How To Get The Smell Of Perfume Out

The lingering smell of perfume on clothing or carpet can be troublesome, especially if you are allergic or sensitive to fragrances. If a visitor has left a strong fragrance behind, it can be intolerable for someone with allergies. Perfume can also linger on clothes just from being near someone wearing a strong fragrance. And if you normally wear perfume, removing lingering odors from your skin can also prove a challenge.

Removing the smell of perfume can take some time and diligence, but salvaging your clothes, carpet, comfort and health, or the comfort of someone else, is worth the effort.

Step 1

Air out the clothes or the affected room. Perfume odor can often be eliminated simply by airing out a room or hanging clothing out on a line or over a windowsill. If exposure to fresh air does not dissipate the smell, move on to a more aggressive approach.

Step 2

Wash clothes with a fragrance-free detergent if airing out doesn't do the trick. Add a 1/2 cup of vinegar to the final rinse–1 cup for a large load–to further neutralize lingering odors.

For carpets, baking soda is a powerful odor neutralizer. Sprinkle plain baking soda generously over the carpet and leave it for an hour or so, then vacuum. For perfume odor on the skin, wash in vinegar, or treat the area with a baking soda paste, then wash off.

Odor-neutralizing products also work well, removing odors without adding additional fragrance.

Step 3

Wash with a detergent additive designed to break down substances that cause stains. These products will also break down the molecules of fragrances that linger in clothes and carpet. Don't forget to follow directions on the product package for best results.

Step 4

Treat clothes with a scent eliminator. If perfume odor proves particularly stubborn, products intended to remove odors from hunting clothes might be the answer. These products are easily available at sporting goods stores or the sporting goods areas of department stores.