Let’s be honest; fragrances stink. They are bad for our health and for the health of our pets. Exposure to fragranced consumer items has been known to cause debilitating symptoms in adults and children.
When it comes to the clothes I wear, I personally don’t want a chemical cocktail of endocrine-disrupting, neurotoxic, cancer-causing chemicals hanging around on my clothing.
Trying to remove fragrances from clothing can be a bit tricky because, depending on the chemicals used, sometimes the smell is so heavily impregnated on the fabric that it is almost impossible to remove.
So what can you do to help eliminate the yucky fragranced smells that stick to clothing?
Below are a few suggestions on how to remove fragrances from clothing.
1. Place items in the sun for several hours a day, for a week or more, then launder in hot water, baking soda, and a fragrance-free detergent. I use about 4 cups of baking soda for a medium-sized load.
Repeat this process until the smell is gone. This option has worked really well for new clothing items and for clothing that was accidentally exposed to a perfume or cologne via a hug with a stinky person or via going into a public restroom with automated air fresheners.
2. Soak in hydrogen peroxide for up to 24 hours. I use about three 32-ounce sized bottles for a small load of clothes. After soaking, rinse in warm water and then launder using a fragrance-free detergent. Repeat the process if necessary.
3. Soak in distilled white vinegar and water overnight, rinse clothing in cool water, and then launder in hot/warm water using a fragrance-free detergent and borax. For a medium-sized load, I use about 4 cups of vinegar diluted in about a gallon of water for the soak and about 2 cups of borax for the wash. Repeat the process if necessary.
I hope you found these suggestions helpful!
If you would like information on fragrance-free personal care and household products, please click here.
For more information on the toxic effects of fragrances and chemical sensitivity, please click here and here.
Blessings,
Chemical Free Gal
