How to get wool smelling clean

[queencupcake]

My mum has just passed onto me a bargain of the century that she got a few months ago from a charity shop and decided it's too trendy for her.

It's a designer wool poncho its brand new with tags and a branded suit bag it came in.

The problem is it absolutely stinks the garment and the bag.

Everything that comes out of my mums house smells damp as they have a huge damp issue but this item smells worse than anything that has come out of her house and it's made my own clothes smell that have come in contact with it.

Any idea how to make it smell nice without washing it?

I would have it cleaned professionally. Good luck!

Spray it with diluted zoflora. I do this sometimes when DH has t aired clothes properly and there isn't time to rewash/dry them. The perfume smell covers the odour and the anti bac kills the germs causing it.
I'd try it on a little part first to test it but I've never had a problem with staining etc

Next time there is a sunny day hang it outside. Fresh air and sunshine works wonders on musty things.

Zoflora did cross my mind as I have the fresh linen one or wondered if diluted fabric conditioner may work?

I did think a good airing may help The only thing I could do is open the window and hang it on the curtain pole but worried it may stink the room put even more?

If we were in Spring or Summer, then laying it outside in the sunshine would do the trick.

However as it is currently snowing outside, that's not an option

My parents also have a very damp house. I have found that the only way to get the smell out of clothes is to wash them, as even if you air it inside and spray with Febreeze (or similar), the moment the garment gets damp again it will smell.

Buy some Lux or Woolite. Follow the directions and handwash it carefully, then reshape it and lay it flat where the air can circulate round it somewhere warm where it can dry. Don't hang it up as this will stretch the fibres.

Do you have a small closet or a shower cubicle ?
What I would do is hang it up on a hanger and then bring a pan of half water half white vinegar with a few drops of essential oil to a rolling boil in a pan and that place the pan under the poncho, to sort of "steam it".Repeat as many times as you can be arsed.

It should deal with the worst of the smell and then once there is a blue sky day, hand it outside to air.

If not you can very carefully handwash it with Lux or Woolite or (even baby shampoo) like MrDacre suggests.

What I do with my wools and cachemires is reshape and lay flat on a towel roll the towel up like a sausage and press to get rid of excess moisture, you may need to do this a few times with a fresh towel each time.

I then place the jumper between to more dry towels and iron on the lowest heat to "set the shape". and then I leave them to dry flat on yet another dry towel!

Good luck

Put the cape in a bin bag, sprinkle a bunch of baking soda on top. Close the bag and shake it up. Then put a bunch of crinkled up newspaper in with it. Seal the bag and let it sit for a couple of days, then shake the baking soda off outside.

Pimmsy your idea of steam has given me a brain wave.

Zoflora in the steam cleaner??

I pop a bit in anyway when cleaning the floors and toilets.

That should do the trick shouldn't it? I've never owned real wool so I'm just checking.

I believe you have to be very careful with using steam to treat wool clothes. It can ruin them.

Some very good advice, but please don't go anywhere near wool with fabric conditioner, particularly if its merino - it will shrink it! I discovered this accidentally of course, I cried.

If you're going to wash it, use a product specifically designed for wool. Good luck!

I was going to suggest Woolite (love the smell), but a brand-new designer item I would get dry-cleaned - they should do the bag too, probably free of charge (they do DH's suit bags).

I wouldn't actually steam it " close up" more of put it in a steamy environment IYSWIM... close steam could damage the wool.
I have no idea about zoflola because where I live it's not available !

Good luck

Eucalan wool wash, then to dry lay it flat on a towel and roll the towel uo