Five Super Easy Tips To Remove Musty Smells From Upholstered Furniture During Monsoon

Moisture can turn out to be the biggest enemy for all your furniture. But, when it comes to upholstered one, things become way more worse. The problem with these pieces is that it comes with soft padding. And during monsoon, foam or feather inside the upholstered furniture, captures moisture faster than wood or even your clothes. Given their size and structure, it is not easy to wash them and make them fresh again. Also, these are not the materials that you can throw away and get a new one the very next day. While calling professionals to remove the smell can turn out to be an expensive affair, you can count on some super easy hacks to get rid of the musty smell. Here’s what you will need to do: 

Camphor 

Commonly camphor is used in religious ceremonies in India, but these are also extremely useful in removing strong odours and fungal infestations, especially during monsoon. 

Steps 

• Take a simple steel plate and place 5-6 pieces of camphor in it. 
• Keep it under those furniture that are smelling musty. Light them and let the pieces burn completely. 
• Once they are completely burnt out, remove the embers. 
• Lastly, close the doors and windows for about 15-20 minutes. This will help to get rid of any foul smell coming from the furniture. 

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Lemons 

Fungus and moisture tarped in your cushions or seating are also unhygienic. If your furniture has been smelling bad for a long time now, you need a hack that will take away the smell and will also make it hygienic. Lemon has the properties that can neutralise the nasty odours and leave a fresh scent on it. This DIY can only be used on your leather furniture. 

Steps 

• All you need to do is, take a bowl add ½ cup of water, and 4-5 tablespoons of lemon juice. 
• Use a soft foam, dip it in the solution, and rub the surface of your upholstery.
• In the end, remove the solution with a clean cloth. Lemon has bleaching properties and it could decrease the quality of your furniture if leave it for long and don’t remove it properly.

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Steam Cleaning 

During this damp season, steam cleaning can be one of the best types of cleaning you can give to your upholstered furniture. In case, if any kind of smell is bothering you, simply use a pinch of baking soda along with steaming. 

Steps 

• Sprinkle a very small quality of baking soda over your upholstery and let it sit for an hour. 
• Turn on the steam cleaner by pressing the button and then vacuum up the moisture with the hose. 
• Once done, let the sofa, pillow, and cushions air dry. 

Borax 

If nothing seems to be working, turn old school and try borax that has been used as a cleaning product for several decades. From killing insects to getting rid of stains, mold, and mildew around the house, this magical ingredient is highly effective to remedy all. 

Steps 

• All you need to do is take 2-3 stones of borax and tuck it in your sofa. 
• Let it sit there for a day or two. This step will help to capture all the moisture from the sofa. 
• Once you feel the musty has slightly gone, place the sofa near the sunlight to kill bacteria. 

Salt

Salt is found in each and every household around the world. It is highly effective and at the same time a gentle scouring agent. Also known as sodium chloride, this ingredient is highly effective at tackling grime and stains for three reasons. And since it has water-absorbing capacity too, you can use to clean your couch. 

Steps 

• Other than salt, you will also need a small cotton pouch for this hack. 
• Fill a handful of salt in 2-3 pouches and tuck those in your sofa. 
• If you don’t feel like washing your pillow, keep a pouch inside their covers as well. 
• Let it be for a day. Next day check if the salt has turned wet. If yes, change the salt and fill in with fresh dry sodium chloride. 

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