Have you even opened a closet and got a delicious waft of crisp, white linen? That's the way you know it's always kept super fresh as good odors in this space don't happen by accident.
Learning what things people with nice smelling closets never do is the road-map to ushering in the same freshness in yours. Our cleaning and organizational experts reveal what they've learned working in clients homes that led to smelly closets, including, including overcrowding, failing to wash seasonal swaps and keeping gym kits there.
From keeping your shoes packed away, to items you should never store in your closet, these are the seven things those with pleasing closet smells never do.
7 thing people with nice smelling closets never do
1. Put damp laundry away
It's an easy blooper to make. Perhaps you thought that jumper was dry but missed the wet cuff and folded it up, and packed it away on the designated shelf in your closet.
But people with nice smelling closets never put damp items away, making use of their tumble dryers and their temperature guidance for fully dried laundry.
Carolina Kazimierski, co-owner and president of of Sophia’s Cleaning Service, says, 'The number one thing people with nice smelling closets never do is store damp clothes or bedding inside. Clothes that are damp or wet at all will quickly start to smell mildew-y and stale if they're stored in an area with low air flow and ventilation like a closet.
'If you're consistently storing wet clothes in here, your closet is likely to pick up this odor. Especially with bedding, which can be large, heavy, and difficult to dry completely, I really recommend line drying even after you've tumble dried just to ensure the material is completely free of moisture before storing.'
Consider making use of radiators to finish drying thicker or larger items or hang over the banister upstairs in your home. As hot air rises, washing that takes longer to full dry out will benefit from the elevated position.
Delve into the pros and cons of drying clothes inside.
All prices correct at time of publishing.
This four-tier clothes drying rack will hold plenty of laundry if you're drying your clothes inside. It's also perfect for delicate items like polyester and silk which can't go in the dryer without risk of shrinking or damage.
2. Hoard old clothes
Brian Curran founder of Drafting Services, and an architect says hoarding a back catalog of old clothing is something people with nice smelling closets never do.
He explains, 'They regularly declutter their wardrobe and donate or discard any items they no longer wear. This prevents musty odors from building up in the closet and keeps everything smelling fresh and clean.'
I can personally attest to this. I’m really sensitive to smell and hate opening a closet and getting a waft of mustiness. Before my husband and I moved in together, I knew we'd be sharing a closet so we went through every item of clothing we both owned and streamlined anything that was old, musty or both.
Of the older items we loved and didn't want to let go, we washed and fully dried to get the must smell out of clothes and towels, and if it still had that musty smell, we accepted it was time to move on from them.
Pre-treating clothes with baking soda and vinegar in cold water before washing is a great way of banishing stubborn smells.
3. Keep dirty shoes in their closet
Without bias, my closet genuinely smells lovely, and I make sure of that because my sensitivity to smell is the bane of my life, leading me to make sure I do all the things people with nice smelling homes do.
As a result, I never keep shoes in my closet that are not boxed up, and definitely not any shoes I wear regularly. The only exception in my closet is my wedding shoes, which I had professionally cleaned and now lives in a sealed box ready for my young daughter, if she ever wants them, of course.
Mamta Saini, CEO of We Buy House In SF Bay Area, who is a real estate investor with an additional business as a professional cleaner adds, says, 'Gym shoes, tennis shoes, and running shoes should be kept separately in some place like the laundry room. These shoes often stink due to bacteria from your feet and sweat. By letting your shoes air out in an open room, it won't stink up the closet that is usually in a closed space.'
Recently, I noticed a musty dank smell in our bedroom. I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from until I spotted a pair of relatively new and clean sneakers on the floor next to our exercise bike. After removing them and opening the windows, the smell was gone.
This is exactly why I don’t keep shoes in my closet unless they in a box without holes or ventilation. If the smell of one pair of shoes in a large bedroom is noticeable, imagine what it does to your closet!
All our other footwear is kept our entryway in a dedicated hallway shoe storage unit. Out of season, our shoes are stored in air tight boxes in a storage space under our stairs.
This 12-pack of clear plastic shoe boxes are perfect for keeping shoe odors from infiltrating your closet, whilst also making it an organization cinch: they stack up and are see-through for easy use.
4. Store gym clothes there
Gym kit and workout gear is notoriously tricky to freshen up and often needs multiple washes, or a special detergent such as Defunkify, available on Amazon to banish bacteria even in low heat, low water eco-cycles.
But even with the best of intentions, sometimes getting sports kit and gear smelling fresh isn't possible. For this reason, people with nice smelling closets usually store these items somewhere else, or keep them in an air tight plastic storage bin with lid.
Learning when and how to use laundry softener is also helpful as this can compound stinky workout clothes.
Mamta Saini adds, 'People with nice smelling closets don't keep their gymwear or active shoes in the closet.'
This six pack of stackable storage bins have latch-closure lids to safely prevent air getting in or out. My husband plays soccer so he locks his shin pads and other sports items in a box like this before placing at the back of his wardrobe. Before doing so, he also wipes them down with anti-bacterial wipes and allows to fully air dry to prevent bacteria build-up, which can lead to unwanted smells.
5. Forget to clean
Add clearing out and cleaning your closet to your cleaning checklist. Much like any other space in your home, this one needs cleaning too, though it's easy to forget it.
Interior designer Harpreet Saini is the CEO of We Buy Houses and a real estate investor. She says, 'In my experience people with nice smelling closets never forget regular cleaning. I always make sure closets are free of clutter and don't stores dirty clothes.
'Once, we flipped a home where simply adding fresh scents to the closets made it sell 20% faster. It was amazing to see how a small change can make a big impact! Keeping closets fresh is a simple step that leads to great results.'
Learn more about cleaning your closet well in our expert-led guide.
Mamta recommends doing a bi-monthly clean out of your closet. She says, One service I do as a professional cleaner is a closet clean-out and wipe down of any dust, mildew and mold. These three things are often the culprits for of stinky closets and by keeping a monthly or bi-monthly cleaning you can eliminate these odor sources.'
6. Overcrowd their closets
Much like how increasing ventilation in your home can keep it smelling fresh, having space for air to flow around your clothes will help your closet.
That's why people with nice smelling ones know not to overcrowd their clothes storage units.
Overcrowding this area also means any closet freshening items you place in the closet won't make as much impact as it could as there isn't enough air circulating to top up the nice smells.
I always hang scented sachets like this in my closet and replace them every 6-8 weeks when the smell has lost its potency. If your closet is large, you may need to hang them along your rail in intervals to disperse the scent evenly and adequately.
7. Switch seasonal clothes without washing
I am quite militant about switching out my seasonal clothing as soon as the weather changes. Although I have a floor to ceiling closet that we had custom built for our primary bedroom, my personal closet has just 20 inches of hanging rail, something I picked purposefully to help me stay on track with my under-consumption prerogative.
Two things I've learned in this process is to wash and fully dry my out of season clothes then pack them away in vacuum bags, available on Amazon. I then seal and store them under my bed in a dark, dry space until I'm ready for them again.
Usually when I bring them back out, they smell freshly laundered, however, if any item has lost its freshness I wash and dry before putting them in my closet.
Architect and founder of Drafting Services, Brian Curran adds, 'People with nice smelling closets never seasonal maintenance and make sure to wash or dry clean their clothes before storing them for the off season, so that there are no lingering scents on the fabrics.'
Now you now what not to do, here are all the things people will nice-smelling closets always do.
