How to Get the Musky Smell Out of My Closet

Open the closet doors and let in the fresh air.

That musty smell in your closet might not be coming from the closet itself, but from the items stored in the area. Ridding the closet of an unpleasant smell is a futile effort if you leave the pile of unwashed, mildewed bed sheets or clothing piled up in the corner of the space. Before freshening the closet, do some spring-cleaning to remove or clean stinky contents. Avoid storing soiled or mildewed clothing or linens in the confined space.

Things You'll Need

• Floor fan
• Sock
• Coffee grounds or baking soda

Instructions

1. Remove all the contents from the closet. There may be some sweaty gym socks, shirts or moldy shoes forgotten in the corner, for example.

2. Inspect the closet floor and walls, looking for possible water leaks or mold. Touch the floor and walls to see if they are damp. If the area was once flooded, and the carpet never dried, mold has probably developed. If this is the case, remove and replace the flooring.

3. Open the closet door and let the area air out. If necessary, place a floor fan by the entrance of the closet and turn it on to circulate the air.

4. Fill an old, clean sock with 2 tbsp. of fresh, unused coffee grounds. Tie the sock shut to keep in the coffee grounds and place it on a shelf in the closet. The coffee will absorb the musty odor. Instead of coffee grounds, you can use baking soda. Replace the odor-eating coffee grounds or baking soda every month or so.

Tips & Warnings

• Cat litter or a bowl of white distilled vinegar also remove odors.

References

• “Kitchen Hints from Heloise”; By Heloise; 2005
• “Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things”; Reader's Digest; 2004