Howdy, ladies!
I checked the archives and found the cure for musty towels and musty jeans, but have you got any advice on de-musting things that can’t be washed?
We’ve inherited some German Christmas decorations from my husband’s family, some of which are handmade dolls constructed of fabric and other textily goodness. I adore them, but after years of being in basements and garages, they smell incredibly musty.
Any ideas on how to de-stink without hurting them? I’ve managed to not dip them in Febreze, but the urge is strong.
Signed,
Musty in Mustyboro
Ivy says:
Good choice, on not dousing them in Febreze. Items like these you don’t want to get wet, as the wetness could damage them. In this case, you are going to want to clean them in a dry fashion.
Find the smallest plastic bag that will hold your items (if they’re really large, a garbage bag will work). Put them in the bag with a mixture of half baking soda and half cornstarch. Close the bag tightly and give it a good shake. Let it sit for a couple of days and take them out and brush off or gently vacuum off all the cornstarch and baking soda. The mixture should have absorbed the smell. If the item has a lot of nooks and crannies canned air may be quite handy.
Chances are, they’ll never smell like roses, but this will take the worst of the stink away.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
If you include a bag of Christmassy potpourri in the storage box with them this January, then they may smell a lot more pleasant next year.
don’t store them in cardboard as the box itself will absorb moisture through the year and pass it on to the contents.
plastic storage crates, on the other hand, could seal up so tightly that moisture is trapped within. a top that doesn’t fit too closely, or adding ventilation by drilling some holes in the container may help
add a desicant, you know, like the little packet that comes in the shoebox. google it to find an appropriate product/supplier near you. (seems desiccant is an acceptable alternative spelling based on my searches. I’m in the UK, so it may be a US/UK spelling issue!)
Also put an old knee high or cut off pantyhose over the end of the vacuum hose. That way if anything is loose it wont be sucked into the vacuum and possibly losted.
Not sure if this will work, but for musty books I’ve been told to store them with newspaper for awhile to absorb the smell.
Since I like the smell of old books, I’ve never tried it.
I’d wrap the ornaments in tissue paper, and store crumpled newspaper in the box with them, not touching them.
Sunshine…..lots of out door sunshine……won’t work where I live
Northern Indiana and we don’t get much sun in the winter…..but maybe where you are it would work. I store things with a few dryer sheets for a fresh smell.
The baking soda/corn starch works wonders. I’ve used it myself for stuffed animals with mechanical innards. When storing them long term, my grand mother taught me to place charcoal brickets in corner of the boxes to absorb the musty odor.
Put in a ziplock bag and surround with good quality clay cat litter with baking soda. The smell should be gone in a few days, and the cat litter will help pull out any oily stains.