Dear Home-Ec 101,
I want to know how to get that “not great smell” out of my linens. I wash them and put them away and they smell great, when I get them out to use them there is no smell or an “old” smell to them. Should I wash down the walls & shelves of the linen closet?
My linen closet is upstairs in my home near a bathroom but no plumbing is behind it. They don’t smell bad per se but a “nothing” smell or like they have been sitting in the closet for a long time instead of just days.
It seems to be with my towels, sheets and cases in that closet, but now that I am thinking about it, my clothes in my closet don’t retain the detergent or fabric softener scent for very long either.
Thanks,
Limpy Linens
Ivy says:
My grandma always had the best smelling linens. I remember going to her linen closet and standing in front of it just to smell. When I got older, I asked her why her linen closet smelled so much better than mine, and she told me she used sachets in her closet, with lavender as the scent.
What she did to make her sachets was to use old pillowcase material to make little pillows with dried lavender flowers in them. Making them is simple- you just take an old pillowcase, cut squares of fabric about 6 inches by 6 inches, stitch all around the edges and leave about an inch unsewed. Turn it inside out, stuff with the dried flowers, and sew up the unsewed portion. You can decorate it with lace or ribbons if you want, or you can just leave it plain*.
I put two in each closet, and now every time I open my closet or put new sheets on the bed or jump out of the shower, I breathe deep and remember my grandma.
*
Heather says: Put the glue gun down, Martha!
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[...] at Home Ec 101, Ivy received a letter asking how to keep the linen closet smelling fresh. This brought to mind [...]
Oh, Limpy Linens, I struggle with the same thing! Ivy, I look forward to trying your simple trick!
I’ve had a ton of lavender for 5 years now (since my wedding), and I have sachets all over the place. I still get that smell, though. I mean, two in my closet does nothing…should I make ten more? stick them between all the linens? (I’ve washed the walls, too, just so you know).
Bonnie- it’s important that the lavender is fresh. If it’s not terribly old, you can smoosh the lavender sachets to break out some new scent, but you really need to change out the sachets every 3 months or so.
Lavender is great! My grandma recommended that we plant a small lavender scrub near the window of my room, and each morning when I wake up it smells great!