How To Get Musty Smell Out Of Curtains?

How To Get Musty Smell Out Of Curtains? How to deal with the musty smell in curtains? This is the question of many people living in houses where mold grows. Unfortunately, removing the musty smell from curtains will not solve the problem entirely.

As long as the source of the odor still lingers, the curtains will not get rid of the musty smell soon. It will come back the next day after you deodorized the fabric. Here is a complex approach to removing mold scent from your fabrics.

Removing the odor source

Before jumping into analyzing the best curtain deodorizing methods, it’s important to address the mold first. None of the deodorizing agents will work for more than one day if the mold continues to grow in your house. That’s why here are some ways you can tackle mold reproduction.

1. Use a dehumidifier

One of the favorable conditions for mold to grow is humidity. You can do the simple trick of reducing the humidity levels in your house to stop mold from breeding. A dehumidifier is the best device to help you with this task.

Bring it in the room with smelling curtains and let it do its job. Keep in mind that the dehumidifier does not remove the curtain’s musty smell. Low humidity impedes new bacteria to appear. It doesn’t kill the existing bacteria that cause the unpleasant smell.

2. Use a steam cleaner

Steam is incredibly potent at killing germs. They simply can’t stand the boiling temperature that disrupts their vital processes. To prevent the appearance of a musty smell in your house, consider steam cleaning the surfaces on regular basis.

If the humidity levels are high, you can steam clean more often. This will help keep up with the fast mold growth. In fact, you can use the steam cleaner to remove the curtain musty smell too. Use the proper heat intensities to prevent damaging delicate fabrics.

Removing the musty odor

Now that you have stopped the mold from growing, you can switch your attention to removing the musty odor. Here are reliable and efficient methods to free your curtain of the pungent smell.

1. Brush the mold spores

Before you begin with odor removal, make sure there are no mold spores on the curtain. Sometimes the house mold scent will infuse into the curtains. Other times the mold will grow directly on the carpet. If this is the case, use a brush to remove the mold spores.

As you finish, vacuum the fabric to get rid of loose particles.

2. White vinegar

Vinegar proves an outstanding odor remover. Mix one part water and one part white vinegar in a spray bottle. Shake to allow the ingredients to blend properly. Spritz the mixture onto the fabric and let it evaporate naturally.

The vinegar will evaporate fast, taking with it both its own sharp scent and the mold smell.

3. Lemon juice

You can always use the extra lemon in your fridge to deodorize surfaces. It deals greatly with a musty smell, so you can confidently apply it to the curtain. Mix equal parts of water and lemon juice and spray the deodorizer on the curtain.

Keep in mind that this trick works only with white curtains. If you try on colored fabric, it can fade.

4. Machine wash

Giving a machine wash to your curtain will definitely help remove its smell. Choose a hot yet safe enough setting to exclude damage to the fabric. Read the curtain label to see what temperatures it can resist.

5. Ventilate

Hanging the curtain outside on a clothesline will also contribute to fighting the odors. Let the warm breeze dry the fabric completely to ensure the smell is gone. Make a point of making the curtain facing towards the sun.

The UV it provides is potent at killing bacteria and the last particles of mold that somehow survived the deodorizing agents.

How To Get Musty Smell Out Of Curtains? – Conclusion

Removing the curtain musty smell is easy if you use the right methods. You can do it using vinegar, lemon juice, or taking the curtain to the laundry. Deodorizing the drapes won’t solve the problem, as you need to stop the mold growth in your house as well.

By using a dehumidifier or a steam cleaner, you impede mold from appearing on surfaces and save curtains from a musty smell.