inside to bright sunlight for as long as possible.

The first thing I did when we moved here was to put the airtight door off the walk-in closet into the attic and hang a curtain in its place. The walk-in closet smells *much* better now.

I had plenty of doorway curtains and tension rods, because some former owner of our previous house had ripped out all the doors between the rooms! Was convenient when it was too wet to dry clothes outside: shove the curtain to one side, hook a coat-hanger over the tension rod, and the air moving back and forth between the rooms would dry the shirt or whatever in a hurry. (The way air currents concentrate at doorways explains why one keeps tripping over the cat: it's a good place to sniff what's going on.)

Luckily, the closet in the sewing room has sliding doors which don't seal well, so stench in the stash has not been a problem.

Joy Beeson

I just got a book from Florida, an older book. When I opened the package, that smell about knocked me over. You know how odors trip memories? Well, I lived there for many years, and this was a transport in time. But now the book is in a plastic bag with a Renewzit. The same thing happened when my cousin sent me a suitcase packed full of things from my parents house when she cleaned it out. Eau de Florida.

Back then, I always had a light in my closets and kept them on all the time. Never bought leather, or anything with metal trim, to avoid the green growth and the rust. What a change the Nevada desert is!

Definitely no offence taken. I loved reading all the ideas. Thank you all.

My wardrobes and drawers are "modern" cheaper melamine type. No one smokes in the house - although the man next door does :-)

It's a bearable smell, but if visitors come suddenly, and I have to get the spare sheets out - well. :-(

I am going to try some of the ideas. Thanks again.

Love this group - so helpful {{{{{ HUGS }}}}}

Katherine

Hello,

I'm not sure if this will help you or not, but all my drawers are lined with inexpensive flannel backed table cloth vinyl. It's easily cut to any size or shape drawer and can be machine washed & dryed (just a few minutes in the dryer). For me I spray a bit of perfume on the flannel size to make it smell nicer. When I change scents, I toss the liners into the washer. My husband, however, does not like any scent at all. When my boys were babies I sprinkled a bit of baby powder on the flannel side. I wrap removeable cloest shelves with the vinyl too. For those you staple gun one edge of the vinyl along the long side of the shelf, wrap around, and staple again being careful to avoid the first row of staples. Works like a charm and allows you to be very creative in matching colors / patterns to the room decor.

Ward 387

I think it may be due to the humidity in your climate if you are in the coastal climes. I live in the dry inland and am the world's lousiest housekeeper (even though I do have a good reputation for knowing what to do for spots, cleaning tips etc) and I have no problems with the storage smell. And sometimes my stuff can be in the cupboard for longer than just one season before they get an outing.

Good luck with it but I think the only improvement to the situation might be to either move inland or disguise it somehow or keep a set of sheets out airing somewhere on the offchance of surprise visitors - of course that latter would work well too - being ready means no surprise guests. I find I get them when my house looks like 50 bombs have hit it rather than only the usual 10 have been deployed.

That just might be the problem. Some plastics exude organic chemicals, they're not harmful but might be absorbed by your fabrics over time.

If the drawers are well fitting there won't be a chance for ventilation.

It's a thought ...

Sprinkle lavender water or cologne on the sheets - not enough to make them sodden of course! Your guests will think your bed gives the best sleep ever :-)

Mary