Blog Post

How to Maintain a Fresh Smelling Closet

George Chowanec • May 13, 2020

Your custom closets are beautifully designed. You just wish they smelled half as nice as they looked. Although you try to only keep clean clothing in your closets, there are some less-than-pleasant odors in there that just never seem to go away. How do you get rid of bad smells in a closet?

To keep your custom closet smelling fresh, try these 9 methods:

Use air fresheners
Add activated charcoal
Toss in a few perfumed cotton balls
Clean with vinegar
Get scented hangers
Place a bar of scented soap in the closet
Try some coffee grounds
Rely on essential oils
Hide a dryer sheet or two

Keep reading for more information on how to keep your closets smelling fresh and fragrant. You’ll even learn more about where those awful closet smells come from. You won’t want to miss it!

What Causes Bad Smells in a Closet?

First thing’s first, why does your closet smell? Given that closets are enclosed spaces, a few culprits could be causing those nose-pinching scents you so badly want to erase from your home. Here’s an overview of each of the common causes.

Dirty Clothes

You may clean all of your clothes before hanging them in your custom closet, but if you have a big family, do they all do the same thing? Most garments should be washed after wearing them once. Otherwise, the sweat and dirt on the clothing are left to sit in a tight, dark space where the odors worsens.

To make your clothes even more appealing to your olfactory senses, use scented detergent or dryer sheets when you wash and dry the laundry.

Stinky Shoes

The shoes stashed in your closet could also cause those alarming aromas. Like your clothing, sweat gets trapped in your footwear. Your feet are actually one of your sweatiest body parts, as they contain a multitude of sweat glands–250,000 in all!

Combining sweat plus a warm, closed environment like a shoe, creates a perfect environment for bacteria to develop. These bacteria, if untreated, will make your shoes smell awful. A sprinkling of baking soda on the interior of the shoes left overnight should fix most odors. If not, then it may be time for a new pair of shoes.

Mildew

If it gets a little humid and damp in your closet, mildew will happily breed there. Mildew, a type of fungus, has a powdery look most of the time. You can tell it apart from mold since mildew is almost always white.

The odor of mildew has been described as musty and pungent. It also tends to stick around, so even if you clear your closet of all mildew, the smell might remain for a few days longer.

Dust

When was the last time you dusted your closet? If you can’t quite recall off the top of your head, that’s a problem. A fine layer of dust won’t offend your nostrils, but a buildup does indeed have a scent. It’s not a good one either.

Dust is comprised of dirt, insects, pet dander and hair, pollen, and dead skin, so the smell is a musty one. Grab your duster ASAP!

9 Tips for a Fresher-Smelling Custom Closet

Now that you’ve identified some causes of unpleasant closet odors, you can begin tackling the problem head-on. Here’s an explanation of the solutions presented in the intro and why each solution works effectively.

Air Fresheners

You mostly hang them in your car, but air fresheners can go just about anywhere you can attach them, including in your custom closet. Choose your favorite scent, such as a deep floral aroma or a calming lavender one. Then hang one or two air fresheners up in your closet and enjoy.

An air freshener lasts 30 to 45 days, giving you about a month of great scents. Do keep in mind that air fresheners only mask the scents in your closet and don’t treat them at the source.

Activated Charcoal

Luckily, that’s not the case with activated charcoal. Not only does it purify the air, but it also absorbs terrible odors as well. If you’re at risk of mold developing in your closet, activated charcoal can also work hard to eradicate the mold before it becomes a real problem.

You can get activated charcoal in all sorts of forms, including blocks and bags. It’s a good idea to let the activated charcoal get some sunlight every day, for several hours. This lets out all of the foul smells, so they don’t sit accumulating in your closet. Then it can go right back in your closet for more odor capturing magic.

On average, activated charcoal is good for upwards of two years before you need more.

Perfumed Cotton Balls

If you prefer your air-freshening solution to be both physically appealing and functional, then you’ll love perfumed cotton balls. Dip them in your favorite perfume and then arrange the cotton balls artfully in a glass jar or container of your choice.

Make sure you cover the jar or container with an airtight lid with fabric. The fabric you choose should have enough space in the weaving to let the perfume gradually release through. Every few months, add new perfume-coated cotton balls and you will have a reliable means of fighting those unattractive closet smells.

Vinegar

Okay, vinegar doesn’t smell great compared to the other options discussed so far. However, it will improve the overall aroma of your custom closet since it works so hard as a deodorizer.

Grab a spray bottle and pour in a cup of water and then a cup of vinegar. Mist the interior of your closet every other week or so, focusing especially on your clothing. If you’re concerned about whether your clothes can withstand the vinegar, grab the garment in question, flip it inside out, and spray the edges only.

If nothing happens, then continue to spray away!

Scented Hangers

Everything comes scented these days, including your clothes hangers. Most have a lavender scent that will make putting away laundry much less stressful. You can also opt for aromatic cedar hangers, which have a naturally lovely smell. Even better, bugs hate these hangers, so you can keep your closet insect-free.

Wooden hangers are better for heavier garments as compared to wire hangers. Plus, they’ll cradle your clothes so they retain their shape. What’s not to love?

Scented Bar Soap

You probably keep most of your bar soap confined to the bathroom or kitchen, right? An unused, especially aromatic bar or two in your custom closet is also a great idea. In this instance, the stronger the smell, the better.

Take the bar soap, which should be completely unused, and cover it in fabric so there’s no exposed soap. You can then put the bar on top of a closet shelf, in a drawer, or wherever in your closet smells the most.

Coffee Grounds

The next time you go to make a cup of coffee, save some unused grounds for your closet. Although you wouldn’t think so, coffee grounds are quite adept at fighting off unwanted smells. The grounds act as an odor absorber so your closet smells more like a luxe café than a stinky locker room.

Put a can of coffee grounds in your closet, using a knife or screwdriver to make holes in the plastic lid. The coffee grounds will absorb the most odors for about 30 days, after which time, the can should be replaced.

Essential Oils

Essential oils have long been proven to be as good for your mind and body as they are for your nose. Thus, the oils make for a perfect solution to combat your smelly closet. If you want to add essential oils to your clothing, go for it! Your clothes will actually come out much cleaner. The aroma will stick around in your closet as well.

You have your pick when it comes to essential oils. Some great options include hyssop, geranium, rose, lemongrass, bergamot orange, clary, spearmint, frankincense, rosemary, lavender, and peppermint.

Dryer Sheets

Earlier in the section about how unwashed clothes can cause your closet to stink, you learned about the importance of dryer sheets. You can use dryer sheets outside of the laundry room as well. The next time your closet sends you running out pinching your nose, take a few unused dryer sheets and place them in your closet. The bad smells will soon dissipate.

Conclusion

If you’re contending with a stinky closet, the nine methods discussed above will assist in making the space smell substantially fresher. You also know why your closet began smelling in the first place, so you can act preventatively. Enjoy your fresh custom closet!

< Older Post Newer Post >