How to keep the smell on clothing

[Sunshineandbluesky]

Please help me. I’ve tried googling. My husband died on Monday and the smell from his clothing is already going. I can’t bear to lose it. He was only 54 and would never leave us. What can I buy and where to keep the smell please.

I'm sorry for your loss 💐
I don't know if this would work and hopefully another poster will come along with some sound advice, but what about those vacuum seal bags? I'd imagine something like that would work. Hope you figure out a way ❤️

🤞🤞🤞

Many condolences on your terrible bereavement OP. I hope you have support and can rest a bit during these first few awful days and weeks.

I have had success taking something not too smelly /sweaty- like a jumper or scarf - and putting in a vacuum seal bag, one of those ones you get from amazon and suck the air out with a hoover. I did this with about 4 of my mum's things for the same reason and opened basically one a year. After 4 years it wasn't as strong - but after 4 years I was more strong, and the loss was more bearable.

Also keep perfume or cologne? I have some of my dad's aftershave and that lasted about a year before the volatile smell wore off.

For now you are in the early days. Just get into one of his jumpers and wear the sodding thing for a week. Do whatever you need to. The smell won't fade that quickly and you need to take care of yourself. x

Thank you. Will I be able to open it to smell it all the time. I’ve been carrying and smelling his top and now pants! but the smell is fading. How did you bear this? The whole thing of losing him please?

Oh I am so sorry to read this.

Many years ago my boyfriend died (we were teens) and I distinctly remember how much a shirt of his, that he had left at mine, meant to me in those early weeks after, because I could smell him.

30 years have passed. I don't have the shirt any more, but I can still remember the smell vividly, such was its importance.

If the vacuum sealing doesn't work, I hope that brings you some comfort. I can genuinely close my eyes and smell him all this time later X

Oh, OP. I’m so sorry for your loss. No, alas, you won’t be able to keep opening the vacuum-sealed bag to smell clothing — it’s precisely the staying sealed that preserves (to an extent) the scent.

@Sunshineandbluesky so sorry for your loss. Maybe get several small vacuum bags, put one item in each, and have one time at a time that you use as your comfort? You get through this by keeping going, one breath/hour/day at a time

Thank you.

I am so deeply sorry for your huge personal loss. 🌹

I understand you wanting to preserve the only thing you have left of someone you love. When my Mum died suddenly, I went to her house and her dressing gown was hanging on her bedroom door. I picked it up and it still had her beautiful personal smell on it. It smelt like 'comfort with a hint of vanilla' and I closed my eyes and hugged it close to me and imagined that she was holding me in one of her lovely big bear hugs that only a mumma can give.

I took the dressing gown home and boxed it. But I couldn't preserve the smell. It began to fade quite quickly which was upsetting and felt like I was losing the last thing I had of her.

I don't know how to stop the smell fading, and have no advice, but I just wanted you to know I know how you feel and I really hope you find a solution.

Sending hugs x