# Getting rid of musty smell in closet

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-musty-smell-in-closet/457638>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 24, 2008, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-musty-smell-in-closet/457638 "2008-07-24T17:42:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-musty-smell-in-closet/457638/1 "2008-07-24T17:42:02Z")

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I’ve been off on medical leave for a while and so my dress shirts have been in the closet for over a month. I put one on the other day and found it smelled musty/dusty. Usually they don’t have enough time to pick up that smell. I wash them and where them in a week or two.

Any suggestions for getting rid of the smell. I took a bar of soap and put it in an old sock and hung it among my shirts. That may help.

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**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-musty-smell-in-closet/457638/2 "2008-07-24T18:17:40Z")

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Lavender or cedar may help. If the closet has an incandescent light bulb in it, try leaving that light on for a few days, with the doors open. That’ll help dry things up, if the smell is a result of damp.

Generally, I leave closet doors open for ventilation.

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**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-musty-smell-in-closet/457638/3 "2008-07-24T18:35:35Z")

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If you can tolerate it, get some scented fabric softener sheets and strew them around. You can tuck them into the corners and even under baseboards and molding a fraction of an inch.

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-musty-smell-in-closet/457638/4 "2008-07-24T18:41:22Z")

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[QUOTE=Sattua]  
Lavender or cedar may help. If the closet has an incandescent light bulb in it, try leaving that light on for a few days, with the doors open. That’ll help dry things up, if the smell is a result of damp.

Generally, I leave closet doors open for ventilation.  
[/QUOTE]

Generally I leave them open 'cause I’m lazy… 🙂

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**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-musty-smell-in-closet/457638/5 "2008-07-24T19:14:42Z")

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Get a bottle of Febreze and spray the clothes and the closet. It will freshen up your closet.

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-rid-of-musty-smell-in-closet/457638/6 "2008-07-24T19:43:51Z")

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[QUOTE=Khadaji]  
Generally I leave them open 'cause I’m lazy… 🙂  
[/QUOTE]

Generally I leave them open becuase all my clothes are on the foor in the way of the door.