No one likes musty bath towels or bed sheets. Most linen closets are relatively small, and they’re often located in the bathroom. Bathrooms’ humidity levels often rise when someone takes a hot shower, so the linens in the closet can absorb enough moisture to create a mildewy odor. Bed linens, typically stored in a hall closet or a section of the bedroom closet, are less likely to absorb moisture, but odors can still develop if they are not rotated regularly.
Environmentally conscious people usually do not choose to freshen their linens by using deodorizers or artificial scents that probably have a few chemicals in their list of ingredients. With all the potentially harmful chemicals humans are already unintentionally exposed to, you should avoid sleeping on chemically treated sheets and pillowcases due to possible health risks.
Although they lived in an era with few linen deodorizers or fresheners available for purchase, our great-grandmothers had ways of keeping their linens naturally fresh and pleasantly scented. Nothing beats the fresh smell of sheets dried outdoors in the sun, but if that’s not possible for you, allow your sheets to dry fully before folding them to avoid mildew and odor.
Everyone knows an open box of baking soda absorbs offensive odors in the refrigerator, but who knew baking soda could do the same thing in a small linen closet? Place a fresh box on a shelf behind folded linens and replace it when odors begin to return. You can achieve the same effect by placing lumps of charcoal in a container on the floor of the closet, but do not use the kind that includes a fire accelerant.
People have used cedar chests as a safe place to store linens and bedding for years, since the pungent scent of cedar effectively prevents unpleasant odors. Cedar also repels insects like moths, so keepsake linens such as quilts and inherited embroidered sheets sets will remain protected. Placing cedar chips in a shoebox with holes punched in the lid on the closet floor is an easy and natural way to avoid any unpleasant odors from forming.
Fresh lavender sprigs, dried herbs or potpourri placed on or around folded linens will impart a lovely scent to your linens. A lingering fragrance will be absorbed by the fabric, making sleeping on your fresh bed linens a dream.
Not all of these ideas for naturally freshening a linen closet will work for everyone, but pick one or two that work for you and try them out. A bit of experimentation may be needed to find just the right way to replace musty or unpleasant odors with a fresh scent your family and guests will love.
Post Author: andyc.
