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Sweaters Smelling Musty? Here's How To Refresh Them — With & Without A Dryer
With autumn well underway and winter just around the corner, it can only mean one thing: sweater weather. But as you pull your favorite sweaters out of storage, you may notice they could use a bit of a refresh.
So, to find out how to get our sweaters back to smelling brand-new, we asked Becky Rapinchuk of Clean Mama for her top tips. Here are three ways to bring yours back to life, with and without a machine:
Take advantage of your freezer
Got a freezer? Believe it or not, you can use it to help eliminate smells, according to Rapinchuk. All you have to do is fold your sweater up, place it in a bag, and leave it in the freezer overnight.
"The cold air will kill bacteria, and the bacteria is what is giving it a little funky smell," she explains. And just as an FYI, Rapinchuk adds this method also works well with jeans and sports gear.
Try this DIY fabric refresher
Fabric refresher is a quick and simple way to bring life (and a pleasant scent) back to your sweaters, and Rapinchuk has a great DIY recipe for one. Here's how to make it:
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup vodka or rubbing alcohol
- 5 drops of an essential oil of your choice
- A spray bottle
- Add your ingredients to the spray bottle, and shake to combine.
- Hang your sweater up, and spritz it lightly with the fabric refresher.
- Allow to dry.
Fluff in the dryer
And last but not least, if you have access to a dryer, giving your sweaters a quick spin can help fluff them up fast. Rapinchuk recommends putting them in the dryer with wool dryer balls on low/no heat. It shouldn't take much time at all for them to look freshly laundered, so check on them after 5 to 10 minutes and repeat if necessary.
The takeaway
Your favorite sweaters don't always need to be taken to the cleaners for a refresh once winter hits.
With these quick and simple home methods, you'll be fully prepared for the months of sweater weather to come.
