Clothes come out of the wash smelling clean, then a sweater left in the wardrobe for a month develops a stale odor. The cupboard isn't visibly damp, and other fabrics seem fine. Could leftover detergent, body oils or low airflow be the cause even if the item was washed properly? I'm curious what actually produces that ‘stored clothes’ smell and whether airing the wardrobe does much.
Why clothes can smell fine after washing but stale after sitting in a wardrobe
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Stale wardrobe smell is usually a mix of trapped moisture, a little body oil left in the fabric, and not much air moving around. Clean doesn...
Stale wardrobe smell is usually a mix of trapped moisture, a little body oil left in the fabric, and not much air moving around. Clean doesn't always mean odor-free once the clothes sit in a closed space long enough.
I agree about airflow, but I think the fabric matters too. My wool stuff seems to pick up that closed-cupboard smell faster than cotton, even when both were washed the same way.
Wool is also the one that makes me question my own nose. I'll open the wardrobe and think, well, that's either stale air or my sweater's hav...
Do you notice it more with items that were worn close to the skin? I always assumed the leftover skin oils were part of it, but the airing question still seems real.
Probably both, honestly. I don't think airing a wardrobe fixes everything, but it probably helps if the room itself has poor ventilation.