We received a hand-me-down "playhut" tent (we had given it to our nephew several years ago and my brother in law passed it back to us now that he's outgrown it). It was kept in a basement, so it now has something of a musty scent. It isn't something that I can put in the washing machine, so I'm unsure what to do to get it clean & remove the smell. Any ideas for how I might go about it? I'm thinking vinegar & a hose are probably in my near future...
Thanks!
AVIOD use bleach! strong chemical that doesnt good for anyone to breath in.
i would mix water with vinegar and few drops of tea tree oil in sprayer and spray it. or use Bac Out by biokleen like others said :o) trying keep it chemical free :o)
Try Odorban. I found it near the 'stain' sticks and laundry detergent at Wal-Mart. This stuff is AMAZING!! We recently bought a new... used car and it smelled completely of smoke. We sprayed down the interior and let it dry over night and the next day the odor was gone and it hasn't come back!!
Odorban is cheaper than Fabreeze and works 100% better!
I went to Sam's Club and bought a big jug of concentrate!!!
I know alot of people may start telling you to use Febreeze *spelling* but I will tell you it will not fully get it out. If you go to an Auto store like Auto Zone you need to get and this is the full correct spelled name it is right in front of me. COMMERCIAL Renuzit Super Odor Neutralizer. It is a clear bottle with a blue spray This stuff has gotten the musty smell out of items I use only seasonal like beach gear and porch chairs.I spray the item very well and leave it outside to air out for a day or so. A windy day may help even more. Good luck! Check the web to see where else you can get it.
I have a cottage that gets quite musty and everything that comes home with me has the same smell. I find bleach works the best. Maybe try a spray bottle with bleach and water, let it soak for awhile, then rinse it. If it is rinsed well, it should be safe enough. Then again,if your kids swim in a pool, they are getting exposed to bleach anyway.
How about a hose and some Simple Green or some other bio-degradable product.
I think I would wipe it down with damp paper towels the first day to remove any actual grime...then let that dry.
On the next day, doLysol disinfecting spray. I would put it outside on a nonwindy day (with a brick inside or something) or in your garage, if you have one, and spray it all over. They say to go about 6-8 inches away for 3-4 seconds if you want to disinfect. It'll make it moist. Then let it dry all day or overnight and see what it's like the next day. The good part is that besides the odor, Lysol disinfects. I usually use the clean scent or unscented so nothing lingers.
(FYI, works great every now and then on car seat covers, which can be a pain to wash even when washable.0
Good luck.
A little bit of air and sunshine will go a long way. Another product I use and absolutely love is Biokleen Bac-out Stain and Odor Eliminator http://biokleenhome.com/products/household/general
This works on carpet stains, cat urine, molds and mildew. It works with live enzyme cultures, rather than chemicals and neutralizes in minutes. Absolutely amazing stuff!
Febreeze works pretty well. I think there is a variety just for musty smells.
Vinegar and a hose is probably a good plan, if that doesn't work, try spraying it down with Febreze after it dries. Good Luck.
I use a great multi-use product called Sol-u-mel that uses (melaleuca) tea tree oil as it's base. This acts as a natural odor eliminator & truly gets rid of the smell instead of just masking it. I use this product to remove crayon from walls, floors, etc... I've taken permanent marker out of my carpet & off my hard wood table with it. I've removed my sons grass stains from his pants with it & so much more! It is a must have in my home!
You can go to www.saferforyourhome.com or www.melaleuca.com for more info. I am so thankful that my girlfriend told me about it. I hope this helps you as well!
I'd suggest trying Febreeze first. I've been pleasantly surprised at how well it neutralizes smells!
Bio Clean BAC Out - It is amazing stuff! You can get it at places like the Coop, whole foods, etc.
What about that Fabreeze spray to get the smell out? My husband used it on the seats in the car and it worked well.
I don't know what it's made of, but I'd put in out in the sunshine for a few days and use a mixture of 1/3 Dawn and 1/3 bleach..with water in a sprayer and then after you soak it with the mixture, hose it down completely. Let it dry completely in the sunshine. This worked wonders for our old tent which is thick canvas and it had mold at the time and smelled awful. Then, after it was clean and completly dry, I hit it with the rain proofing again. This is a cheap way to complely clean it too.
