Odor in Boat Clothes

[Rick]

Down below I do not have diesel odors, kerosene odors or propane odors. My bilge is clean and does not smell. The head does not smell. I stow my clothes in the aft cabin on open shelves and if left for only one day they have a distinctive odor that I refer to as "cruiser smell".

If I stow clothes in a bag with a Bounce dryer cloth inside they are fine but I do not want to stuff all my clothes into plastic bags.

Has anyone encountered and conquered this phenomenon?

[captainron369]

If its the smell I think it is then I would say its just dampness. Probably a little mildew but so little you can't see it. I would try putting some aromatic cedar boards in with your clothes. I've done that and it seems to work.

[JanetGroene]

Rick, are you sure clothes are bone dry before you stow them? Mine go "off" overnight if not completely dry. Janet Groene, BoatCook.blogspot.com

[bangkaboat]

My wife & I lived aboard for 3 years and though I never noticed it, she was constantly complaining about it... hmmm, maybe it was me.

All kidding aside, I'd agree that it is probably mildew. such is the life...

[Vartok]

All I have to say is ventilation. I noticed that after a day or so my clothes had a musty smell. A new forced air vent, and now they keep that dryer-sheet smell for weeks.

[RayW]

Would something like this actually work?
Safe Dri 2 - Rechargeable

[Allan S]

I would also say dampness and little or no air circulation......a small price to pay for playing on the water.....Allan

[Rick]

Thanks for the suggestions. I do run a dehumidifier and keep the inside at or less than 50% relative humidity. Still, I will add a method to circulate the air actively around the cloths as suggested.

I did just put in the aromatic cedar boards as suggested and do like the nice fragrance.
Thanks,
Rick

[Bloodhound]

Just a bit of mustiness, a boat smell. Comes with boats. Even with a dehumidifier, there are enough nooks and crannies that don't get much air circulation and when the boat is closed up the smell of boat permeates the air. Beats B.O. If you must smell swet all the time, try a balsam room freshener (plug-in type) --- they're real cheap after Christmas from Bath and Bodyworks. Jeez... I can't believe I'm writing this crap.

[sarafina]

Originally Posted by Rick

If I stow clothes in a bag with a Bounce dryer cloth inside they are fine but I do not want to stuff all my clothes into plastic bags.

Has anyone encountered and conquered this phenomenon?

ok now that all the ideas for how to avoid this without using bags... if ya really want to kill that musty smell we have had really good luck with these;

Undies and socks in one, Tshirts in another, pants in a third, one for odds and ends stowed in the vberth on a shelf and under the shelf.

[jackdale]

I stow everything in mesh bags. I use lingerie laundry bags (white) for my clean clothes and a large mesh bag (grey or black) for laundry. No problems with mildew.

Jack

[mintyspilot]

Turn the coat inside out and let it hang in the open air to dry before putting it in the cupboard.

[daddle]

I arranged for my refrigerator's warm condenser air to exhaust into the hanging locker where I keep my clothes. Ingenious, no? Also keep as many ports open as much of the time as you can. Even if you need to arrange a tarp to keep rain out. Minimize cotton tees and cotton blue jeans as they readily absorb water and support mold. Turn off the heater. Heaters have the unwanted side effect of transporting moisture from warmer areas to colder areas like storage bins. Did I say keep the ports open?

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by jackdale

I stow everything in mesh bags. I use lingerie laundry bags (white) for my clean clothes and a large mesh bag (grey or black) for laundry. No problems with mildew.

Jack

I do the same, but there is still some diesel smell. C'est la vie.

[rwidman]

Try these:



They solved an odor problem for me.

They are inexpensive and available at West Marine and other vendors.