How do I get rid of a musty smell in a wardrobe or drawer?

A wardrobe against a cold external wall, packed tight and never opened, is a small unventilated space with a cold surface at the back. Moisture from the room condenses there, and clothes put away with body oils still in them feed the bacteria that produce the smell. Every part of the fix is about air and about what goes back in.

What you'll need

• White vinegar
• Cloths
• A moisture absorber or dehumidifier (optional)
• Cedar blocks, for moths rather than smell (optional)

Step by step

1. Empty it completely.You cannot find the source of a smell in a full wardrobe, and half measures here produce half results. Everything out, onto a bed.
2. Sort what actually smells.Smell each item. Often one or two things — a coat worn and put back damp, a pair of shoes — account for the whole problem.
3. Wash everything, including clean-looking items.Body oils are invisible and are what the musty smell is made of. Anything that has been worn once and put away is a source even if it looks unworn.
4. Wipe the inside with vinegar solution.One part white vinegar to four parts water on a cloth, over every internal surface including the underside of shelves and the back of the doors. It kills the surface bacteria and the vinegar smell goes as it dries.
5. Leave it open and empty until bone dry.A day with the doors open, ideally with the room warm and ventilated. Putting clothes back into a damp interior restarts the whole thing.
6. Pull the unit off the wall.Fifty millimetres of gap lets air move behind it so the back panel is not held at cold wall temperature. This is the change that stops the problem recurring.
7. Put back less than came out.About three quarters full, so air can pass between garments. A packed rail cannot dry and holds every smell it acquires.
8. Add a moisture absorber.A crystal-type absorber on the floor of the wardrobe, or a dehumidifier run in the room. Check and replace it — a full one does nothing.
9. Open the doors when you air the room.Fifteen minutes with the wardrobe open and a window open is a habit that costs nothing and prevents recurrence entirely.
10. Never put anything away damp or worn.Coats after rain, gym kit, anything worn on a hot day. Air it on a hook first, then put it away.

Tips

• Cedar blocks are for moths, not for musty smells, and they need sanding lightly once a year to keep working at all.
• A drawer that smells but is not damp is usually the wood itself absorbing old scent. Line it with plain paper after washing rather than with a scented liner.
• If the back panel is actually damp to the touch, the wardrobe is not the problem — that is condensation on a cold wall and needs treating as a damp issue.

Common mistakes

• Putting scented sachets in without cleaning first — The musty smell is still being produced, so you get lavender over mustiness, which most people find worse than mustiness alone and which delays finding the real source.
• Repacking it exactly as it was — The overcrowding and the position against the wall are what caused it. Cleaning without changing either means the smell returns within a couple of months.

If it doesn't work

Questions people ask