Need help getting musty smell out of unwashables.

[Morticia]

Going thru the parental stuff, there are things I want to keep and use that are organic in nature, but not washable.
Ex - a couple of purses and tote bags. Some books I'd like to display. Yarn.
I've got a plastic tote I can throw all of it into. Should I also toss in baking soda? Potpourri? Something else?
I washed a lot of tops yesterday and the smell lingers on. They'll all need to go back thru before I can wear them.

 

[user 26]

If you don't mind the scent of dryer sheets - put one sheet in the purse, put purse into a big plastic ziplock bag (they do sell huge ones) and then put another sheet in the bag with the purse. zip it shut. Check in a few days.
you can also use corn meal, baking soda ... but then you've got to clean the item of what you use. You can stuff newspaper inside purses and totes to help absorb odors.
Airing out in the sun if you can clip things on an old fashioned clothesline.
I guess you could put a lot of things into a big plastic tote - I haven't tried that.
Hopefully you haven't got mold growing on things. I did the freezer method for books and stuffed animals. Put into a plastic bag, put in the freezer ... and wait. To kill of the mold/mildew
I got all these hints off the internet about five years ago and used all except the corn meal.

 

[Morticia]

If you don't mind the scent of dryer sheets - put one sheet in the purse, put purse into a big plastic ziplock bag (they do sell huge ones) and then put another sheet in the bag with the purse. zip it shut. Check in a few days.
you can also use corn meal, baking soda ... but then you've got to clean the item of what you use. You can stuff newspaper inside purses and totes to help absorb odors.
Airing out in the sun if you can clip things on an old fashioned clothesline.
I guess you could put a lot of things into a big plastic tote - I haven't tried that.
Hopefully you haven't got mold growing on things. I did the freezer method for books and stuffed animals. Put into a plastic bag, put in the freezer ... and wait. To kill of the mold/mildew
I got all these hints off the internet about five years ago and used all except the corn meal..

My mom had bars of Ivory soap everywhere. But not in the purses.

 

[user 26]

Also was clay kitty litter in with the books in bags put in the freezer .. there is a thread in here about that, I think.
Edit ... found the book thread https://www.innspiring.com/node/16172
I don't know if you have any issue with books.
Something I'd like to know is how to get rid of the mothball smell from vintage clothing and fabrics that can't be washed. It seems to linger and linger ...

 

[Generic]

Charcoal briquettes absorb odours. I might put them in a brown bag, though, for lack of wanting their black soot all over...

 

[ChefDRG]

I lived in India for two years. When you live there, you get used to the "fragrance." When I moved back and the doors of the moving truck opened, it wafted. Every single thing needed to be cleaned or thrown out. The items that weren't washable were put in a small area (we used a home office and walk in closet), and we put ionizers. We were able to salvage a lot of items by using ionizers. Unfortunately, the rugs had to go, though. They may work for you.