question about perfumes
 

I think this has been asked before but I need help. I bought a few pretty pieces of clothing at a thrift store and they use febreeze on everything and I am so sensitive to perfumes. I have washed them 3 times - in vinegar, with borax, with both together. Hung them outside and I thought I had it fixed but put a shirt on and in an hour with the heat of my body I could smell it and I was headachy and miserable. Does anyone know of a way to get that stuff out of things?
Lynda

there are a couple of things you can try. One is a product called Nature's Miracle and you can find it in pet stores. It's sold to remove pet odors, but you can use it for all kinds of smells. Stinky drain? pour a bit down there. There's a formulation specifically for laundry. Another, even though it sounds weird, would require putting the dry clothing in a zip lock bag and freezing it. You may have to leave it in the freezer for a couple of weeks. I've gotten rid of some odors on things that way, although it doesn't always work.

I've used ammonia to get rid of the perfumes. I've had to soak couple of shirts and cotton dresses from estate sales. It helped a lot and then one day I soaked some others in a bucket/plastic container with Dawn dish soap and water as hot as I could stand it. Agitated it, doused up and down and let it set for an hour or so. Transferred the bucket to my washer and ran through a cycle did a double rinse. Took out the odor better than anything else I've used. ANother reason these closthes don't get past the door.

I like Tartan's idea with the baking soda. Think I would soak it for an entire day.

I bought a brand new pure wool blanket at the thrift store but they had stored it with moth balls.
It was in the middle of the winter and I washed it and put it outside wet, where it froze and stayed frozen for a couple of weeks.
Brought it in and popped it in the dryer, all the smell was gone. Since it's winter in Montana, give it a try.
Good luck!

I too can not tolerate fragrance and end up with a migraine. When ever I buy clothing from the thrift store I hang them outside for two to three weeks before I wash them.

Thank you all for the suggestions. They are hanging outside on the line right now and have been for 2 days we have had below zero temp at night. If that doesn't work I will try one of the other things. If I can buy a product that would be wonderful since my budget means I buy a lot at thrift stores.
Lynda

Lynda,
I'm assuming the clothes that are retaining the odors have a percentage of polyester in them; it seems to me that the synthetics have that characteristic as well as retaining grease stains. I've had good luck with Lestoil for both grease and odors in synthetics. If the clothesline method you're using now doesn't work, try soaking for an hour in a warm solution of Lestoil and water, then washing as usual and line drying. Wet garments hold the residual odor of Lestoil briefly, but line drying gets rid of it and the other odors.

I do not like odors of any kind. Lingering odors of perfume or cleaning products get on my nerves after a while, will give me a headache.