Transform Musty Pillows With A Simple Ingredient That Will Have Them Smelling Fresh

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Is there anything more frustrating than a freshly made bed that still doesn't smell clean? You've washed the sheets and maybe even took the extra step to vacuum the mattress, but something still smells off. Or maybe your living room sofa smells musty no matter what you do. If you can't seem to locate where the musty smell is coming from, it might be lurking in an overlooked area: the pillows themselves. Essentially, this means that even with stripping the covers, bacteria and moisture are still able to fester on the core of the pillow.

While you may only be familiar with Epsom salt for baths and soothing sore muscles, this powerful compound has incredible uses for cleaning and deodorizing. Epsom salt is another name for magnesium sulfate, which is a naturally occurring mineral often found in natural springs and areas like limestone caves. Its unique properties make it an excellent tool for absorbing unpleasant smells and helping your space feel cleaner. 

Learning how to use Epsom salt around the house may seem challenging, but with the proper materials, like essential oils, you can neutralize odors in your pillows and other types of fabrics and areas like trash cans. Regardless of what type of Epsom salt or essential oils you use, be sure to keep these out of reach of pets and children.

There are many reasons why your house might smell musty, but you don't have to ignore it or cover it up. One of the first steps to making the space better is reviving your musty pillows with Epsom salt. Start by grabbing an empty sachet bag — they're breathable and allow the mixture's odor-absorbing properties to reach the pillows. You can think of Epsom salt sachets as a DIY take on potpourri that you can customize with your favorite scents. To create the mixture, add equal parts Epsom salt and a base item like uncooked rice and mix together. Next, add between 20 and 40 drops of essential oil depending on the volume of your mixture and how strong you want the scent to be. Tie each bag shut, and it's ready to go! Place the bag inside of the pillowcase, or unzip a throw pillow cover and place it inside.

One major perk of this cleaning hack is that it's customizable. For example, instead of spending money on new sachets, reuse leftover bags from past purchases of small items like jewelry. If you need to start fresh, there are options like the affordable Kslong small mesh bags. You can also control the scent by mixing up the essential oils used. While lavender is a common option in the bedroom for its relaxing qualities, you can also freshen up your space with bold scents like lemon or jasmine. You can also add Epsom salt to your list of deodorizing hacks for fresh-smelling living rooms for use on items like the couch or blanket storage basket.