How to remove THAT smell from your clothes.

I've recently bought an Edwardian antique cape and it's beautiful, velvet with a fox fur trim. Shame it fucking stinks. Honestly it does, it smells really strongly of must and moth balls. This isn't the first time I've had to deal with something like this, but fortunately for you I've decided to share my tips. Over the years I've discovered the little tricks that make the smell disappear and doesn't cost the earth!

Even Robert Smith gets the occasional smoky scented jacket.

The most obvious thing to do is clean your item first to remove as much smell as possible, check the tag first or the type of material before putting in a machine wash. Hand washing is quite safe but always test patch before, preferably near the hem or somewhere easily hidden if it does react badly. Dry cleaning is expensive but does work quite well on minor smells such as food odours or secondhand smoke (such as the one you might experience after a night out).

Washing tricks:

• Add a tablespoon of bicarbonate soda either in your machine wash or directly to your sink/tub/whatever you're handwashing in.

• If it smells mouldy soak in one cup of white vinegar to one gallon warm water to help remove it.

• Instead of dry cleaning your clothes you could try a steaming, it works best for milder smells.

• Soak it in half water half white vinegar for a few hours.

Non washing tricks:

• Airing the garment works quite well if it still smells after being washed, hang it outside for a few hours but turn it outside out first otherwise it might get bleached by the sun.

• Hang it up in the bathroom while you're taking a hot bath, the steam will help remove the smell.

• Layer newpaper down on the floor and shake bicarbonate soda over the top, wrap it up and place in a plastic bag for a few days. Hang it out and gently beat it to remove the bicarbonate soda.

• Spray with febreeze.

• Spray with a homemade remedy of half water half cheap vodka.

• Why not try an old fashioned British trick of hanging your clothes out when you know frost will appear? I haven't tried this one yet but my Nan swears by it.

Sadly I'm still trying to remove the smell from my cape, wish me luck because I bloody need it! If the smell doesn't vanish I might donate it to a museum. Any tricks or tips to share?