De-smelling an old suit

[Forester]

Having acquired a very old ?wool suit from my father I now need to get rid of the smell of 60 years of sweat and cupboard! I've had the thing dry-cleaned but doesn't seem much better. Any suggestions?

 

[alexanduh]

air it outside

 

[razl]

I have a workout area in my outside garage which gets very hot in Florida. I've got a jumbo fan like you see in a gym that really moves air. I had a similar situation and had to hang a suit and run the fan on high for about two days to totally get it back to neutral. Outside would be better than my dusty garage, but you're going to need some steady wind/breeze.

 

[eztantz]

Hang it in the bathroom and turn the shower on steaming hot. Let it sit there for a bit (enough time it would take to get out creases and wrinkles) and then spray with a bit of Febreeze (before it dries). Has worked for me in the past. I know many here will say that the steam will ruin the suit but that is a topic that has been debated numerous times on the forum.

 

[meister]

Spray vodka on it lightly using a spray bottle maybe dilute the vodka a little with water. That often does the trick.

 

[Superfluous]

Why do you want to wear a 60 year old suit?

 

[bringusingoodale]

Originally Posted by Tony Romo

Why do you want to wear a 60 year old suit?

This is one of those because of and not in spite of scenarios.

But I am also interested how to get the smell of thrift-shop funkiness out of a jacket. I picked up tweed jacket I plan to wear next winter. But man it stinks. It's not a specific smell, just that funk of old clothes. I have been airing out and this is not doing much.

Have any of you sprayed febreeze on your wool jackets? Is there anything to worry about?
I think I will try this next and then air it out all summer in the sun.

 

[cimabue]

An apartment I lived in once had a closet that transferred the stink of old suits to my new ones. Un-*******-believable. Good luck with old funk. It apparently has a life of its own and breeds.

 

[Tweedy]

Airing in a good breeze & sunshine, then dry cleaning is a good way to remove odours.

 

[KObalto]

I'll bet that there is a lot of good discussion of this topic on The Fedora Lounge. Seriously.

 

[meister]

Originally Posted by KObalto

I'll bet that there is a lot of good discussion of this topic on The Fedora Lounge. Seriously.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showt...ntage-Clothing

 

[pgd3]

Charcoal works.

Pack some in an old sock, or similar. Fold the clothes in tissue paper, and pack them into a plastic container like a rubbermaid storage container.

Allow that to set awhile. That usually gets rid of funk and musty odors.

 

[stubloom]

We clean and restore a lot of antique, vintage and heirloom garments, everything from a 150 year old wedding gown to a 20 year old varsity jacket. Apart from old oxidized oil stains and caramelized sugar stains, the biggest problems we encounter involves perspiration stains and odors, and storage stains and odors. For an introduction to these issues, read this short post... Blog post: The cleaning and restoration of antique, vintage and heirloom garments and other textiles. http://www.ravefabricare.com/true-qu...-textiles.aspx The problem with odors from old perspiration and poor storage is that masking the odors with products such as Fabreeze and vodka only work in the short term. After a few months (or even weeks), the odors return. Take vodka, for example. Every year we clean the entire collection of theatrical costumes for Ballet Arizona -- everything from Carmen to The Nutcracker. After each performance, the costumes are sprayed with cheap vodka as a means of keeping the odor under control from one performance to the next. After the entire run has been completed, we get the entire production for cleaning. I can tell you that the odor on those costumes is overpowering (even after multiple sprayings with vodka). So the solution is not to mask the odors; the solution is to completely REMOVE the causes of the odor: bacteria, acids and salts from the perspiration and urine that have accumulated in the garment over the period of time the garment was worn. Dry cleaning, of course, cannot remove perspiration or urine -- which are water-based stains (your dry cleaner should have known that before accepting your commission). Invariably, those acids and salts that cause the problem must be soaked out in specialized water-based solutions by a specialist cleaner. Once the odors have been completely removed, the final stage is to dry clean and handpress the garment. For an example of what can be achieved, here's a wool and cotton men's suit that I restored a few years ago for the Phoenix Art Museum... Blog post: The cleaning and restoration of a garment: mid 1930's men's suit. http://www.ravefabricare.com/true-q...ation-of-a-garment-mid-1930's-men's-suit.aspx As you might deduce from the suit example above, the cleaning and restoration of a vintage garment is not something you could probably accomplish at home using products you might find in your bathroom, kitchen or laundry room. Or by dropping it of at your local dry cleaner. After all, your local dry cleaner probably has difficulty getting a mustard out of a white cotton polo shirt. Your best solution might be to find a restoration specialist who handles these types of garments on a REGULAR basis. Your local museum might be able to provide you with some leads. Hope this helps.

 

[garymyman]

Well that's depressing :/

 

[shanker]

Try white vinegar.

Get a spray bottle and mist the suit w/ it, inside and out. Dont saturate the fibers, but get it all over. Then fill up a bit of your tub with very hot H2O and pour in some vinegar. Seal up the room and let it sit O/N. The steam will help penetrate the fibers and might get rid of the smell. Perhaps repeat a few times as well.

I few days in open air will dissipate the vinegar smell.