Genius House Hacks · a GopherCentral & PulseTV publication
Storage & Organizing · October 27, 2026 edition

The One Dollar Fix for a Musty Closet

From Anisa's Genius House Hacks newsletter.

Genius House Hacks

Hello Neighbor! My mom taught me this trick years ago, and I still use it every time a drawer or closet starts to smell a little musty instead of fresh.

I tuck an unwrapped bar of soap, wrapped loosely in an old handkerchief, into the back corner of the drawer, and within a day the whole thing smells clean again.

It costs about a dollar and takes thirty seconds. Below is how I do mine.

Be Well,
Anisa

Tuck a Bar of Soap in Your Drawer to Keep Clothes Smelling Fresh

An unwrapped bar of soap slowly releases its scent into the air around it, which makes it a cheap stand in for store bought sachets or dryer sheets tucked into a drawer.

How to Do It

Choose a plain, inexpensive bar of soap with a scent you like, then wrap it loosely in a thin cloth, like an old handkerchief, so it never touches your clothes directly. Place it in a dresser drawer's back corner or on a closet shelf, and replace it every couple of months once the scent starts to fade.

More Ways to Use It

Place a bar on a linen closet shelf to keep sheets and towels smelling fresh between uses. A bar tucked into a gym bag or suitcase between trips works the same way.

Ask the Genius: Will the Scent Get Too Strong or Stain My Clothes?

"Will the scent get too strong or stain my clothes?"

The thin wrapping keeps the scent light and keeps the soap from touching fabric directly, so there is no staining or residue to worry about.

Did You Know?

Bar soap is one of the oldest manufactured household products around, with evidence of soap making in ancient Babylon more than 4,000 years ago. Early soap was made from animal fat and ash.

Got a handy tip of your own?

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