How to remove the smell of second hand clothes. Unpleasant specific smell. How to remove secondhand smell from clothes

Second hand shops are full of clothes of different quality, styles, brands. Here you can buy from ordinary household items to chic evening wear.

Those who prefer this way of updating their wardrobe are usually satisfied with their choice: for a relatively small price, you can buy quality items. The only drawback of such shopping is the unpleasant smell from the clothes. For its origin, the fragrance received such a name: the smell of second-hand. And our goal is to remove this spirit and not let it into your home.

In order to avoid trouble and protect the buyer from all kinds of fungi, microbes and insects, sellers use formaldehyde treatment. According to technology, the clothes had to be additionally treated with a product to remove the smell, but something went wrong. There remains a rather corrosive aroma that infects all things when it enters apartments.

Prevention

It's not funny, but in this case it is needed. When you bring a beautiful piece home, do not store it next to the rest of your clothes. Isolate, wash, only then, when you are finally convinced that there is still no smell, put things on the shelves with clothes.

The old way

Of course, our grandmothers did not know the smell of second-hand. But often on things there were no less unpleasant odors, which had to be removed. In this case, they acted simply and did not even use any chemical agents. It was believed that it was enough for smelly clothes to hang several times on a string during fog. He will take all the smells with him.

The traditional way

Of the usual traditional methods, one can be recommended - a 10% ammonia solution. You can buy it at a pharmacy or household chemical stores. By the way, it is widely used for cleaning things in dry cleaners. So there is no need to worry about this substance ruining the clothes. Nothing like this. Cleaning and removing odors is his job.

In order to remove the smell, dilute ammonia in a proportion of 20 ml per 10 liters of water. If there are few things, we prepare a smaller volume of solution in the same proportion. The exposure time can be different, depends on things. For light fabrics, 10 minutes is enough. up to half an hour. For jackets and large items, soak for several hours, even up to 6 hours. If the solution does not help, increase the concentration to 100 ml per 10 liters.

folk wisdom

Leather and suede items cannot be washed. After that, folds appear on their surface, which will be difficult to remove later. It is recommended to simply soak things to remove the smell or wipe them with a cloth soaked in ammonia.

You can try wrapping the jacket in gauze, which was previously sprinkled with ammonia, add activated charcoal or mustard to the gauze storage bag.

For small items that will safely endure washing, it is recommended to use one of the following methods:

when washing in the washing machine, add a few drops of essential oil;
pre-soak things in a solution of salt or vinegar, you can simply add these ingredients when washing;
you can try to use the usual odor neutralizers that save in other situations: coffee, toilet water, flavored soap, ordinary deodorant;
regular steam treatment during ironing can improve the situation;
when washing without spinning and drying in fresh air with little wind, the smell of formaldehyde may disappear in a few times;

If none of the above methods inspire confidence in you, refer to those that give a 100% guarantee.

Surely, when buying clothes in a second-hand store, you thought about how good a thing you came across. It is unworn, made of good material, and the price is just great. But here's the smell... This smell of chemicals seems to eat through your nostrils and get to the very core and begin to haunt you. And already disappears any desire to take this thing. You don't have to put up with this state of affairs. Removing the smell of second-hand is very simple and you should not be afraid of it. To begin with, let's look at what causes this smell, and knowing the reason is much easier to understand how to solve it.

Not every buyer knows that second-hand clothes get their smell because they are treated with strong sanitizers based on formaldehyde and methyl bromide. These products are used to clean clothes from all kinds of microorganisms, fungi and insects. That's why clothes smell so chemically repulsive.

Unfortunately, products that can remove such a smell are very expensive, and therefore many sellers simply ignore this issue. Theoretically, these clothes can be worn immediately, they will not cause you any harm, but this is, to put it mildly, uncomfortable.

Be aware that the smell is so strong that it can saturate your other clothes. Therefore, do not put it in the closet until you get rid of the smell.

How to get rid of the smell

Getting rid of the smell of second-hand is quite simple.

