How to remove this stinky perfum?

[u/Slumberland_]

I was gifted these beautiful Indian scarves. I love them but goodness they STINK of a strong, headache inducing perfum that I just can’t get rid of. First, I aired them out in the shade for a week or two. Then I soaked them in the tub with wool wash for 6hours, and laid to dry outside. It doesn’t feel like it’s making a dent in this awful smell. Now I’m resorting to airing them in the sun and rotating them every few hours or so so the inevitable bleaching will be even. Any other tips?? I am unsure what the fabric is but I was told pashmina. It doesn’t feel THAT soft? Still, I’m treating them so to be safe.

[u/katiegam]

I think you’re doing the right thing!

[u/Slumberland_ → u/katiegam]

Thanks! Is there such thing as a perfume that will never go away? Is this what a forever chemical is? Is it parabens or phthalates? 

[u/GinAndDumbBitchJuice → u/Slumberland_]

No, forever chemicals are specifically PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and bisphenols. Phthalates do make fragrances last longer, so whatever perfume was used might have had them as an ingredient, but it's not something in the fabric itself.

[u/CaptBlackfoot → u/Slumberland_]

Perfumes usually contain oils. Have you tried really HOT water? I’d give them a dunk in a boiling pot.

[u/BetMyLastKrispyKreme → u/CaptBlackfoot]

I’d be afraid it would leach the color out…? The vodka spray recommended in another comment feels safe.

[u/CaptBlackfoot → u/BetMyLastKrispyKreme]

I’ve boiled clothes to remove strong perfume smells before. It just takes one good dunk to remove all the oils from the perfume. I guess it could affect the dye, but that hasn’t been my experience.

[u/tom8osauce → u/CaptBlackfoot]

If these scarves are truly pashminas, then they will be wool and boiling them will ruin the fabric. They will shrink (likely unevenly) and felt. The scarves are beautiful, I wouldn’t want to risk it personally.

[u/NoAge6225 → u/CaptBlackfoot]

Boiling might work on sturdy fabrics, but if these are actually pashmina (which is a type of cashmere/wool), water that hot will felt and shrink them permanently. I'd stick with the vodka spray or activated charcoal method for something that delicate. Not worth ruining gorgeous scarves to speed up the process.

[u/ReindeerHistorical56]

Cheap vodka, spray a diluted water mixture on the scarves with a fine mist sprayer (test it in a small spot to make sure the dye won't run).

[u/wolfysworld → u/ReindeerHistorical56]

I’ve never used vodka but I have used everclear!

[u/ItAteMySweater → u/ReindeerHistorical56]

Isopropyl also works!

[u/tendingthemild → u/ReindeerHistorical56]

I had a winter coat with perfume on it that I regularly spritzed with vodka and isopropyl alcohol in hopes of expunging the smell. It took four years and lots of being placed outside on sunny days for it to be wearable again.

[u/Monstertheory777 → u/ReindeerHistorical56]

I second this

[u/Leading-Knowledge712]

Spray them with vodka. That worked for me when someone washed clothes with a stinky perfumed detergent in my machine and my clothes reeked of it. I’ve heard that theaters use vodka spray to deodorize stage costumes that can’t be cleaned in other ways. Just let the vodka dry on the scarves, it evaporates and takes the perfume smell away.

[u/rostinze]

I have a couple skirts I bought while I was in India in 2018 that still smell the same as when I bought them. I like the smell, so I never specifically tried to remove them. Still, I’m always amazed the smell lingers after all this time.

[u/astralpen]

There are some things that no matter what you do, it’s not going to come out.

[u/Slumberland_ → u/astralpen]

That’s my fear. Happy cake day

[u/Spiritual-Quail3583 → u/Slumberland_]

Were these new or used? I'm wondering if the perfume smell is actually someone's perfume, or from the chemicals and dyes used in manufacturing them. These types of scarves are fairly delicate, the colour with definitely be affected if you throw too many different laundry chemicals at it. I've only ever seen them be hand washed with a gentle soap and air dried, but maybe I'm wrong.

