Clothing care: removing detergent odor

[geebee]

Scenario:

Recently I purchased 2 First Lite jackets from a member here and they arrived without issue. However when checking out the the jackets I noticed the Sanctuary jacket has a strong detergent odor coming from it. It seems as though the jacket was washed as some point with a regular detergent.

I tried washing the sanctuary jacket twice with Dead Down Wind and Sport Wash with no luck. The scent is still pretty prominent. The puffy seems to be ok, I'm guessing it just picked up some of the detergent scent from the box it was in with the Sanctuary.

Let seller know of my findings and he's been great working with me on this but we thought we'd turn to the board to see if anyone has any good idea to get the scent out. This can't be the first time that something like this has happened but I can't see to find anything concrete on how to rid the detergent scent.

 

[oldgoat]

Know anybody with a ozone generator? Don't know if that would work on detergent odor or not!

 

[zeroforhire]

Hang it up outside for a few days... Or put a fan on it. Eventually the smell will wear off.

 

[dotman]

Give it time, it will fade. Put some cedar wafers in it to mask it a tad.

 

[HuntHarder]

I would also put it outside for a few days..

 

[5MilesBack]

Wash it with baking soda.

 

[go4thegusto]

One of the #1 scent removers is heat. Put in the dryer and highest heat. That is how charcoal based products are "recharged".

 

[Laelkhunter]

One of the #1 scent removers is heat. Put in the dryer and highest heat. That is how charcoal based products are "recharged".

Check the label to see what the recommended drying temp should be, then throw some dead down wind dryer sheets in with it. They make some non-scented, and some earth scented.

 

[MattB]

This happened to me, and washing didn't fix it. Leaving the garment out in the sun did though.

 

[Derek0525]

I agree leave it outside or throw it in a bag with some fir or pine branches.elk hunting first season we usually throw our clothes on a line everyday and they don't stink the next day. Or just wear it out in the woods a few times the smell should go away.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Air. Sunlight. Heat. Time.

Things you can try: Concentrated borax/baking soda soaks. Prolonged (multi-day) soaks in unscented detergent. Clothespin (on your nose). ;-)

I haven't had much luck with my efforts at getting rid of stubborn odors. If I needed to hunt with it soon I would probably wash it in a super concentrated borax/soda/detergent bath by hand. Follow that with many, many hours in a clothes dryer on low or no heat with repeated applications (into the dryer) of unscented Scent-Loc or other product.

Late edit: Part of the scent could be due to the use of scented dryer sheets (fabric softener). The product in these sheets is designed to rub off on clothes/fabric under heat and then actually adhere to the fabrics. It's hard stuff to get off along with the scent it carries. If that were the case I'd do the above treatments but I would add a piece of regular scratchy burlap into the dryer with the garments.

 

[7-Pointers]

Sport Wash has worked to take the fabric softener smell out of synthetics for me.

 

[GotDraw?]

I have a pair of zip-off hiking pants that I got a fantastic deal on at an REI Garage Sale, bad news was that someone washed them with TIDE detergent or similar.

I have washed them at least 6x, hung them outside for 3 days and they still smell... whatever perfume scent they use is tenacious!

Thankfully, I don't need to hunt in them.

Best of luck. Maybe the clothes drier trick will work, or perhaps hanging in direct sunlight for a week...

JL

 

[charvey9]

Throw it in a container with some cedar boughs and some of those fresh earth scent wafers.

 

[HOGSJL]

Wash it with baking soda.

+1

I used to wash my gear in the au natural detergent and then throw a handful of baking soda in the dryer with it.

Not sure if it hid the odor from game, but did from me.

 

[Manosteel]

I always soak blood stained packs and clothing in a tub of cold water with 1/2 box of baking soda. Let sit for at least a day. Rinse throughly and repeat one more time if the stain or smell is present. Than I wash with sport wash air dry for 2 days and everything come out clean and non smelly

 

[Wileycoyote]

I bought a used timberline 2 that smelled like the woolite factory. It about drove me nuts. I ended up carrying out 2 mule deer in it and washed it each time with astko sport wash, air dried , and stored in plastic totes with sage brush. It finally smells like brush. But it probably took two years. I was rifle hunting also, I don't think I could of got anywhere near a deer with archery gear and that thing.