How To Get Perfume Smell Out Of Clothes

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Imagine the scene; you’ve had a wonderful evening out with good food, great wine, and fantastic company. The scent of your favorite perfume still hangs in the air and you quickly realize it’s because your outfit from the evening before is still doused in the fragrance. While you love the scent, you don’t want it there forever, but how do you get perfume smell out of clothes?

There are a lot of ways that you can remove the smell of perfume from clothing but the most effective is to make your own odor remover using a mix of borax and sodium bicarbonate. Mixing these products in equal parts and allowing them to sit on the garment for around half an hour prior to washing will be enough.

Getting Fragrance Out Of Clothing

Wearing perfume is so much more than making yourself smell good. A dash of your favorite cologne can make you feel on top of the world and can be a very effective confidence booster. However, a lot of people wear more than one fragrance. If you’ve sprayed your go-to evening eau de parfum on your best jacket, this is going to be tricky to get rid of. 

There are times that you might wear a garment and return it to your closet for months. When you come to retrieve it, there is a heavy scent of the perfume you were wearing all that time ago. But today, you want to wear a different scent, one that is so different that the smell of the one clinging to your jacket will interfere with the fragrance notes. 

It’s a sticky situation but all is not lost. There are some methods that will remove the scent of perfume from clothes with very little effort. Others are a little more complicated but can still be done.

14 Ways To Get Perfume Smell Out Of Clothing

1. Borax And Sodium Bicarbonate

Sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, is used in various situations to remove odors and has a very effective result. Borax is a chemical compound containing boric acid which is used as a common household cleaner. 

A combination of these products is very effective in how to get scents out of clothing. What’s more, these are things that are usually found in the kitchen cabinets making this one of the easiest methods. 

If you are looking for a viable way to remove perfume smells from clothes without washing, this is the best way. That said, you can run the clothes through the washing machine afterwards, if you wish. 

To make the most of this method, you should blend equal amounts of borax and baking soda and sprinkle it onto the affected area. Leave this for between 25 and 30 minutes. Once the time has elapsed, you can brush the mixture off and the smell should be gone. 

2. Hang Out In Fresh Air

Without a doubt, the simplest method of removing perfume from clothing is to hang it outdoors in the fresh air. This is a great way to get perfume smells out of dry clean only clothes as no washing is involved. 

Think about the smell of washing that has just been brought in from the garden; it always has that clean, fresh aroma. By hanging your highly perfumed clothing on the washing line, the air and sunlight will naturally remove the fragrance. 

If you are trying to get a strong perfume smell out of clothes, you will need to leave the garments outside for longer. You should be on hand to bring the clothes indoors again in the event it begins to rain. 

3. Odor Eliminator

There are many odor eliminator sprays on the market today and these do an excellent job at taking out a variety of pungent smells. A lot of these products are designed to remove even the most stubborn odors like tobacco or animal smells so will make light work of getting those last few base notes out of your best dress. 

There are unscented odor eliminators and these are best for getting out perfume smells. Using a scented spray will only cause the garment to be fragranced with that instead. 

4. Use Dryer Sheets

Those little fragranced sheets that you pop in your tumble dryer to give your clothes a delightful freshness are a great way to get rid of perfume smell on clothes. If your clothes are dryer-safe, then you can simply put them into the dryer along with the sheets and set the timer. 

However, for garments that cannot go into the dryer, rubbing the affected area with a dryer sheet will lift the smell and replace it with that of the sheet. If you’re not in a hurry, you can lay dryer sheets on the clothing and leave the aroma to naturally infuse the material. 

5. Steam Your Clothes

This method is only suitable for clothes that are not dry clean only. But for suitable items, steam is a very effective and easy method. 

One of the easiest ways to do this is by using a steam cleaner and the appropriate attachment for applying steam to clothes. But if you don’t have a steam cleaner, there are other innovative ways of doing this. 

When you take a shower, the room gets steamy and by placing the affected garment in the room, the steam from the shower will work its magic. Moreover, holding the item of clothing above steam from a boiling pot or kettle will work just as well if you’re really in a snip. 

6. Wash Your Clothes With Vinegar

It might sound a little crazy but vinegar is a great way of removing potent fragrances from clothing and other materials. You will need to make sure that the item is not dry clean only, but otherwise, you’re good to go. 