One of the most effective ways is also the cheapest. This is ammonia. The procedure does not depend on material or color and is not afraid of shrinkage. First, pour warm water into a bowl. Dissolve ammonia in it. Then soak the product in it. At this stage, you can add oils and esters to acquire a pleasant smell. Wring out the thing well and leave it to dry for several days. After airing - wash, and then air again.
Flavored salt can also help you. Choose one that has a strong, fresh scent, like lemon, pine needles, and the sea. The procedure for the event: grind 300-350 grams of salt, add half a liter of water, rub the thing with the resulting mixture and soak in another salt solution (500g per 10 liters) for an hour. Wash and dry.
Perhaps the most unusual method is coffee beans. Grind the grains, place things on top and close for several days. Then wash and dry.
A mixture of baking soda, vinegar and salt. Let's list the procedure:
- Mix 1:1 vinegar and salt and add 0.5 parts of soda. Vinegar should not be more than 6%!
- Add the resulting mixture to 8 liters of water and stir until all reagents are completely dissolved.
- Soak the products for several hours in this solution.
- Wash for at least 2 hours. The water should be warm and do not spare the powder. Even if it doesn't clean, it will help cover up the smell.
- Dry things outdoors. An open space with natural airflow is best suited for this. So the remnants of the smell will quickly leave the clothing material.

Folk ways

At some point, you don't have access to ammonia or flavored salt. Then the question is how to remove the smell at home. You can get by with the tools that every home has. These are salt, soda and vinegar.

To deal with the smell, you need to mix 1:1 vinegar and salt and add 0.5 parts of soda. Vinegar should not be more than 6%! Add the resulting mixture to 8 liters of water and stir until all reagents are completely dissolved. Soak the products for several hours in this solution. Wash for at least 2 hours. The water should be warm and do not spare the powder. Even if it doesn't clean, it will help cover up the smell. Dry things outdoors. An open space with natural airflow is best suited for this. So the remnants of the smell will quickly leave the clothing material.

Household chemicals

If you do not want to bother and get rid of the smell as quickly as possible, then you should look into a household chemicals store and buy a specialized product. Odors, even those caused by chemicals, will not be a problem for him. Alternatively, use a dry cleaning service. You will be guaranteed the result, and the fact that the clothes can be damaged is out of the question, how many professionals will take care of the matter here.

How to process shoes

Everything here is very similar to any other wardrobe item. Look at the material or, if possible, at the tag. If you can wash it, then just do it. If not, then use ammonia. To do this, it is enough to wipe everything inside and out. The insoles are also wiped separately.

If you have any doubts, then additionally treat with an antibacterial agent. After all the manipulations, be sure to dry for several hours.

If your clothes are made of leather or fur, do not soak or use ammonia. Natural material is easy enough to ventilate. The situation is similar with shoes. Here it is better to use other methods.

Any chemical smell can disappear if the thing is frozen. It doesn't matter if you take it out into the cold, put it in a bag in the freezer. The main thing is to dry and ventilate after several days at room temperature, excluding contact with heating devices.

If you can dry it outside, do it. The most favorable time for airing is fog. It is believed that it draws out all unpleasant odors.

When you need to wash a thing, do it not only according to our instructions, but also take into account what is written on the product tag, otherwise you risk losing the thing.

If you need to crush coffee beans or salt, then use a bag and a hammer. So it will be easier for the active substances to dissolve and give off their aroma.

If you feel that the smell of formaldehyde is quite light, then you may need to add a strong smell. It can be as a specialized perfume, your favorite perfume or just the smell of coffee. But this method works very rarely, so it's better to play it safe by airing it first.

Many people to this day have a rather ambiguous attitude towards second-hand clothes. Some categorically do not perceive such elements of the wardrobe, while others can no longer do without them. Everyone has different reasons for loving and hating second-hand things, but at the same time, no one likes the unpleasant smell that is exuded by almost all clothes bought in second-hand stores.

Our article will be useful not only to people who regularly buy used clothes, but also to all those around them.

Where does the unpleasant smell come from and what does second-hand stink

To effectively deal with an unpleasant odor, you must first know its nature, because it will be much easier to find the necessary preparations for the treatment of used clothes. True, if you do not want to read the next few paragraphs, then you can simply use the ready-made recommendations and conclusions below.

The pungent smell of second-hand clothes is the result of the sanitization of all things with special chemicals (often formaldehyde and methyl bromide - strong poisons). The purpose of this treatment is to destroy insects, fungi and bacteria living on clothing (including).

Experts believe that the chemicals used to treat second-hand clothes are absolutely harmless to people. In any case, they are no more harmful than deodorants or air fresheners. However, for some people, the confidence of specialists causes a certain skepticism. This is because in our country the neutralization of poisons is often carried out with insufficient quality and in violation of sanitary standards.

This means that our "specialists" can "chemize", but, alas, they do not always succeed in neutralizing poisons qualitatively. Although here already as lucky.

It is important to know that a strong second-hand odor is a sign that the clothing contains little to no fungus, germs, and insects, but contains large amounts of poisonous formaldehyde. It is better not to buy such clothes at all, but if you have already bought it, you should thoroughly work on it.

