How to Get the Musty Odor Out of Fur Coats

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If you have come into possession of a fur coat, and you detect a musty smell coming from it, what you are likely smelling is the presence of carpet mites. Carpet mites will live in old fur coats that are not properly taken care of, and when you want to make sure that your fur coat loses that unpleasant odor, you can try a few simple odor-removing remedies.

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Things You'll Need

  • Fur coat

  • Trash bag

  • Chest freezer

  • Coffee grounds

  • Small plastic bag

  • Padded hanger

  • Plastic garment bag

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Step 1

Place your fur coat into the trash bag. Push as much air out of the bag as possible before you twist the bag closed.

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Step 2

Place the trash bag with the fur coat inside into a chest freezer.

Step 3

Leave the trash bag in the freezer for three days. This will kill off all the mites that are living on your coat.

Step 4

Remove the fur coat from the trash bag.

Step 5

Hang the fur coat on your padded hanger.

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Step 6

Cover the coat with a plastic garment bag.

Step 7

Hang the coat up in your closet.

Step 8

Fill the small plastic bag halfway with coffee grounds.

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Step 9

Place the small plastic bag filled with coffee in the bottom of the garment bag. Be careful that the bag does not spill because it will be sitting open in the bottom of your garment bag.

Step 10

Leave the fur coat in the garment bag with the coffee grounds for three days.

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Step 11

Remove the coat from the garment bag and throw away the coffee. At this point, the coffee grounds will have absorbed the smell from the fur. Though the coat will smell like coffee for a few days, this will fade very quickly.

Tip

For storage purposes, always use a cloth bag instead of a plastic bag, because this will allow good circulation.

If your fur coat becomes wet, simply allow it to hang up and air dry with natural ventilation.

Consider professional storage for your coat. Fur coats that are hung up during the summer in a hot closet can suffer damage that includes bad odor, shedding and discoloration. Ideally, coats will be kept at a moderately cool temperature at all times.

Warning

Keep substances like mothballs, aerosol sprays, colognes and cigarettes away from your coat. Odors like these are lingering and though they can be removed, they can prematurely age and stain your coat.

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