Field Deodorization of Clothing - Flannel, Cotton, and Natural Fibers

A chap on the go must always look immaculate - he must also smell the part; unfortuntely, the solution to that (laundering clothes) doesn't work for everything - some articles of clothing, or materials, are unsuitable for regular washing; alternatively, a washing machine may not be regularly available; or, only harsh chemicals are available for the laundering process.

To avoid any unpleasantries, such a chap must always have, in his kit, one simple ingredient - coffee grounds; with them, I'll show you how you can deodorize flannel, wool, delicate articles, and the like. This way, you can be sure to prolong the life of your garments, avoid harsh chemicals, and stay smelling fresh no matter where life takes you.

This method is applicable to most delicate, fine or coarse fabrics; nonetheless - your mileage may vary, so, please, do take care when using it. The last thing I'd want is for your beloved grandmother's favorite quilt to have been stained with coffee. Personally, I use this method only for workclothes, and when I'm on the go - I do advise that you get fine articles professionally cleaned.

With that little disclaimer out of the way, let us begin!

Ingredients

Procedure

  1. Place your articles in the sun, opened / turned inside out.
  2. ALlow for them to "air out" - a great option to get some sun on them, *and* airflow, is to hang them up on a balcony, clothesline, or off a plain old tree branch.
  3. Take a small handful of coffee grounds, and gently "pat" them into the article.
  4. After 10-20 seconds, *beat* grounds out of the article - first, with a gentle slapping motion, and then, any spots with remaining coffee grounds, can be "flicked" until all residue is gone. For particularly stubborn spots, you may try a brush, if one is available.
  5. OPTIONAL: At this point, if you have ethanol or vinegar, you may us a spritzer bottle to lightly mist the article.
  6. Voila, your article is ready to wear!

Notes

Coffee naturally absorbs odours. Vinegar, too, is fantastic at absorbing and breaking down odour-causing compounds. Upon evaporating, it leaves almost no scent of its own - and the coffee, will leave a pleasant, fine, earthy aroma.

I hope, dear reader, that this tip comes in useful one day - perhaps on a vacation; or, maybe you've got a date in two hours, and no clean clothes to wear; or, for some reason, there is a shortage of laundry detergent worldwide - whatever it may be, I hope this article was helpful. Cheers!