Not a fun topic, but many closets are full of odors. And all of the Lysol and Febreeze in the world will not put an end to them. The only way to eradicate any odor is to find the source.  And closets are particularly difficult, as we tend to just thrown things in there.  Several possible culprits of Closet Odor are:

1. Shoes – if you have lots of them, you probably have lots of shoe/foot odor
2. Laundry – dirty laundry, need I say more?
3. Coats – you may not realize it, but your coat carries odors from the outside.  [And if you wear a coat to Chuy's, DO NOT put it in the closet before washing!]
4. If any of these apply, odds are your nice, clean clothes are also absorbing these, making the whole closet a stinky mess.
5. And let’s not forget, bugs and rodents that may curl up and die under piles of old shoes and sweaters.

Luckily, our good friend Baking Soda can help tackle most of these – but you will still have to pick every thing up off the floor.  Sprinkle some in the carpet and let set for an hour before vacuuming.  Sprinkle some into your shoes before putting them back.

There’s not a lot you can do about dirty laundry, besides wash it.  Some hampers have a fabric liner – ours can be removed and laundered once a month.  If you use dryer sheets, instead of throwing them away, put them back in the laundry basket to help keep the odor down.  They’re also a good idea if you store any clothes in hanging bags, or space bags.  Would you believe dryer sheets deter insects?

Coats should be kept in the front hall closet, or a closet separate from your regular clothes, unless laundered and being stored until the next Season.  That will also keep the outside dirt and odors off your clean clothes.

The tough one to correct: how to keep the odors from permeating your wardrobe.  First off, you can start be removing any thing that you have not worn in over a year.   The longer items have sat in the closet, the more they have absorbed. You could tumble some items in the dryer with a wet cloth and a fresh dryer sheet.  Or you could wash them again – but  I do not recommend using Febreeze, Lysol, or Oust on clothes you will eventually wear.

Click on the box of baking soda on the right, and you’ll go straight to Arm & Hammer’s website where you can learn more about how Baking Soda can make life easier for you. It’s less than $1/per box. How could you go wrong?

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