How to get rid of perfume smell (and too much fabric softener scent)
To get rid of perfume smell, wash out the fragrance residue instead of covering it: launder in detergent with the hottest water the fabric allows, skip fabric softener and dryer sheets, and soak in baking soda and water if the scent lingers. Perfume's longest-lasting ingredients are heavy, oily compounds made to cling, so another scent on top only adds more.
- Best method
- Wash out the residue, skip softener, air out what can't be washed
- Time
- One or two wash cycles; days of airing for unwashable items
- Difficulty
- Easy
You will need
- Laundry detergent (fragrance-free if scent is the issue)
- Baking soda
- Oxygen bleach, for old spots
- Activated charcoal, for storage
Step by step
- 1
Pretreat heavily scented spots
Work liquid detergent into the spot where perfume or cologne landed, or where softener left a greasy-looking mark.
Why: Concentrated detergent starts loosening the oily fragrance and softener film before the wash.
- 2
Wash warm or hot with no softener
Launder in the hottest water the care label allows with the recommended amount of detergent. Leave out fabric softener and dryer sheets.
Why: Detergent and heat remove fragrance oils and softener residue. Skipping softener stops new scent from being deposited.
- 3
Soak in baking soda if it lingers
Dissolve baking soda in water, soak the item, then wash again.
Why: Baking soda absorbs leftover odor molecules that one wash didn't lift.
- 4
Line-dry outdoors and check
Hang the item outside and smell it once dry. Use the dryer only when the spot and scent are gone.
Why: Moving air carries off the lighter fragrance compounds, and heat can set the stain.
- 5
Air out what you can't wash
Hang coats and other unwashable items outdoors, and store them with an open container of activated charcoal or baking soda. Dry-clean-only items go to a cleaner, with the stain named.
Why: Volatile fragrance slowly leaves the fabric, and adsorbents catch it from the air. Expect this to take days.
Why perfume smell lingers on fabric
Perfume is a blend of aroma compounds dissolved in alcohol. The light top notes evaporate within minutes. The heavier base notes are designed to last, and once the alcohol has gone they cling to fibers and hair as an oily film. Laundry guides treat cologne as a tannin stain, washed out with detergent and hot water as the fabric allows.
Fabric softener works by leaving a residue on fibers on purpose, and it carries its fragrance with it. Used every wash, or with too much detergent, that residue builds up. Texas A&M notes that too much or too little detergent can also cause yellowing.
Why another scent makes it worse
Spraying a different fragrance on top layers more aroma compounds onto the same fibers. The American Cleaning Institute notes that fragrance only adds scent; it doesn't remove odor. The fix is to wash the residue out and stop adding more until the smell is gone.
For washing details, including softener and detergent buildup, see perfume smell in clothes.
By situation
Fabric softener smell is too strong
Wash warm with detergent and no softener. If traces remain, soak in a bleach that's safe for the fabric and wash again. Avoid dryer sheets on those items.
Detergent smell won't go away
Use the recommended amount of detergent, not more. An extra rinse cycle is a common way to remove leftover detergent.
Old perfume spots
Perfume can leave a mark as well as a smell. Old spots may need an oxygen bleach soak, or chlorine bleach only on fabrics that allow it.
Wool, silk and dry-clean-only
No chlorine bleach on wool, silk or spandex. Air the item out, and take dry-clean-only pieces to a cleaner, saying it's perfume.
What not to do
- Don't spray another fragrance on top. It layers more scent onto the fabric instead of removing the first one.
- Don't add fabric softener or dryer sheets until the smell is gone. They deposit a fresh fragrance residue on the fibers.
- Don't machine-dry before the spot is gone. Heat sets stains.
Other methods that work
Fragrance-free detergent
If scent itself is the problem, switching to fragrance-free detergent stops it building up again. FDA notes some fragrance ingredients can cause allergic reactions or sensitivities.
Activated charcoal in storage
An open container of activated charcoal or baking soda in a closet or storage bin absorbs lingering scent over time.
Caution: Slow. It won't remove residue still in the fibers.
Stain still there?
Clothes still smell strongly after one wash
Base notes cling. Repeat the wash with no softener, add a baking soda soak, and line-dry outdoors.
Towels smell perfumed and feel less absorbent
That's softener buildup. Wash warm with detergent only, and stop using softener on towels.
Safety
- Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia or acids when stripping residue.
Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.
Questions
Why does perfume smell last so long on clothes?
Its base notes are heavy, oily compounds designed to linger, and they cling to fibers after the alcohol evaporates.
Does baking soda remove perfume smell?
A baking soda soak helps absorb lingering scent after a wash. The wash itself, with detergent and no softener, does most of the work.
How do you get perfume smell out of a coat you can't wash?
Air it outdoors and store it with activated charcoal or baking soda, or have it dry-cleaned.
How do you get perfume smell out of clothes?
Pretreat with liquid detergent, wash in the hottest water the label allows without softener, and soak in baking soda and water if the scent lingers. Line-dry.
How do you get fabric softener smell out of clothes?
Wash warm with detergent and no softener. If traces remain, soak in a fabric-safe bleach solution and wash again, and stop using dryer sheets on them.
Sources
- Removing Stains from Washable Fabrics, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
- Stain Removal for Washable Fabrics (FCS2-840), University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension
- Fragrances in Cosmetics, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Ask ACI: Odor Neutralization (archived copy, Apr 2025), American Cleaning Institute
- Chlorine gas: What happens if you mix bleach and other cleaners, Poison Control (National Capital Poison Center)
Last updated . Methods are drawn from the sources above; how we research and check our guides.