How to remove second hand smell from clothes

There are a lot of recommendations on the Internet on how to get rid of second-hand smells. However, many of these recommendations should be skipped due to their uselessness.

So, we advise you not to look for a method of getting rid of a poisonous smell among homemade recipes. It is better to turn to official sources (sanitary rules), which describe in some detail how to remove the smell of second-hand clothes from clothes.

Naturally, it talks about the industrial scale of cleaning clothes from toxic substances, but the essence of getting rid of clothes from a strong smell can be understood.

The method consists in removing the smell of second-hand with ammonia and fresh air.

The sanitary standards also indicate the amount of ammonia, which is necessary to get rid of the smell of formaldehyde. However, for us they are useless, because at home we will not go further than a basin with water and ammonia.

So, we offer you the easiest recipe on how to get rid of the smell of second-hand at home. You will need water, ten percent ammonia (another concentration is also suitable, but you need to follow the proportions).

The proportions are as follows:

For a small item (light blouse, skirt, etc.), you can try starting with 20 milliliters of ammonia in five liters of water.
For a larger item, you can take a full bottle of 100 milliliters, but you will need not 5 liters of water, but 10.

To get rid of the smell of second-hand using our method, you may need from 30 minutes to several hours - it all depends on the material and volume of clothing. Cotton is often cleaned in 30-60 minutes, but fur, synthetics, leather require soaking in a solution of ammonia for 6 hours.

After the procedure, the clothes must be slightly wrung out and taken out into the fresh air, where the thing will be for a day or two. Next, the clothes must be washed with conditioner and dried.

It should be noted that ammonia does not lead to a loss of color in clothes, it will not stretch or shrink. So you can safely remove the smell of second-hand using our method.

Folk ways to get rid of the smell of second-hand

Despite the rather high efficiency of the method using ammonia, you can remove the smell of second-hand in another way, especially if the smell is not too strong. The following is a list of the most effective folk methods for dealing with the smell of second-hand clothes:

washing with a few drops of essential oil or flavored salt;
soaking things in an aqueous solution of vinegar, salt, or both at the same time (sometimes soda is also added);
special deodorant for fabric (can be bought at household chemical stores);
put deodorant, coffee, eau de toilette, perfume or simple soap with clothes, close and leave for a couple of days;
the use of steam ironing with a modern iron;
take the clothes to the dry cleaners;
a simple wash without spinning, followed by drying in the fresh air (best in the wind), small doses of formaldehyde are easily eroded and with plain water after a couple of washes.

Decide for yourself which method is most suitable for you. Our task is completed - now you know how to get rid of the smell of second-hand with your own hands at home, using only improvised means.

Second-hand stores sell mostly second-hand items, but sometimes you can get high-quality and generally unused clothes. Not only people with low earnings buy here, all segments of the population want to save a little.

The only drawback, due to which many bypass such stores, is the unpleasant smell of chemicals. If you want, you can always find a way. You can remove the stench from things, there are a lot of home remedies to get rid of the smell of second-hand.

Cause

The stench emanating from clothes, after buying them in a second-hand store, is unmistakable. Many do not know how to wash second-hand clothes, so they do not buy.

Surely, most people do not even know why clothes stink. They believe that this fragrance was left over from the previous owner of the item.

The reasons for the appearance of stench lie in the use of chemicals. Stores do not sell dirty products.

When they get to the reception point, they are not immediately hung up on a trempel and they are not taken out to the common room. First of all, clothes are treated with strong chemicals, which emit a specific aroma.

This treatment is necessary to remove dust mites, host biological components, dirt and bacteria. That is, all products must be disinfected.

For this, a formaldehyde aerosol cleaning material is used. It is this substance that leaves such a recognizable aroma.

Special chemicals are completely safe for people, as manufacturers and sellers in the store say. However, not every person reacts this way; many develop irritation or allergies.

Therefore, washing is indispensable. After buying things from second-hand, you need to wash it with your own powder.

Airing

The first way to remove the second-hand smell from clothes is to simply hang them outside for airing.

Well, if the window is cool frosty weather, it will not leave bacteria and other microorganisms remaining on the product alive. This method is certainly good, but long.

To, the products are left in the fresh air to be ventilated for two days.

Coffee beans

Buy a good product from the store. Make sure it's not burnt. Therefore, it is better to buy coffee by weight and preferably in beans.

How to remove the smell of second-hand clothes from clothes:

Pour the beans into the coffee grinder and grind them. Pour into a dry bag that is well breathable, tie tightly. Put clothes that stink in a cotton bag, put a bag of coffee in the same place and leave things alone for a few days.
Another good way to remove the aroma of chemistry is to mix coffee with sea salt in equal amounts and also put it in a case for 2-3 days.

