Whilst storing summer clothes away can help provide much needed space for homeowners, it can often lead to unpleasant, musty smells sticking to the clothes when it is time to where them next.
One expert has provided her top tips to avoid those musty smells when you bring clothes out of storage.
Melissa Denham, Storage Expert at Hammonds Furniture, said: “Understandably, mould, mildew, and musty smells can bring great concern to those unpacking their winter clothing from storage, however the majority of the time, these problems can be eliminated from the source with as little as a wash and dry and some patience.
“There are multiple other ways you can eliminate these common issues once taken out of storage, however the best way to prevent these smells from occurring is to air out your clothes in storage throughout the summer months, to give them the best possible chance of eliminating moisture and maintaining the freshness of your garments.”
These are her top tips to bring your clothes back to life and smelling great.
Scrub off any visible mildew or mould
When clothes are stored away for extended periods of time, they are often sealed away which causes moisture to become trapped in the container and seep into the fabric – this is what causes the musty smell that we have all experienced at some point, and it is perfectly normal.
However, on occasion, mildew and/or mould can develop whilst stored away, which may cause panic to some people, so the first thing to do is to psychically scrub off any visible abnormalities and let the garment sit in the sun to air out the bad smell.
Just be careful of the scrubber catching your clothing, you want to use something that will disturb the mould but not harm the material itself – the back of a sponge pad should work brilliantly for this with most garments.
Get them in the washing machine
After your clothes have been stored away for four, five or maybe even six months, it’s no surprise that all it may take is a wash cycle with some good quality detergent and fabric softener to remove any pungent or nasty smells from your favourite winter garms.
For added comfort, consider using a scented detergent to add to the freshness and to help combat those smells to the depths of the washing machine.
Household cupboard staples
Two excellent methods of combatting these smells could even lie as close as your kitchen cupboard in the form of baking soda and white vinegar!
Baking soda is great for picking up musty smells and even a superb disinfectant if you find your clothes have gathered mould whilst in storage – either soak your affected garments in baking soda for 30 minutes, or even use a half to a full cup directly into the washing machine and wash as normal, which could work out as at little as 50p of baking soda per load.
White vinegar can also be used and is a fantastic, versatile household staple, which is great for removing stronger, more prominent smells from your clothing – similarly to baking soda, you can presoak in water, with a cup of white vinegar mixed in for a few hours, or even fill the fabric softener tray with up to half a cup per load.
Use natural sources
Sometimes the best way to remove smells and other odours that have been in storage all summer is to expose them to the elements.
After you’ve washed your stored garments, make sure to dry them outside in direct sunlight, however where this isn’t possible, place as close to a window with good ventilation and direct sunlight as possible.
Fresh air brings natural airflow, and the sunlight helps to speed up the drying process, both of these helps enormously in aiding you to get rid of those nasty smells and revitalising your winter wardrobe once again.
