So, you’ve pulled out that fave Christmas jumper from the cupboard and want to get festive. But maybe its been in there too long and doesn’t quite have that laundry fresh smell? Or maybe you’ve only briefly worn a shirt and want to give it a refresh without putting it in for another long cycle?
We all want our clothes to feel and smell fresh. And that’s why we’ve put together some tips to help give your clothes that clean smell without having to resort to the washing machine.
1. Fresh air and sunshine
Nothing gets smells out of clothes better than hanging them out on a washing line. But if you don’t have one, or if it’s just too cold to face, you can always hang your clothes by an open window for an hour or so. The sunlight will kill any bacteria, the fresh air will remove any odours and put back the freshness. It’s the original dry cleaning!
2. Use your dryer
You can use your dryer heat to kill the germs and bacteria that cause smells. Place your clothes in the dryer, and turn it up to the highest setting. Then then just let it run for 10-15 mins.
Check out the Samsung Ecobubble washer dryer. Its Air Refresh function uses a stream of hot air to remove odours and microbes from your clothes. It’s the quickest way to put some freshness back into your threads – and you can even use it to put some life back into those dry-clean only numbers!
3. Hot shower time
This is an easy way to get wrinkles out of clothes, and it’s also a good way to remove smells. Just hang your clothes up while you’re showering, and let the steam do all the hard work. How does it work? The steam relaxes the fibres in your clothes and the odours are released. Magic!
Just make sure not to hand your clothes up on the inside of the shower. Unless you’re going for fresh but damp…
4. Give them a spray
We all know the classic Febreze trick, but did you know you can create your own clothes freshening spray? Just use one-part white vinegar to one-part water in a spray bottle. All you have to do is turn your clothes inside out and target the problem areas. Then hang up your clothes and allow them to dry out. The vinegar smell will quickly disappear as will other odours. You can also do a similar trick with lemon juice.
Caution: Never use darker vinegars like balsamic! And remember that vinegar and lemon juice are both acidic, so avoid using them on delicate fabrics.
5. Recycle that newspaper!
Don’t throw away that old newspaper that’s been hanging around on the side. Simply tear off a few pages and ball them up. These can then be tucked into the odour areas of your clothes and left for a few hours. Newspaper is super absorbent and will remove odours from clothes.
That's all your clothes feeling fresh again without using a washing machine! You'll have to wash them eventually though - here are some laundry hacks for saving time and money.
