Scents marked “eau de parfum” will always be more concentrated than “eau de toilette.”
Body sprays are the least concentrated scents.
This makes fabrics feel smooth and soft, but the scent can also be overwhelming.
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Air Out the Clothes
Hang the scented clothingeven newly purchasedin the open air.
Plants can also help absorb the odors.
The time the clothing needs to air out depends on how saturated it is with scent.
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It may take as little as a few hours or as long as a couple of weeks.
Be sure the soaking vessel is large enough to submerge the smelly garment completely.
Overnight is usually a sufficient amount of time, although some suggest as long as a few days.
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Add at least 1/4 cup ofdistilled white vinegarto the rinse cycle and stop the cycle.
Let the laundry soak for an hour before completing the rinse cycle.
The vinegar will help cut through perfume residue in the fibers.
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Add an extra rinse cycle to ensure all the detergent is rinsed from your clothing.
The line drying will also provide a final opportunity for clothes to air out.
If you must use aclothes dryer, use alow-temperature settinglike the permanent press option.
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Excessively high temperatures can cause remaining odor molecules to adhere more deeply to the fabric.
The baking soda will absorb the odors, just like it does in your refrigerator.
If your clothes still have bothersome odors or are chemically irritating, repeat the process as often as necessary.
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Additional Methods for Removing Perfume Odors
These natural, homemade remedies can remove perfume odors.
These methods predate expensive scent-busting commercial products.
Take the clothing to an outside area, spray it lightly, and let it air out.
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Febreze traps odor molecules and keeps them suspended until the garment can be cleaned.
Some dry cleaning chemicals can also contain perfumes.
Alcohol in the form of vodka or rubbing alcohol is a natural neutralizer for heavy perfume scents.
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Use vinegar and baking soda as other effective remedies to neutralize odors.
Perfume sprayed directly on clothing can damage the fibers by staining and discoloring them.
Generally, a lightly fragranced item of clothing can take several hours to several weeks.
Airing out the item speeds up the process.
