Can we talk about the 'freeze your tent' trick for musty smells?

My old 2-person tent from a wet trip to the Oregon coast last fall got that gross, damp smell that wouldn't go away... even after airing it out for a week. I was about to buy a special cleaner, but my friend said to just pack it up, put it in a garbage bag, and stick it in my freezer overnight. I did it, left it for about 12 hours, and the smell was totally gone the next morning. Some folks say this is bad for the fabric or just a weird hack, but it saved me $20 on a cleaner. Has anyone else tried this, or did I just get lucky?

3 comments

3 Comments

wyattrobinson1mo ago

Glad it worked for you, but be careful with that freezer trick long term. The extreme cold can actually make some waterproof coatings brittle over time, which might lead to cracking. For a one-time fix you're probably fine, but I'd stick with a proper air dry or a gentle wash for regular cleaning.

alice_kim1mo ago

Oh man, that reminds me of when I tried to freeze a pair of jeans to "freshen" them up between washes. I mean, it was all over some mom blog like ten years ago. I left them in there for two days and they came out so stiff I could barely bend the knees.

logan2051mo ago

Isn't that the truth? I tried the same thing with a pair of khakis after reading about it online, and they came out so stiff they practically stood up on their own. Had to throw them in the dryer with a damp towel just to get them wearable again.