Give Up the Funk: How to Get Thrift Store Smell Out of Clothes
A tailor's guide to getting that thrift store smell out of your new-to-you clothes
I teach lifestyle sewing in hopes that all people can have this skill so they can alter and mend and create the textiles they live in. The need to care for our own belongings and steward what we buy is obvious - environment, waste - the list is poignant and the solution lies in each one of us. In our hands and hearts. We can collectively make a difference by tending to our clothes and home goods. I am adding my drop of solution through Common Sewing - teaching you to sew with clothes and textiles that have already had a full life cycle.
For the revised Basic Skills Learn to Sew Series, I’ve been challenging myself to find thrifted garments that can be transformed into the six projects that make up my basic skill building series. Last month, I timed myself at a Salvation Army in downtown Raleigh. I was on location for a photo shoot, and I had a down day. Let me tell you! A. The Salvation Army Family Center on Tryon Rd is a gem. B. In 45 minutes, I found everything I needed for all six basic-skills workshops:
My tea towel was easy - men’s pants size 40 waist made from 100% linen.
The zipper clutch needs so little fabric, I will pull 2 different panels from other pieces.
The apron will be a challenge - I found this gorgeous Japanese cotton kimono for 3.99 with stains on the collar. But the stains came out so I might have to pop out for a replacement.
The perfect tee? 4 XL men’s button downs in clashing prints.
The Gigi knit tee. A maxi dress in navy and white stripes.
The PJ bottoms - a dress with a flowy gathered skirt.
The total? Less than $40. The joy in the finding. Priceless. My pleasure in sewing and using pieces that I captured on the hunt - infinite.
There’s just one little problem with thrifted clothes: The funk. Most of the pieces washed and had a neutral smell after one wash with my normal detergent. But the maxi dress and a couple of the men’s shirts were rank. Thrift store clothes can carry a distinctive smell from storage, previous wear, perfume, detergent, smoke, or simply years of sitting around with other garments. It doesn’t matter where the smell comes from. It matters that it won’t go away.
Fortunately, I’m finding that I can get that thrift store smell out with a good pretreatment and wash. Here’s my tailor-tested method. I found it first at the Thick-Thrift Diaries on substack. Check Nichole out for a delightful read. And her recommendations - spot on. I tested them. Twice.
How to Get Thrift Store Smell Out of Clothes
1. Give it a presoak
First, deal with any obvious stains. Rub a little dish soap onto greasy spots or use a stain remover according to its directions. On photo shoots I carry a small bottle of dawn dish detergent in my kit. Better than bleach pens or tide wipes for getting out greasy stains. The clear formula is the only one I trust. Rub, rinse, rub, rinse and keep repeating until the stain is gone.
Then soak the garment in a sink, bucket, or other suitable container for anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours, depending on how dingy or smelly it is. For washable, colorfast fabrics, use warm or hot water (use your judgement on how the fibers of your find will take the heat) and add an unscented oxygen-based bleach, such as OxiClean Free, according to the product directions. I just toss in one scoop and hope for the best.
Let it soak, then drain. There’s no need to wring your garments out, and please don’t twist them like a rope. That’s a great way to stress seams, distort knits, and generally make your future sewing project harder. Then move everything to the washing machine.
Lazy tailor option: Use your washing machine’s soak cycle instead.
A few pointers from the cutting table
Dissolve powdered oxygen bleach first. Powdered products dissolve more easily in warm or hot water than cold water. Follow the product’s instructions for the appropriate amount.
Test first. Oxygen bleach products are often labeled color-safe, but that doesn’t mean every dye is completely immune to bleeding. Test an inconspicuous area before soaking a particularly precious thrift find.
Don’t substitute chlorine bleach. Regular household bleach is a different product and can be much harder on fabrics.
Pay attention to the fabric. Oxygen bleach can be especially useful for garments with dinginess, yellowing, body odor, and certain protein or oil-based stains. This is particularly helpful with knits and garments containing spandex, which can hang on to body oils and odors.
The dingier the garment, the longer you may want to soak it - but even a short soak can help.
What about wool and silk?
Treat wool and silk like the fine fabrics they are.
Skip the oxygen bleach and use cool or lukewarm water with a detergent made for delicate fibers, following the care instructions for the garment. Honestly here I just use my normal detergent.
Gently press excess water out rather than wringing.