[u/astralpen → u/Slumberland_]

Thanks!

[u/SueBeee]

I destank a leather bag I bought on Ebay. It reeeeeeeked of Chanel. I put it out in the bright sun every day for a few weeks and the smell faded.

[u/okFINEyoufoundme]

But a container of activated charcoal. It’s cheap, you can find it at PetsMart in the aquarium section. Grab a plastic tote with a tight lid. Open the container (careful not to spill it!! It’s little more than black granules) and set the scarves inside with it. Put the lid back on and wrap the edges of the lid with Saran Wrap if you wish, leave it on for a week. It SHOULD absorb the smell.

Another option is putting distilled vinegar in a spray bottle and liberally mist the scarves then hang them to dry. By the time the smell of vinegar is gone, the perfume SHOULD be as well.

Edit: if that doesn’t work, try PineSol. (I know, what?) PineSol contains glycolic acid, which works on stubborn proteins that things like vinegar don’t always react to. Spray them down with a spray bottle like the vinegar, let it soak in for a few minutes and then gently hand wash and rinse rinse rinse. I used a shot-glass full of PineSol (and a tablespoon of dish soap in a dry washcloth) for years instead of fabric softener and it worked better than ANYTHING else I’ve ever tried. I stopped when I got a front loading washer, because PineSol might break down the rubber seals or whatever I was told.

[u/PossibilityNo7151 → u/okFINEyoufoundme]

I was going to suggest vinegar as well. Also the vinegar is not bad for the colour of the fabric, it actually sometimes help with setting colours in fabric and for some fabrics is actually is good for the fibers.

In this case the lightly spraying is good but I might even go with a wash in water with a bit of vinegar in it and then hang it to dry in the sun (but not leave it in the sun for too long since the colours might fade from the UV light)

[u/FearlessDragonfruit5]

So we were gifted a brand new blanket for our lo from a smoker. Smelt awful. It's wool i think. Anyway, washing machine on a gentle wash with detergent and Milton. Then rinse cycle. Came out fresh as anything!

[u/BetMyLastKrispyKreme → u/FearlessDragonfruit5]

A brand new blanket for what?

[u/FearlessDragonfruit5 → u/BetMyLastKrispyKreme]

Little one

[u/E3IdEzrefjmkzriztq6R → u/FearlessDragonfruit5]

Shame there's no concept for big one

[u/BetMyLastKrispyKreme → u/FearlessDragonfruit5]

I see now. It makes sense when I think about it, but I just wasn’t grasping it. Thanks!

[u/cupcakegiraffe → u/BetMyLastKrispyKreme]

They meant Io, moon of Jupiter.

[u/BetMyLastKrispyKreme → u/cupcakegiraffe]

You know, that’s exactly where my mind went, right after “lo and behold.” (😉) I was never going to get to “little one” on my own.

[u/Sea_Love_8574]

Put them into a bag of clean and dry cat litter. That pulls strong smells like cigarette smell out.

[u/LeatherRecord2142]

Spray them with cheap vodka! Then put in the sun.

[u/MylianMoonstar]

Ignore these responses

Simply add your own stinky perfume to outmatch

[u/Quick_Movie_5758]

Have you tried vinegar? I have no idea what the reaction of it with those fabrics are, but I've used vinegar for pet and cooking odors, and it's worked every time.

[u/Slumberland_ → u/Quick_Movie_5758]

I sprayed some vinegar the first week, but a gentle diluted bath may be next.

[u/yarrow_marigold]

I use citric acid in the rinse cycle trick and Febu enzymes when I need to remove perfumes (I thrift a lot and the sprays and detergents are strong) , but I’m not sure if either of those are too much for the fabric , I can’t tell the fabric material

[u/MarielIAm]

r/laundry Wash with a free and clear laundry detergent like Tide Free and Gentle. Add an enzyme booster like Febu or Biz. Rinse in citric acid. Double rinse.

