How to make your closet smell better and keep it smelling fresh
If you want to know how to make your closet smell good you need to use these awesome tips and ideas pronto.
Does your closet smell like a dirty sock? It could happen if you keep your shoes in there.
Does perhaps smell musty?
It is new and you want to get rid of the “new wardrobe smell”?
Or maybe you just want to keep your closet smelling good and nice?
Whatever your reason I have brilliant DIY home remedies and tips to keep your closet smelling good and fresh all day long.
Let’s learn how to get rid of closet smell!
How To Make Your Closet Smell Good With 15 DIY Remedies
How to freshen up a closet using these natural home remedies.
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1. DIY Closet Freshener
How to keep clothes smelling fresh in the closet?
Make a simple homemade closet freshener with essential oils and water to eliminate bad smells.
You will need 10 drops of the essential oils of your choice.
Mix the essential oils with a glass of water and transfer them to a bottle sprayer. Shake well.
Spray your closet with the freshener once a week, but make sure it is empty and clean. You don’t want to stain your clothes with essential oils.
Use the freshener with more or less frequency, depending on how long the fragrance lasts. For a variety of air fresheners for closets check this selection.
Love essential oils? Check the best-smelling essential oils for the home and how to use essential oils to scent a room.
2. Scented Sachets for Closets and Drawers
I love DIY scented sachets because you can make your closet smell like your favorite fragrance.
Scented sachets are easy to make and can be used in closets, dresser drawers, inside cupboards, shoes, or any other place you want to smell nice.
How to make and use scented sachets:
1 – Dried flowers or herbs
Pick your preferred dried herbs or flowers. Lavender is a top favorite, but you can also make scented sachets with dry rose petals, jasmine, calendula, rosemary, or hibiscus to name just a few.
You need to fill a small fabric sachet with the dried flowers/herbs of your choice. Add a few cinnamon sticks.
If you don’t have a fabric sachet use a pierced small plastic bag or even an envelope.
To intensify the smell, add a few drops of essential oil.
Close the bag or sachet with a ribbon or string.
Place it in the closet to get rid of unpleasant odors.
2 – Use grated soap
Another easy way to make a scented sachet is by using soap.
Choose your favorite soap and grate it. Fill the sachet with the soap and place it in your closet or drawer.
I have used an oatmeal soap bar with a vanilla scent that I made myself. I really like the smell and I’m using it to fill the organza bag.
For more ideas check out 7 easy DIY scented sachets and bag recipes.
3 – Citrus smell
If you like citrus fragrances then you have to make this scented sachet.
Peel one orange and one lemon (or more if you need to). You could use lime or grapefruit too.
You can dry the citrus zest in the sun, on top of the radiator, or in the oven, like I did. If you choose the oven, leave the citrus peels to dry for approx. 10 minutes in moderate oven temperature (about 180°C or 356°F).
Once dry cut them into smaller pieces and place them inside the sachet or bag.
If you want a stronger scent, sprinkle a few drops of citrus essential oils on top of the peels before placing them in the bag.
I used a small plastic bag and made tiny holes with a needle.
3. DIY Closet Odor Absorber
Whatever the smell in your closet there is one grain that can get rid of it. The humble rice! Rice absorbs liquids easily, so it’s not surprising that is often used as a natural agent to eliminate unpleasant smells and musty odors.
To use it fill small linen bags with dry rice. Close the bag with a piece of string, an elastic band, or even staples.
Another way is to mix the rice with baking soda and add a few drops of essential oil. Be sure the essential oil is dry before using them in clothes.
Place the bags in between your clothes or on your closet hangers.
If you are dealing with moisture place the sachets in the closet corners and change them every 2 weeks.
4. Get Rid of Mildew Smell In Closet
If your closet has mildew you need to get rid of it immediately because it will impregnate all your clothes with a nasty smell.
# First, don’t put wet clothes in your wardrobe. Make sure that all clothes and linen are completely dry before placing them in the closet.
# Take all the clothes out of the closet and if you can, expose them to sunlight to kill bacteria.
# Is there humidity in your closet? Try using a dehumidifier to create a drier environment and prevent the growth of mildew and mold.
# If you don’t mind using bleach, mix water with a splash of bleach. Clean the affected area and leave the doors open to ventilate.
Tea tree oil may just be the greatest natural mold and mildew killer of all. While it has a strong scent and is not nearly as cheap as vinegar, it has powerful fungus-killing abilities. You can either add two teaspoons of tea tree oil to two cups of water to spray onto affected surfaces or add a few drops to your vinegar mildew-killing solution.
