Putting A Cup Of Baking Soda In The Closet: Why It Is Recommended And What It Is For

No one likes opening a closet full of fresh laundry only to be hit by a stale, musty smell. You'll be especially incensed if your nicer, branded pieces absorb a smell of unknown origins. The smell can be worse during winter when your closet is full of woolens because these clothes absorb moisture quickly but don't release it soon enough. Your instinct might be to spritz a DIY spring-scented room spray using essential oils or a store bought one, but that's a band-aid at best. The real fix? Putting a cup of baking soda in your closet — no deep-clean or sprays required. Surprised? Well, this is one of the many ways you never thought to use baking soda in your house.

Generally, a musty smell in your closet is the courtesy of the gas released by microscopic mold and mildew as they spread. Since your closet doors stay shut all day long (save for intermittent periods when you're trying to decide the OOTD), the high humidity or dampness clinging to fabric in a closed space makes for the perfect conditions for microscopic mold and mildew spores to grow. Baking soda works in such situations because it's alkaline in nature. As such, it neutralizes this acidic gas, instead of simply masking bad smells. It absorbs moisture as well, so it tackles the source of the smell instead of just masking it and preventing further odor build-up, which is why it's recommended.

In a small jar, put ⅓ cup of baking soda and cover it with a thin cloth, paper towel, or lid. If you're going with a lid, choose one that has holes in it so the sodium bicarbonate can do its job. If you're hoping to repurpose an old one, grab your drill machine to create some holes. Or, replace its solid top with a thin paper and poke a few holes with a dowel or chopstick you have lying around. Alternatively, put the soda in an old sock and tie it with a string. If your closet is big, put several jars on different shelves for a quicker resolution. It'll take about a day for the odor to go away, but if the smell has been persistent, it might take some days. But make sure they don't overturn when you take out stuff. To avoid spillage, you can consider turning your old mason jars into floating storage with a space-saving DIY.

Hoping to add a specific fragrance to your closet? Simply drop in 10 to 15 drops of essential oil, such as tea tree or eucalyptus, on top of your baking soda and stir the two well for even distribution. Feel free to use season-specific scents for a refreshing experience. And when the fragrance starts getting faint, shake your jar a little to revive it again. That being said, you'll have to replace the jar in a month or two (or whenever you can't recover the scent of the essential oil) to keep your closet smelling divine.