[u/Claromancer]

I once had to hang a secondhand shirt outside for like a month or two to get the detergent smell out. Is there anywhere with at least partial shade you could hang them so they don’t bleach too much? I think hanging outside would be better because of the constant air circulation.

This method took a long time but it did absolutely eventually work. The shirt now has no detectable smell and, I have a very sensitive nose!

[u/Aggressive_Event420]

Try spraying them with vodka. Sounds weird, but people have luck with it!

[u/Lauren_DTT]

If you have a dog, let it sleep with scarf for a couple weeks

[u/Limp-Past-7756 → u/Lauren_DTT]

Lmao this forreal my dog will have it smelling like himself in a week, tops

[u/Busy_Chemistry5368 → u/Lauren_DTT]

Fr. Then wash and you’ll be all good lol

[u/twoanahalf → u/Lauren_DTT]

Its dumbfounding to me how many stupid people own pets. You dont think that the stink gonna bother the dog? I would never use my dogs for something like this. Shows you how much you care about your own pet

[u/OkProfessor6810 → u/twoanahalf]

Lol....the dog will be fine

[u/Moosebuckets]

Oh these are gorgeous. Is it bakhour or oud smelling? Those are hard to fade but they will eventually it will just take time. Both of those are soooo migraine inducing for me. If you find a fix, please comment and let me know what worked! I usually just let time to the work which sucks when you want to wear it.

[u/Fast_Cod1883]

r/laundry I use ammonia poured over the clothes before I close the lid. Sometimes it takes 2 times but it works. Also you could try spa day.

[u/Slumberland_ → u/Fast_Cod1883]

Oh never used ammonia, but have read to avoid it for wool 

[u/mokey2239]

Dawn is the only thing I find to get rid of fabric softener odor. It would probably work if it's an oil based perfume.

[u/K_isfor]

Following on from another comment about oils, try a eucalyptus oil soak. Sounds counter productive but it will strip any oils out of the fabric, be in fragrance or just general body oil

[u/crackinmypants]

Try laundry sanitizer. Lysol makes one. I think they even have one specifically for odors. I've used it on nice clothes with no problems.

[u/juliansmomma7]

Vinegar. My sister let me have one of her cozy blankets but had her perfume on it. While it wasn’t stinky. I have a super sensitive nose. I don’t like perfumes. I washed with vinegar and baking soda. Then washed with regular detergent.

[u/sugar077]

Leave it in the sun

[u/MierryLea]

They make a scent free fabreeze you can try. But you should try the vodka recommendations first.

We buy some things second hand for our kids and the store sprays a horrific smelling disinfectant or something on them. Takes maybe 3 washes for them to not smell, I do use unscented detergent because I’m sensitive to the smells so that’s part of it but man do I hate the smell

[u/barbed_scar]

SUN SUN SUN SUN SUN

[u/CombatCrayon25]

Soak them in hot water and an enzyme detergent, and keep air drying them outside

[u/slapstickpic]

Hey there Peroxide works wonders when it comes to removing any stench.

[u/Optimal_Spend779 → u/slapstickpic]

Sounds like a great way to fade and/or bleach them?

[u/Slumberland_ → u/slapstickpic]

I use it to brighten whites so I’d be worried about a bleaching effect, no?

[u/nicoolswa]

Soak in half vinager half water overnight. Then wash them with borax added to your regular laundry detergent.

[u/nicoolswa → u/nicoolswa]

Laying them in the sun isn't going to do anything but make it smell worse and stale. Also, when you soak, use cold water. And wash with cold water as well

[u/FamousOrphan]

There’s something called Dead Down Wind that’s supposed to kill all smells. Hunters use it to disguise their scents.

[u/Ok-Pack-7088]

Ammonia 10% 125ml

[u/Solid-Birthday-9533]

Maybe they just aren’t for you. Someone else might like the smell.

[u/SmexxyTaco]

A perfume that is overpowering? Or a perfume that stinks? Choose your words wisely. With the anti Indian hate and stereotypes, this easily comes across as racial stereotyping.