# Chalk can absorb moisture. Place a few pieces of chalk in a small sachet. Make small holes and tie the bag with a string. Place in strategic places in your wardrobe.
5. Onion Smell In Closet
If your closet smells like onion, grated lemon peel with baking soda will do the trick. You could also add a few drops of essential oil such as lavender, or citrus.
Use a small bowl or container and place it inside your closet. Make sure the bowl is uncovered.
6. Eliminate Shoe Smell In Your Closet
One of the reasons I like to keep my clothes and my shoes separate is to prevent bad odor.
Things like moisture, sweaty shoes, and skin peeling can make shoes smell really bad.
If you keep your shoes in your closet make sure that they don’t stink. But, if they do, try this hack:
- Sprinkle baking soda or talcum powder inside them
- Shake them to even out the powder
- Place each shoe in a clean zipper plastic bag
- Keep them in the freezer for at least 24 hours
7. Old House Closet Smell
When a closet smells old is usually due to humidity. The first thing you need to do is make sure that there is no leakage on the wall that could be causing the smell. Also, make sure that your clothes do not have mold.
A great way to get rid of the old smell is coffee grounds. Fill a container with ground coffee and place it somewhere in your closet. Close the door and leave for one day or longer if necessary.
If the smell persists use activated charcoal. Place it in a container at the bottom of your wardrobe taking care not to stain your clothes.
8. Get Rid Of New Wardrobe Smell
Sometimes the smell of new furniture can be unpleasant.
So how do you eliminate “new smell in your closet”?
- Firstly leave the doors open to ventilate the wardrobe
- Clean it with abundant water and a splash of ammonia
- Mix 1 cup of white vinegar & 1 ltr of warm water to wash all surfaces
- Cut one scented soap into several pieces and place them in fabric bags
- You could also try slices of bread, a lemon cut in half, coffee grains, or a simple bowl of white vinegar,
9. Musty Smell In Closet
Does your closet smell musty? Try the following:
- locate and fix any moisture problems if you have one
- deodorize with white vinegar and a damp cloth
- place a bowl with baking soda and leave overnight or even longer
- buy scented sachets or make your own potpourri with dry flowers
- leave the doors open as often as you can
- use an air purifier device like this one
10. How to Keep Clothes Smelling Good in Drawers
To leave a nice scent in your drawers and closet make these scented wax tablets. They are very easy to make and you can add your favorite essential oils.
Tips to Keep Closet Smelling Fresh l DIY Homemade Linen Closet Deodorizers
DIY deodorizers and other things to make your closet smell good and amazingly fresh.
11. Cotton balls
A cheap and easy way to make your closet and linen smell nice is by soaking cotton balls in your favorite fragrance,
This could be your cologne, perfume, fabric softener, or essential oil.
Place them in a plastic container with a lid. Now make some small holes in the lid and put it inside your wardrobe.
12. Iron it!
Another way is to add one or two drops of your cologne or favorite perfume to the water in your iron. Don’t forget to shake it.
13. Fabric softener
Add a splash of fabric softener to warm water. Transfer to a spray bottle and shake well. Spray your linen sparingly from the distance.
14. Melted candle
Melt a small scented candle and add one spoon of olive oil. Let it cool and wipe the walls of your closet using a cloth.
15. Dryer Sheets
One of my favorite hacks to get rid of bad smells in closets, and drawers are dryer sheets. I place them everywhere: in my closet, in drawers, between sheets and towels, in the utility cupboard, and inside the shoes.
When the scent starts to fade, I add a few drops of my preferred essential oil or perfume and rub the dryer sheets to spread the aroma, then use them again.
When using this smelling hack, make sure that the essential oil is dry to prevent it from staining your clothes.
Do you need help organizing your closet? Check the ideas below:
- brilliant Closet Organization Hacks to make the most of your space.
- 15 Brilliant Baby Closet Storage Ideas and Organization Tips.
- how to Organize Baby Clothes Without A Closet
- how to organize linens without a linen closet
- tips to help you clean and organize your home
10 Best Essential Oils For Closet Odors
What essential oils are good choices for a nice and fresh-smelling wardrobe?
- Lavender
- Rose
- Lemon
- Orange
- Frankincense
- Grapefruit
- Peppermint
- Eucalyptus
- Tea tree oil
- Cedarwood
