Six Effortless Tips for Wiping Out Closet Odors

Start de-funkifying your closets by taking everything out and giving them a good, deep clean. Grab your favorite all-purpose cleaner and a slightly damp rag, and wipe down all closet surfaces - walls, baseboards, hanging rods, everything. 

Be sure to let everything dry thoroughly before you put your things back inside. Carpets and wallpaper can make a delightful home for stinky pet dander, dust mites, and mold. You may want to consider removing the carpets from your closets completely to reduce smells. If you need something to cover the closet floors, consider using doormats or small, removable rugs - these can be disinfected and aired out in the sun.

One of the biggest issues with keeping a closet fresh is the lack of airflow. This can be easily addressed by adding a fan or an air vent. Stagnant air can become humid, which helps odor-causing bacteria to flourish. Air circulation also makes it much harder for bacteria and mold to take root. In 14 Ways to Prevent Mold Growth in Your Closets, Innovative Home Storage notes several tips for fighting the war against potential mold in your custom closets.

Building on the above tip, plastic bags and storage boxes can also be an enemy in the battle against bad odors. These impermeable materials trap stale air and yucky microscopic materials in your clothes and bedding. 

Wicker, wire, and cloth baskets can be used to store items out of sight safely, and you can line these with dryer sheets for some extra oomph. Hanging your clothes neatly with room to breathe can also help alleviate pesky smells - and make sure they aren’t still damp!

If you live somewhere wet, you might consider purchasing a dehumidifier. Lifestyle site Bustle recommends several small, affordable ones specifically for small areas. Installing an incandescent bulb inside your closet can also help keep things from getting moist. 

Another great idea is to keep an open box of baking soda inside of your closets. Just make sure it’s in a safe spot away from kids or pets. Sachets of baking soda can also be added to drawers or laundry hampers. Also, never store dirty clothes or shoes in your closets!

There are tons of things around the house you can use to freshen and deodorize your closets. Dryer sheets, for example, can be placed on the top shelf, inside shoes, or wrapped around the hanging bars. Wrap unused bars of soap or herbal tea in cloth bags and place them around your closets for a subtle organic scent.

Wooden hangers retain scent - spritz a few with your favorite cologne or perfume. Essential oils are also incredibly useful. Just add a few drops to a reed diffuser and let them do their thing. The most delightful essential oils for a closet space include bergamot, grapefruit, lavender, and lemongrass.

Activated charcoal is a potent tool in your arsenal against foul smells. It’s a fine, dark powder made from ingredients such as coconut shells, petroleum coke, coal, olive pits, and sawdust. It’s an extremely powerful air purifier that also eats mold spores for dinner, and is super affordable. Just place a small block in a fabric sack and it will immediately get to work destroying tough odors. 

It’s certainly not hopeless -These tips and tricks will definitely solve your stinky closet problems. Just remember to relax and keep breathing, and you might even enjoy tackling these pesky housekeeping challenges.

Sources

• https://www.innovativehomestorage.com/14-ways-to-prevent-mold-growth-in-your-closets
• https://www.bustle.com/p/the-4-best-closet-dehumidifiers-22806447