A few tricks on how to remove the smell from second-hand clothes at home with and without washing

Second-hand clothes are cheap, but have a significant drawback in the form of an unpleasant persistent smell. All things without exception are saturated with it.

It is for this reason that many refuse to purchase in such stores. The article will talk about how to completely remove the smell from second-hand items and not spoil them.

How to wash correctly?

The first thing that comes to mind is to wash unpleasant smelling things. However, regular washing does not always help to get rid of the persistent smell.

It is these chemicals that leave behind an unpleasant plume, which cannot be removed only with the help of washing powder.

Features of washing clothes from second-hand:

1. The water temperature should be the maximum allowable for the fabric. This will improve the quality of washing and wash out a maximum of harmful substances from things.
2. It is recommended to increase the powder dose by 1.5-2 times.
3. After washing, things should be rinsed thoroughly. If the treatment was carried out in a washing machine, then run at least 3 rinses.
4. It is recommended to dry washed clothes outdoors.
5. You should not put your usual clothes, let alone children's products, into the drum with second-hand items.

If the item is sewn from natural fabric, it will be easier to remove the unpleasant smell from it than from synthetic fibers. It should be borne in mind that the denser and thicker the material, the more efforts will have to be made.

Soaking is an important step in the fight against unpleasant odors. Liquid ammonia helps to eliminate it.

Procedure:

• 5 liters of water are collected in the basin;
• add 20 ml of 10% ammonia solution and stir;
• soak things in a prepared solution;
• after 10 minutes they are removed, squeezed and hung out to dry;
• when the clothes are dry, they are washed as usual, dried and ironed on both sides.

It is important not to disrupt the sequence of actions and first hang the product to dry, and only then proceed to the main wash.While in the fresh air, formaldehyde will evaporate along with the ammonia, and with it the smell will go away.

A solution of salt and table vinegar copes well with an unpleasant sillage. Use it as follows:

• in 5 liters of water, dilute 100 ml of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of table salt and stir until completely dissolved;
• things are soaked for an hour, if the smell is intense, then this time is doubled;
• wring out and dry clothes in the fresh air;
• after drying, wash the products as usual.

In addition to table salt, you can use sea bath salt. She herself has a bright aroma, for example, of lemon or pine needles.

How to remove unpleasant odors without washing clothes?

Not all things can be washed and soaked, for example, a second-hand bought cannot withstand such processing fur coat or leather skirt... And sometimes there is simply no time for this long process. In this case, you can try to get rid of the odor without washing. The most effective ways:

Steam generator

Before using the steam jet, add 3-5 drops of rosemary oil and 8 drops of lemon to the water compartment.

Aromatic herbs

To neutralize an unpleasant odor, you need a mixture based on:

• mint,
• linden,
• sage,
• chamomile,
• yarrow.

Cold exposure

This is the least expensive way to deal with foreign aromas. In winter, you can hang things outside for a few days. It is recommended to use the freezer during warmer months. They are wrapped in polyethylene and refrigerated for 2-3 days. After such processing, things need to be dried.

Coffee beans

Freshly ground grains help to cope with the smell. They are crushed into powder, which is poured into a cotton bag.

All second-hand items are placed in a plastic bag, ground coffee is also placed there. The bag is tied and left for 3 days... During this time, the coffee will absorb the unpleasant smell, and the clothes will be saturated with the coffee aroma.

You can use store-bought ground coffee, but the effect will be less noticeable. In advance, you need to be prepared for the fact that after removing the clothes from the bag, a pronounced coffee smell will remain on it.

Natural soap

It is used in a similar way to coffee beans. The bar is grated, placed in sachet bags and put away for storage. After 3 days, the fabric will be saturated with the pleasant scent of your favorite soap.

Helpful information

Tips to help remove unpleasant odors from clothes:

1. Until the processing, second-hand items should not be stored in the same closet with your clothes. Otherwise, it will also be saturated with their scent.
2. If it was not possible to cope with the unpleasant aroma the first time, the washing procedure must be repeated.
3. It takes several days to ventilate clothes in the fresh air. It's good if it's freezing outside. Cold air allows you to completely get rid of even the most persistent scents.
4. The use of fabric softener helps to enhance the effect of washing.

Related videos

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Conclusion

You can get rid of the unpleasant odor from second-hand without washing. For this, various aromatic agents are used:

• coffee beans,
• herbs,
• soap.

However, they need to be used only if it is impossible to perform a full-fledged wash with soaking, since only with its help it will be possible to completely wash out all harmful substances from the fibers of the fabric.