The delightful attic smell.

[Rupert T. Firefly]

I recently bought a pretty good suit. '50's era and I didn't even have to get it tailored.

I have hung the jacket and trousers out in the open so they can air out but it still lingers a bit.

I am originally from Arizona where I have never really encountered that smell until I left the state.

What do you find are the best ways to lose that tell tale attic smell?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Have you had it dry cleaned? The musty smell is typically caused by dust and mold spores, common in damper climes than Arizona, which tend to come out with a good dry cleaning. Even the most mildewy suits will tend to de-smell with a good dry cleaning.

 

[Rupert T. Firefly]

And as I say at times..."sometimes the obvious escapes me".

 

[Rudie]

Very often dry cleaning doesn't help a bit to get out the stink. At least that's my experience. In my experience a professional wet cleaning works much better.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Yes, the proviso is there that some dry cleaners (and some chemicals used in dry cleaning) are better than others.

 

[herringbonekid]

In my experience a professional wet cleaning works much better.

have you ever tried one ?

i'd like to know exactly how they do it before handing a vintage suit jacket over. is a machine involved or is it basically a professional hand wash ?

 

[Rudie]

At the place where I tried it they use a special machine. It seems to be quite expensive, so hardly any cleaner bothers to do it. What makes it expensive is not the water based cleaning but the hand ironing, though. The funk came out nicely. I used it on several jackets and coats.

 

[herringbonekid]

did you have a fully canvassed / shoulder padded suit jacket wet cleaned and if so, did it re-shape without any problems ?

 

[Rudie]

Yes, several. Not a problem. I even washed one by hand (it took like forever until the water didn't look and smell like a brown yellow cesspool anymore) and had my tailor press it back in shape. Even that worked.

 

[Chrome]

Would good steaming do the same? I also have pressure washer but with only bit off pressure I could wash jacket easily.

Hmm, never thought that big cost saving of dry cleaner bill is self ironing.. I'll have to ask can I do my own ironing.

 

[Rudie]

Not with dry cleaning but with wet cleaning. A lot of a tailor's work consists of shaping the garment with the iron. When you wet clean a garment that shaping is lost and you have to iron it back in shape. Dry cleaning does not have this effect. At least that's how I understood the process.

 

[herringbonekid]

Would good steaming do the same?

steaming won't remove musty odour. the point of steaming is really just to steam out wrinkles.

 

[Chrome]

I'll stick to the old freezer trick then. Fortunately winter is coming soon and clothes will get to see some snow and cold air.