Do you know that feeling when you open your wardrobe after a long time and instead of the smell of freshly washed laundry, you are hit with heavy, musty air? All it takes is a few weeks of higher humidity in the apartment, poor air circulation between sweaters or accidentally storing a slightly damp T-shirt, and the problem is there.
Ordinary chalk will help
Before you start splurging on expensive electric absorbers or bags of various moisture traps from the drugstore, check your home for chalk. Ordinary school chalk or even tailor’s chalk can help you with the problem.
Ordinary white chalk is nothing more than highly porous limestone, or calcium carbonate if you prefer.
Its structure works like a perfect natural sponge. He has tremendous ability adsorptionwhich in practice means that it can bind water molecules and odors from the surrounding environment to its surface and to its internal pores.
In the closed space of the closet, where the air does not circulate as it should, the chalk absorbs excess moisture before it has time to soak into your favorite woolen sweaters. This prevents the formation of mold and the multiplication of bacteria, which are responsible for the typical musty smell.
You may have already thought that chalk is definitely not the only item in the home that can absorb moisture. Rice can also be used, which the author of the post from the Permacrafters YouTube channel will show you.
Use chalk to absorb moisture in the cabinet
The application of this trick is ridiculously simple, but it has its rules so that the chalk does not stain your clothes.
- Preparation: Take a handful of ordinary white school chalks (colored ones are not suitable, as they may contain more binders and dyes that reduce absorbency).
- Packaging: Tie the chalks with a rubber band or put them in a breathable material. An old clean sock, a piece of gauze or an organza bag left over from the gift soap is ideal.
- Location: Hang the bag on a hanger between your clothes or place it in the back corner of a shelf.
- Improvements: If you want the closet to smell, you can put a few drops of your favorite essential oil on the chalk (for example, lavender, which also repels moths). The chalk will absorb the scent and release it gradually.
When to replace the chalk?
Chalk works, but it’s not forever. Her ability decreases over time. How do you know it’s not working anymore? The chalk will be wet to the touch, crumbly or grayish in color.
In an averagely humid cabinet, it is recommended to replace it about once a year two to three months.
You don’t have to throw away the old chalks. Just let them dry on a warm radiator and you can use them again until they start to fall apart.
This trick works great not only in the closet, but also in the shoe cabinet, drawers or tool box in the garage, where the chalk protects the metal from corrosion.
