OT - musty linen cupboard

raewyn64, Mar 7, 6:43am
Not quite a recipe but you people are so helpful here.
At my old house I had a large linen cupbaord attached to the hot water cylinder and everything was nice and fresh smelling.
At this new place I currently only have a freestnding double wooden cupboard and have noticed that linen that I am starting to pull out to warm us up a bit more is musty smelling.Is there anything I can put in the cupboard to make things smell a bit nicer? The linen isn't damp or mouldy or anything, just a bit musty smelling. Yes I can air the items but if it is raining then I am unable to get them out to air.
Thanks so much in advance for any suggestions.

kinna54, Mar 7, 6:52am
Haven't got that problem here but I notice my friend has a pomander thing of cloves that hangs in her linen cupboard. Maybe store some lavender bags in there?
You could try maybe wiping down shelves with a mix of detergent water with a couple of drops of vanillaor eucalyptus added.

raewyn64, Mar 7, 7:00am
Oh lavender good idea - the business across from my work has a whole hedge of lavender with flowres on it most of the time - I could ass if I could cut some heads and hang them in the cupboard maybe

elliehen, Mar 7, 8:06am
I put lavender essential oil onto cotton balls and tuck into corners of cuoboards and drawers.

cgvl, Mar 7, 8:16am
you could make your own pomander, all it is is an orange that has been studded with whole cloves, but can't for the life of me remember how we tied the ribbon to it lol.
Used to make them when I was a kid for xmas presents.

patsprat, Mar 7, 8:26am
I keep my linen cupboard smelling fresh by storing soap in there - when I buy soap in 4s or 6s I unwrap them and pop them in among the towels and sheets until they're needed. Makes everything smell lovely and the soap seems to harden and lasts longer too when I finally use it.Just a thought.

pickles7, Mar 7, 9:04am
I would be more worried in case there is an underlying problem. Look for holes in the floor boards etc. Some damp rid may be needed. soap is nice to put in your cupboards, the longer you keep soap, the longer it will last. win win .Lavender soap, nice.

juliewn, Mar 7, 11:47am
Hi.. I'd check for any dampness that might be there too.. mustiness usually indicates something is getting damp.. and checking around and beneath the cupboard would be best before using something to mask the smell.. It could also be a help to drill a few holes around the cupboard for ventilation as that will help..

'Damp rid' is a product that can help too..

In a house some years ago, a linen cupboard off the hall didn't have any ventilation and things there got musty.. the damp rid fixed the problem and I kept the door almost closed to allow ventilation, which helped too..

lythande1, Mar 7, 7:38pm
Find where the leak is and cure the cause not mask the symptoms.

elliehen, Mar 7, 8:43pm
Older generations used to store their linen in camphor or cedar chests to prevent mustiness.Any stacks of fabric will become musty over time if left undisturbed.

raewyn64, Mar 8, 6:43am
Not quite a recipe but you people are so helpful here.
At my old house I had a large linen cupbaord attached to the hot water cylinder and everything was nice and fresh smelling.
At this new place I currently only have a freestnding double wooden cupboard and have noticed that linen that I am starting to pull out to warm us up a bit more is musty smelling.Is there anything I can put in the cupboard to make things smell a bit nicer! The linen isn't damp or mouldy or anything, just a bit musty smelling. Yes I can air the items but if it is raining then I am unable to get them out to air.
Thanks so much in advance for any suggestions.

kinna54, Mar 8, 6:52am
Haven't got that problem here but I notice my friend has a pomander thing of cloves that hangs in her linen cupboard. Maybe store some lavender bags in there!
You could try maybe wiping down shelves with a mix of detergent water with a couple of drops of vanillaor eucalyptus added.

cgvl, Mar 8, 8:16am
you could make your own pomander, all it is is an orange that has been studded with whole cloves, but can't for the life of me remember how we tied the ribbon to it lol.
Used to make them when I was a kid for xmas presents.

patsprat, Mar 8, 8:26am
I keep my linen cupboard smelling fresh by storing soap in there - when I buy soap in 4s or 6s I unwrap them and pop them in among the towels and sheets until they're needed. Makes everything smell lovely and the soap seems to harden and lasts longer too when I finally use it.Just a thought.

juliewn, Mar 8, 11:47am
Hi. I'd check for any dampness that might be there too. mustiness usually indicates something is getting damp. and checking around and beneath the cupboard would be best before using something to mask the smell. It could also be a help to drill a few holes around the cupboard for ventilation as that will help.

'Damp rid' is a product that can help too.

In a house some years ago, a linen cupboard off the hall didn't have any ventilation and things there got musty. the damp rid fixed the problem and I kept the door almost closed to allow ventilation, which helped too.