In this instance, you will need to replace your regular laundry detergent with around 240ml vinegar. Put this into the washing machine and run your clothes through on your regular cycle. Not only will this remove the scent of perfume from your clothing but it will also get rid of any stains caused by highly concentrated perfumes. Vinegar works very well as a household cleaner. 

When the wash cycle is over, take the clothes and put them through the dryer using fragranced dryer sheets. 

7. A Second Use For Your Leftover Coffee

When you’ve enjoyed your morning cup of coffee, you will probably have some leftover coffee beans. These are usually considered a food item but will work very well when it comes to taking away unwanted odors. 

All you need to do is take a handful of coffee beans and apply them to the affected area of the garment. You will need to leave the beans in place for up to an hour before noticing a difference in the potency of the smell. 

Alternatively, used coffee grounds may be even more effective at getting rid of unpleasant odors. In fact, this method has been proven so effective that it can get rid of even the strongest smells like sewer gas. Unfortunately, putting used coffee grounds onto your clothing will stain them, so until scientists come up with a realistic product, coffee beans are the way forward. 

8. Use Alcohol

We aren’t talking about getting your prized bottle of champagne and pouring it over your best clothes; let’s save that for your next celebration. But general purpose, household alcohol is very good at taking perfume smells out of clothes. 

You can apply this in one of two ways; by spraying the affected area or applying the alcohol using a cotton ball. Once on, hang your item and allow the alcohol to work for at least half an hour. As the liquid evaporates, so will the scent of the perfume. 

9. Wash Your Clothes With Lemon

Lemon is a scent that is often used in anti-odor and freshening products. It has a clean smell and its acidic, citrus aroma will quickly replace anything it touches.

This method is very simple and doesn’t take long. You should fill a spray bottle with water and lemon juice in equal parts. Apply the solution to the fragranced part of your clothing and work it in well using a dry cloth. 

Once you’re finished, hang your clothes outside in the fresh air and allow the lemon to soak up the unwanted scent. 

10. Use Heat

We talked earlier about drying your clothing using a dryer sheet, but this is not the only way that your tumble dryer will prove useful. 

The heat that the drying machine puts out is enough to take away remnants of last night’s perfume. You don’t need to run the clothing through the dryer for a long time, around 15 minutes will be enough. It is the heat that is key. 

This will only work for clothes that are compatible with high heat settings, so be sure to check the label beforehand. Turn the heat up high and when the cycle is over, your clothes will be smelling neutral once again. 

11. Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree is one of the strongest essential oils available. Its potency is used for several things including health and beauty routines, cleaning, and of course, removing unwanted smells.

If you are looking for a method to remove perfume smells from clothes quickly, this is a great one to try. Do not apply the oil directly onto the garment as this could stain it. You will need to mix it with water inside a spray bottle. Fill the bottle, adding just a teaspoon of the oil. 

Now spray this onto your clothing and allow it to absorb for up to ten minutes. You’re ready to wear the item again without any residue of that pesky perfume smell. 

12. Store Clothes With Baking Soda

We have already discussed how sprinkling baking soda and borax onto your clothing can remove odors, but did you know that simply storing your clothes with baking soda can keep smells at bay?

If you have worn an item of clothing with some potent perfume, place it into a storage bag along with an open box of baking soda. Make sure that the bag is sealed and while the garment is in storage, the fragrance will be absorbed by the powder. Next time you come to wear it, it’ll smell clean and fresh.

13. Boost Your Laundry

One of the greatest advantages of modern household chores is that we have so many products to help us achieve the results we want, especially when it comes to laundry.

Laundry boosters are added to the wash to increase the effectiveness of the washing powder or detergent. They will break down any bonds that cause the fragrance to be attached to the clothes and will have a much more superior result than just washing your clothes as you normally would. 

There are fabrics that are not compatible with laundry boosters, such as leather. This type of aggressive cleaning will cause damage so it is always important to check your clothing labels before performing any type of cleaning. 

14. Dry Clean Your Clothes

Dry cleaning isn’t the best option for removing odors, but that isn’t to say that it is not possible. The level of fragrance you need to remove will play a part in how effective this treatment is. But if you are working with a garment that is dry clean only, it’s certainly worth a shot. 

Speak to your local dry cleaner who will be able to advise you on the best methods and provide you with the relevant service. 

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