Last updated on June 30th, 2023 at 09:24 pm
According to research, smell has a powerful effect on humans. Scents that evoke positive memories can increase positive emotions, eliminate negative moods, disrupt cravings, and reduce physiological symptoms of stress. Bad smells, on the other hand, can have a very negative effect. Strong odors can cause coughing, wheezing, and other breathing problems. And if an odor lasts long, it may trigger negative moods and increase anxiety and stress levels.
Most closets are small, and because they hold plenty of clothes (some worn often, some forgotten for years), scents can linger. You can’t have bad scents lingering in your happy place. Fortunately for you, we have many cool tricks that will make your closet smell better immediately.
Don’t rush to buy candles. You can make your closet smell good with vanilla extract, potpourri, and other natural elements. Your bedroom is your sanctuary and, the last thing you want is to feel unsettled every time you enter the room. Use these 5 tips to make your closet smell good for good.
Use Scented Dryer Sheets
After using dryer sheets, don’t toss them. Used dryer sheets still have enough fragrance and can make your closet and clothes smell better. Put them in the pockets of infrequently worn clothes or in the corners of closet shelves and drawers. Because you use the same sheets for the laundry, you won’t have to worry about conflicting scents. Dryer sheets can make out-of-season clothes smell fresh until you need them again.
Add Essential Oils
You can use essential oils in the wash or in the closet. Add a few drops of the oil during the final rinse cycle. You can also put a few drops on a clean washcloth and toss it in the dryer with your clothes. It will lightly scent your garments as they dry. To make your closet smell good, mix your favorite essential oil with a little water, put the mixture in a spray bottle, and lightly spray your clothing.
Tuck in Potpourri Pouches
To give your clothes a natural fragrance, make small sachets of potpourri and place them in closet corners, drawers, and shelves. Tucking little sachets of potpourri will keep your clothes smelling nice. You can put potpourri in the pockets of clothes you don’t wear often to keep them smelling fresher for longer. The fragrant dried petals and spices can also be placed in suitcases, storage cabinets, coats, and even shoes.
Add Citrus Rind
The next time you’re eating a juicy orange, don’t waste its skin. Use it to make your closet smell fresh. Grate or peel the rind and place it in the sun to dry. Put the rind in breathable pouches and put them in your closet. Orange peels can eliminate odors and can also be used in refrigerators to eliminate bad smells. The pouches will absorb odors and leave behind a sweet, pleasant aroma.
Place Soap Bars Strategically
Soap bars can infuse their surroundings with powerful scents. Use strongly-scented soaps like the ones made by Dove and Olay. Wrap the soap bar with a light fabric and put it in the closet. We recommend using a thin fabric as it allows the fragrance to pass through and also protects your clothes from the soap. Your clothes will smell better than they have in a while.
My Closet Smells Musty: What to Do?
The first thing you should do if your closet smells musty is to clean it thoroughly. Here’s what you should do:
- Remove everything in the closet and place it on your bed or in storage containers.
- In a large container, mix a few drops of dishwashing liquid with some water.
- Dip a clean sponge in the mixture and squeeze it till it’s slightly damp then clean your closet.
- Dip a soft cloth in clean water and wipe the closet.
- Open the closet doors completely for a few hours so the place can dry well. Cleaning will only do half the job, a closet needs plenty of fresh air to smell fresh.
How to Make Walk-In Closet Smell Good
There are lots of things you can do to make your walk-in closet smell good. Remove everything in the closet, clean it, and air it out. Afterward, place herb sachets of lavender or dried thyme in the closet—or scented bars of bath soap. If you love the smell of wood, you can add cedar or sandalwood bars. Dryer sheets and even ground coffee can also make a foul-smelling closet smell amazing.
Closet Deodorizer DIY
Want to save a few bucks by making your own closet deodorizer? Here’s how to make closet deodorizer DIY using simple ingredients found in your home.
Essential Oils Closet Deodorizer DIY
- Put 10-12 drops of essential oil into a spray bottle. Make sure it’s a scent you love because you’ll be smelling it for a long time.
- Add 1/2 cup of white vinegar and 1/2 cup of plain water.
- Shake the bottle to mix the ingredients then spray the mixture on your clothes.
Baking Soda and Essential Oils Closet Deodorizer DIY
- Put a tablespoon of baking soda on the center of a cloth
- Add a few drops of essential oil
- Secure the cloth with a rubber band
- Repeat the process to make many sachets
- Place the sachets in your closets, drawers, shoes, and shelves to absorb bad odors
- Alternatively, you can put baking powder in different sachets and place them in different spots in the closet. The chemical is a powerful deodorizer on its own
How to Stop Clothes Smelling Musty In Wardrobe
Wardrobe is the British word for closet. Americans call it a closet while our neighbors abroad call it a wardrobe. Now that that’s out of the way, here’s what you should do to stop clothes from smelling musty in your wardrobe.
- Take everything out. Set aside any clothes with a bad smell to be washed.
- Inspect your wardrobe for potential sources of the smell. If it’s mold, eliminate it with a mold cleaner; if it’s pet urine, use commercial pet urine cleaners.
- Dust or vacuum the wardrobe. Use a clean sponge or a soft cloth to clean the wardrobe’s interior then leave it to dry. Airing out the space will get rid of the smell.
- If the smell lingers, put baking soda in a small container and leave it in the wardrobe overnight to absorb bad odors. If the smell isn’t gone by the next day, use a fresh batch of baking soda.
How to Keep Closets Smelling Fresh Naturally
To keep closets smelling fresh naturally, you have to choose products that actually remove the odor rather than mask it. The best thing you can do for the space is to purify the air instead of adding more chemicals through artificial fragrances. Here’s how to keep closets smelling fresh naturally.
- Use pieces of bamboo to remove moisture and mildew smell
- Add deodorizer pouches with activated charcoal. Activated charcoal is very effective at eliminating odors
- Place shoe deodorizers in shoes if you keep shoes in your closet
- Use natural odor eliminator gel
- Add cedar blocks to the closet
What Is the Best Closet Deodorizer?
We usually recommend products based on customer reviews, and according to Amazon customers, these three are the best closet deodorizers.
- Febreze Plug-in Air Freshener and Odor Eliminator
- MYARO Scented Sachets for Drawers and Closets
- Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Scent Sachets
How to Keep Clothes Smelling Fresh in Drawers
Everyone likes the smell of freshly washed laundry. But it’s not always possible to have fresh-smelling clothes because you may wear some more than others. The weather also dictates the clothes you wear. Clothes left in drawers for a long time can start smelling musty. To keep them smelling fresh, use these simple hacks that have worked for us.
- Clean your drawers regularly
- Put a few drops of essential oil on clean cloths and place them in the drawers
- Add potpourri pouches and sachets
- Get scented drawer liners
- Put baking soda in containers and place them in the drawers
- Add bars of soap to drawers
- Add coffee grounds to absorb bad odors
- Spray the clothes with air fresheners
- Place perfumed tissue paper in the drawers
- Put strong-smelling wood, like cedar or sandalwood, in breathable containers and place them in the drawers
- Put activated charcoal in small pouches and place them in the drawers
- Use citrus rind pouches for a fresh scent
There you have it! That’s how to make a closet smell good permanently. Use our helpful tips to make your closet lovelier.