As Brits prepare to go on camping holidays this summer, Stacey Solomon has revealed a clever trick for eliminating musty tent equipment smells without using a washing machine
With temperatures expected to soar to 23C this weekend, Stacey Solomon has revealed a little-known hack for neutralising musty camping equipment smells.
In a recent episode of Sort Your Life Out on BBC One, the TV icon travelled to Redhill in Surrey to help Craig transform his cluttered home. The single dad-of-two daughters had lost control of his house after losing his wife Lois to cancer.
Craig said: “The mess clutters my mind as well as the house. I just get overwhelmed by how much is here. It’s grown to the point that it’s too much. The hardest thing is doing it on my own.”
Stacey added: “They have lived in the house for just over six years, but over the last couple of years the clutter has just taken over and he’s really struggling to find his way out. So that’s why we’re here.”
As the trusty team tackled the crammed property, cleaning expert Iwan Carrington was assigned the task of sprucing up Craig’s camping gear. Brushing down the folding arm chair, he said: “I thought I would give all of Craig’s camping equipment a bit of a clean-up.
“I want him to be able to go on these camping trips with the girls. And you know what’s good for this, it’s vodka.” Filling up a spray bottle with the alcoholic beverage, Iwan continued: “Vodka is really good to neutralise any smells on camping equipment because of the alcohol.”
The spirit can be used to remove odours from fabric without it having to be washed. According to House Digest, the high alcohol content effectively kills germs that live on fabrics.
The home improvement site explains how the alcohol surrounds the smelly molecules, which are evaporated as the spirit begins to dry – taking with it the unwanted odours. Iwan added: “You know when camping gear gets mildewy, the vodka is going to kill that smell.”
Household expert Martha Stewart has hailed the clever trick for removing stubborn smells, as she explained it can be used to eliminate all kinds of scents, from body odours to cigarette smoke. For those looking to use the cleaning hack on musty furniture, Martha recommends opting for vodka with the highest alcohol content.
The DIY guru advises against diluting the spirit with water, as this can make it harder for the alcohol to absorb the odours. Shoppers over 18 can bag vodka from £3.49 from Amazon or pick up the product from Tesco for £6.80. This advice will come in handy for Brits ahead of the warmer weather, as 42.2 percent of people in the UK are expected to go camping this year, reports Ubuy UK.