Aaaaaaaaaannnnnnd - if the smell is persistent on the silk or wool just go with the oxygen bleach soak. Because even if it is compromised it will still be useful with a neutral smell.
2. Wash with detergent
Use your regular laundry detergent and give your garment a wash in the washing machine. A warm wash can be useful when the fabric allows it, especially for still stinky pieces.
For especially stubborn odors, some people use a small amount of clear household ammonia as part of their laundry routine. If you choose to use ammonia, follow the product label carefully and make sure your washer and detergent are compatible with it.
Never mix ammonia with chlorine bleach or products containing chlorine bleach.
That combination can produce dangerous fumes. Good ventilation is also a smart idea whenever you’re using strong-smelling household cleaning products.
3. Rinse thoroughly
After washing, you might run your washing machine on an extra rinse cycle. If you’ve used ammonia, an extra rinse is particularly useful for making sure residues are flushed from the fabric. Don’t worry about your treasures retaining the ammonia smell. It does rinse out.
Some people also use a small amount of white vinegar in the fabric-softener dispenser during a separate rinse cycle. Never combine vinegar and ammonia in the same cycle or container.
At this point, give each garment the ultimate test: smell it.
It should smell clean and neutral - not like a thrift store, somebody else’s perfume, smoke, or a science experiment. If you can still smell the funk, repeat the wash rather than moving on to your cutting table.
4. Dry completely
Now dry your garments according to their care instructions.
Personally though, I like to hang my finds out in the fresh air to dry. Line drying is one of my favorite options because there’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly washed fabric that’s been allowed to dry outside.
And, also, sunlight can help with some odors and stains. Just remember that prolonged direct sunlight can fade dyes and damage some fabrics, so don’t leave your favorite vintage treasure baking in the sun all afternoon. I hang mine outdoors in indirect sunlight. And it makes for a delicious sewing experience with those wafts of freshness as I twist and turn the fibers to make something new with them.
The important part is that your thrifted clothes are completely dry before you store them or start cutting. Once you are happy with the smell of your thrifted garment, it can go into your regular laundry routine. You shouldn’t need to repeat the entire presoak-and-deodorize process every time you wash it.
Still Smell Something? Give It the Vodka Treatment.
A tailor’s proverb: As in life, when all else fails - vodka.
Sometimes a vintage garment has a scent that simply refuses to leave. If you’ve already washed the garment thoroughly and you’re still catching a whiff, try a very light mist of one part vodka to three parts distilled water on the dry garment. Hang it somewhere with good airflow and let it dry completely. As the alcohol evaporates, it can help reduce lingering odors.
And before you ask: no, your garment shouldn’t smell like a cocktail when you’re finished.
Why Bother With Thrifted Clothes?
Because once you get past the funk, thrift stores become an incredible source of sewing material.
You’re not limited to the fabric aisle at your local sewing store. You’re looking at:
Prints and colors that might intrigue you
High end natural fibers (if you are especially lucky)
Broken-in cottons and linens (the best)
Oversized shirts with plenty of usable fabric (and - goes without saying … lots of laugh factor with the bonkers prints….)
Knit garments you can turn into new knit projects
Vintage details you simply can’t find on a bolt
Inexpensive fabric for practicing your sewing skills
The amazing good feeling you get to have every time you use your sewn item knowing that you rescued it and gave it a new purpose
And perhaps most importantly, you don’t have to be afraid of making a mistake. This part is a big deal when you’re learning to sew.
Learn to Sew With What You Already Have
This is exactly why I revised the Basic Skills Learn to Sew Series.
Learning to sew shouldn’t require you to immediately invest in a giant stack of expensive fabric. I want you to be comfortable with making mistakes. It is why we say the oath before each project “I solemnly swear - to be a beginner - to make a lot of mistakes - and to have a wonderful time doing it.
This is what makes upcyscling thrifted textiles for your beginner’s projects so interesting. There is a world of more thrift fabric if you need to replace it and start again.
And once you’ve learned the basic skills, you’ll start seeing potential everywhere. That’s the idea behind the Basic Skills Learn to Sew Series: practical sewing skills, approachable projects, and the confidence to look at a piece of fabric - or a piece of clothing - and think:
I could make something with that. That could fit me.
So go find yourself some treasures.
Just give them a good wash first. Because we don’t want that funk. We gotta give up that funk.
Happy sewing, Bonnie