Before you head away, it’s worth getting your wardrobe ready so you don’t come home to clothes that smell like they’ve been shut away. Even when everything is freshly cleaned, a closed space left for days can build up humidity, suffer from poor airflow and develop that stale, stuffy odour that seems to cling to fabric. A straightforward way to prevent this is to leave an open container of baking soda inside the wardrobe before you close the doors.
Why does baking soda help with the smell of stored clothes?
Baking soda is a simple, inexpensive staple that’s widely used to neutralise odours in small, enclosed spaces. In a wardrobe, it helps cut back the closed-in smell that can develop when clothes sit without ventilation for a long time.
It doesn’t add fragrance like an air freshener, which is exactly why it works well for clothing. Rather than masking a bad smell with perfume, baking soda helps bring the space back to neutral. Afterwards, if you want, you can add dried lavender, a lightly scented cotton sachet, or a few drops of essential oil on a separate piece of fabric.
How to place it in the wardrobe before travelling
Use a low, stable container and leave it uncovered. Add roughly 8–16 tablespoons of baking soda, depending on the size of the wardrobe. For smaller wardrobes, 8 tablespoons is usually enough. For larger wardrobes or those packed with clothing, you can use two containers placed in different areas.
Set the container on a lower shelf, tucked into a corner, away from the edge and not touching the clothes directly. If there’s any chance it could spill, put the baking soda into a breathable fabric sachet, or cover the pot with a piece of tulle secured with an elastic band.
How long does the effect stay active?
For a short trip of a few days, baking soda already helps keep the wardrobe from feeling as stuffy. Over longer periods, it can keep working for a few weeks, as long as the container stays dry and isn’t exposed to direct moisture.
When the baking soda starts to clump, darken, or no longer looks loose and powdery, that’s a sign it has absorbed moisture and should be replaced. In wardrobes used every day, swapping it every one to two months can be enough. Before a long trip, it’s best to put in fresh baking soda.
How to avoid a mouldy smell while you’re away
Baking soda helps, but it won’t work miracles if the wardrobe is already damp or has mould. Before you leave, it’s a good idea to open the doors for a few hours, let air circulate, and only put away clothes that are completely dry. Slightly damp items are one of the most common reasons for unpleasant smells after days in a closed wardrobe.
It also helps not to cram the wardrobe too tightly. When it’s overfilled, air moves around less and that stored-clothes smell appears sooner. If you can, leave a little space between hangers and avoid pressing clothes directly against the back wall, especially in more humid bedrooms.
What other steps keep clothes fresh when you get back?
As well as baking soda, you can place dried lavender sachets, pieces of cedar wood, or activated charcoal in key spots in the wardrobe. These can help keep the space more pleasant while you’re away, particularly in drawers, overhead storage and shelves you don’t use often.
The secret to coming back from a trip and finding clothes without that stored-clothes smell is combining three simple things: a clean wardrobe, thoroughly dry clothes, and a well-placed odour absorber. With a small pot of baking soda in place before you shut the doors, your wardrobe stays fresher, less stuffy and far more pleasant when you return home.
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