Fur products will have to be kept in isolation for almost a week. Such things quickly absorb aromas, so it is recommended to change bags of coffee beans once a day.

Using ground coffee, you can get rid of the flair of chemicals. Your clothes will smell good afterwards.

Some housewives recommend putting things in a plastic bag. Just don't do it. Why? Polyethylene absorbs moisture from products, this leads to drying of fabrics. It also leads to yellowing of the material.

Sea salt with aromatic additives

Sea salt with different odors or ordinary salt will cope with the aromas of chemicals, but you will need to buy aromatic oils.

To get rid of the stench, follow this procedure:

Dilute aromatic sea salt in a small amount of water. Decide on the number of ingredients yourself, the main thing is to get a paste.
Rub the entire product with this paste. It will need a lot if it is a jacket, sweater or pants. Therefore, buy in bulk more than one pack at once, or in the store the cheapest one.
After half an hour, when the thing is saturated with the aroma of the sea pier, soak it in saline at the rate of 0.5 kg per 10 liters of water.
After 2 hours, wash the product as usual. Use the correct powder, temperature and wash cycle.

After such procedures, things smell pleasant. There will be no trace of the smell of chemical reagents.

Eau de Toilette

This method is not very cheap, but you can do without washing, and after a while put on clothes.The method is suitable for those who live in hostels and do not have their own automatic machine, or the laundry is already busy.

Eau de toilette masks well, but if it is not resistant, it will quickly disappear. You will have to carry it with you and use it sometimes.

How to remove second hand smell from clothes?Soak a small piece of cloth in toilet water. Put it in a cotton bag along with your clothes for a few hours. Can be left overnight.

Ammonia

An aqueous solution of ammonium hydroxide is another good way to remove unpleasant chemical odors from second-hand items.

Ammonia is used on an industrial scale to process such clothes and at home.

You can buy ammonia solution in household chemical stores or in any pharmacy. It costs mere pennies, but is very effective.

How to wash things after second-hand:

To remove an unpleasant odor from delicate fabrics in a basin, dissolve 20 ml of the product in 5 liters of water. If the clothes are bulky, such as knitted, jeans or a down jacket, more ammonia will be needed. Add 100 ml of ammonia to 10 liters of water. This is a whole bottle.
After preparing the solution, drip 5-6 ml of essential oil. It will not allow the smell of an aqueous solution of ammonium hydroxide to appear on the products.
Soak things in a basin. Linen and cotton will take 3 hours. Jeans, furs and leather goods will take longer. Keep such things in the solution for 8 hours.
After soaking, rinse the clothes well in clean water.
Hang things on the balcony or on the street and leave for three days.
Then the products are washed again in a washing machine with powder and fabric softener. Set a cycle so that things spin in the centrifuge for at least one hour.

Ammonia with aromatic oil removes an unpleasant stench well. Washed clothes are hung outside to dry.

If after repeated washing the smell of ammonia is not gone, place the products in the machine again, just add more lavender or tea tree essential oil.

For stench from second-hand items, use table vinegar. It contains an acid that can fight many unpleasant odors.

How to wash things that smell like second-hand:

Pour table vinegar, a little fine salt into the basin. Sometimes soda is also added.
Rub the clothes a little with your hands, only gently. Depending on the fabric, such movements can lead to stretching.
Leave things to sour in the vinegar solution for several hours.
Pour out the liquid, rinse the basin. Pour clean water, rinse the product well. Change the water as it gets dirty. If the liquid still tastes like vinegar, change again and rinse.

This is a good tool for working with smelly things. vinegar is safe for any material, but not for the skin of the hands. If there are microcracks, calluses or other skin lesions, wear rubber gloves when handling this product.

Steam treatment

If the house has a steam generator or a modern iron with this function, use it. It's even easier than soaking and washing in special solutions that still need to be prepared.In addition, this method is not so long.

Add a few drops of essential oil to the water tank. Wear a respiratory protection mask as caustic fumes can cause poisoning.

Turn on the iron on the steam function and go through all the clothes. Let the thing dry and repeat the procedure again.

Set the temperature in accordance with the instructions on the clothing label. Remember that natural wool, synthetics and silk do not like high temperatures. But cotton and linen can be processed at 90 degrees.

other methods

There are many ways to get rid of the stench from second-hand clothes.

