smell on clothes from UK

[koshya]

Dear all,

I do buy clothes and shoes on ebay and have noticed that only clothes from the UK have a smell that is nauseating (and very difficult to get out). 

I am not asking for help with the smell.  

I am asking if others have noticed the same thing specific to the UK and can explain what it is.  It is a sort of weird perfume smell.  One seller said it is how moth balls smell in the UK.

Others know what this is?

[msau4301]

I can't answer with regards to items from UK specifically but I can attest that Canadian and US mothball smells are horrible too! I buy a lot of vintage Barbies/dolls and the mothball smell is by far the worse for me! Musty basements are pretty rough also. If is vintage clothing you are buying you can always ask the seller before you purchase if there are any strange smells. Some sellers mention odours in their listings, others do not. I know for myself I've never been able to neutralize the smell...especially in the vinyl of dolls....washing has helped a little.

[ypdc_dennis]

From the internet:

"What do moth balls smell like? The pyrethroid in modern mothballs is odourless. Traditional moth balls, the ones we know from our childhoods, contain one of two chemicals, napthalene or paradichlorobenzene. These are white opaque crystal-like balls and they have a tell-tale strong, unpleasant, acrid smell."

The old style moth balls were banned in the EU (when the UK was still a member) in 2008.  But smells can linger, depending on storage methods.

[femmefan1946]

Worst though is a musty mouldy smell.

The only answer for that is immediate removal of the musty item from the building and destruction.

Mould spreads quickly.

[maureenr5700]

Hi I have purchased 2 tops and 3 midi dresses from the UK in the last couple of months. NO odours 2 different sellers. Fun clothes.

[yuricherry]

Hi,

I live in Japan but love UK clothing and most UK brands do not ship to my country, so I often buy on eBay. I also noticed that the clothing from UK, like 90％ has a same smell (not very fan of that smell ). Some are without any odour, but most of them have exactly the same smell, used clothing as well as NWT. So I guess it is either a moth ball smell or a detergent or softener smell which got on the NWT clothing because had been stored in one place with used clothing. Sorry I cannot help you as I do not live in UK but I have same experience. I may order a moth ball from UK to check it and will let you know if that is the smell. 🙂

[janebloggs0]

Mustiness- clothing should be stored in airtight bags or if in a wardrobe the doors should be left open occasionally

[janebloggs0]

It's mustiness.The clothes haven'tbeen stored properly- either in airtight vacuum bags or if stoed in a wardrobe the doors should be left open periodically to let the clothes air properly.  I won't be buying any more clothes fromEbay  unless they enforce a policy that no-one can sell musty or mildewed clothes.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@janebloggs0 wrote:

It's mustiness.The clothes haven'tbeen stored properly- either in airtight vacuum bags or if stoed in a wardrobe the doors should be left open periodically to let the clothes air properly.  I won't be buying any more clothes fromEbay  unless they enforce a policy that no-one can sell musty or mildewed clothes.

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Very important to understand that each seller may use different procedures for any clothing they list. When I have personally listed, I wash/dry as per item instructions, photograph and then bag for storage until it sells. It would always be a good idea when purchasing clothing for the buyer to also wash when they receive.  As sellers we try to please all buyers all the time. It is not always possible. Just like condition is in the eye of the beholder. If something happens to arrive with some kind of scent, either pleasant or otherwise in majority of cases it was not intentional. Everyone's sniffer may be slightly different.

-Lotz