Effective ways:

Natural soap. Use natural scented soap to wash clothes. If the water is hard, it is better not to use such a product. Part of the natural soap is spent on removing limescale from the surface of the washed material.
Medicinal herbs will also help to cope with the problem. With their help, you will definitely remove the stink. Mix 70 g of mint, 100 g of linden, 80 g of sage, 50 g of chamomile and 110 g of yarrow. You can cook the infusion and hold clothes in them, or you can visit with things in a cotton case for three days.

Another is to buy a special perfume to remove this kind of fragrance. It should be sold in such establishments. If not, use other methods.

After buying clothes in a second-hand store, do not neglect washing. The new thing should be disinfected. Not only will this remove bacteria, but it will also give the clothes that desired new feel.

Many people prefer to buy new clothes not in boutiques and ordinary stores, but in secondhand stores. There you can buy a quality, stylish and branded item at a fairly low price.

Second hand items at the peak of popularity

Nowadays, there are more and more shops with confiscated goods, European clothes and commission products every day. Interestingly, even people who can afford an expensive item in a boutique do not disdain this type of shopping. After all, an update purchased for a penny, washed and put in order, is practically no different from new clothes.

Unpleasant specific odor

But here there is a drawback - the smell of second-hand. Clothing is processed with formaldehyde so that the buyer can be absolutely sure that there are no harmful microorganisms, fungi, and insects. Although this product undergoes additional processing so that this specific aroma does not remain. But the result is not very positive. And if the purchased thing is put together with the rest, then the corrosive aroma will be transferred to them.

But how to remove the secondhand smell from clothes? Having brought such a long-desired little thing home, although with a not very pleasant aroma, in no case should you leave it near the rest of the wardrobe. Only after washing or even several, after making sure that the aroma is not felt, you can put a new update on the rest of the things.

The fog will help!

Soaking time also depends on the type of things. Clothes made of cotton and linen - from 2 to 3 hours. For synthetics and polyester, you need 4. But jeans and drapes need at least 7 hours.

After soaking, wring out things and hang them for 3 days in the fresh air. After airing, wash in the machine with powder and rinse aid for at least an hour. Dry it preferably again on the street.

If necessary, the procedure can be repeated without fear, since the ammonia retains its color, and the product itself does not shrink or stretch.

Coffee beans

How do you get the secondhand smell out of clothes? With coffee beans. To do this, prepare a small bag of thin cotton fabric. Pour in ground coffee and tie tightly.

In a separate plastic bag, put the clothes together with the bag. Then carefully pack it so that air does not escape. Leave it like this for about three days. And then get things and evaluate the result.

By the way, if there are no ground coffee beans, then they can be replaced with soap prepared on a natural basis and rubbed on a not very coarse grater.

Get rid of odor without washing

How to remove secondhand smell from clothes without washing? There are several ways:

You can buy a spray at a chemical store that not only removes specific odors, but also softens any fabric.

If the used clothing store is huge, then you can most likely find a special perfume in it that removes this unpleasant smell.

If there is a quality men's toilet water in the house, it is best suited to achieve this result. Sprinkle the purchased clothes with it, put it in a bag and leave it like that for a couple of days.

A powerful steam iron is filled with purified water. There also drip essential oils - five drops of rosemary and eight - lemon. It is necessary to iron all things at maximum power, paying special attention to folds and creases.

Medicinal herbs

Unpleasant odor can be removed with a mixture of medicinal plants:

Mint - 70 grams;

Linden blossom - 100 grams;

Sage - 80 grams;

Chamomile - 50 grams;

Yarrow - 110 grams.

Place this composition of herbs in a bag of cotton fabric and put it together with clothes in a bag, and then tie it up. There the contents should be three days.

In addition, in order not to rack your brains on how to remove the second-hand smell from clothes, you can simply wash them several times. After drying in the fresh air, because if this is done indoors, the unpleasant odor will be present for a long time.

Leather things

But what to do when you come across a beautiful leather or fur thing?

You can get rid of the unpleasant second-hand smell of products made from these materials in a very interesting way. The thing is put in a plastic bag, which must be tied well. It should be sent to the freezer for a period of two to five days. It is necessary to ventilate further at room temperature, doing this as far as possible from heating devices.

Conclusion

Having reviewed this number of options for getting rid of the unpleasant odor of used clothes, each person can choose a more convenient and effective way for himself.

In the event that none of the options seems quite suitable or something confuses, you can use the services of dry cleaning. Although you will have to pay for professional services. But at the same time, you do not need to worry that the purchased product will suffer.

But be that as it may, it is impossible to neglect the additional processing of a thing purchased in a second-hand store. After all, no one can give a reliable answer, how well the disinfection was carried out, whether any microorganisms remained from the previous owner. Also, do not ignore it due to the fact that an allergic reaction may occur.