How to "de-scent" wool

[WayBeau]

I have a very nice wool commando style sweater that I would like to use this hunting season while sitting in a tree waiting for a deer to walk by. The problem is that it's been in a cedar chest for a year or so and smells as such.

How do I "de-scent" it without ruining it? I initially thought about using some of the bottled scent killer type products, but am a little uncomfortable due to not knowing what they might do to the wool. I've heard that deer won't shy away from camp fire smoke, so I've thought about putting a fire in the pit and hanging the sweater down wind.

Any suggestions?

 

[NOLAEMT]

I think you'll be just fine as is.

Cedar smells normal to deer, so you should blend right in.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Just hang it outside and let it air out, then hunt on.

 

[MrCleanOK]

If there are cedar trees anywhere near where you hunt, your deer will be used to the smell. Getting washed with a scent killer, THEN going into a cedar chest is part of my normal routine for my deer hunting clothes.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I don't get overly concerned with all the scent wash/killer business...Back when I was younger and poorer, I had one pair of woodland camo overalls to hunt in. I used them one day to change the gear oil in a vehicle and got it all over me. The smell never washed out. Heck, 20 years later, I still have them in my garage and they still smell like gear oil. I saw/killed plenty of game wearing them.

 

[Sav .250]

Wash it as usual, then wear it. I would.

 

[Art Eatman]

Best not to wash wool, even in cold water. Shrinkage problem.

Just let it hang and air out. The remaining small amount of cedar smell won't bother deer...

 

[WayBeau]

The problem with hanging it out (I'm assuming you mean outside so not to get household smells on it) to dry is the moths. Any suggestions on keeping them off of it?

 

[Zen Archery]

i never use any chemical based product just hunt the wind right and you'll be fine

 

[spclpatrolgroup]

What you have is a cover scent, some hunters would pay good money to get their clothes to smell like ceder Hang it up someplace out of the way, it doesnt have to be outside, just so the ceder smell tames down. Most scent free washes are not meant for wool if you go that route make sure you read the label. Also since its wool, becarefull if you leave it on a hanger for too long or you will get those shoulder nipples, I hang them inside out to avoid that.

 

[WayBeau]

There are a few cedars in the area I hunt, so maybe I won't really worry too much about getting all of the scent out of it.

Spcl, thanks for the advice on hanging it. I'm usually not thinking, or focusing on the task at hand, when I'm doing things like and would have probably just thrown it on a hanger and let it ride.

 

[NHSHTR]

Field and Stream ran a report recently where they used a man-tracking dog to find a "hunter" in a blind. The "hunter" bathed with no scent soap, no scent shampoo, wore charcoal scent killing clothes, and the dog still scented the hunter in 13 seconds after a quick down-wind loop.

So I'm in the school of a little cover scent is good, and assure the wind/breeze is to your advantage.

 

[jhnrckr]

I saw an episode of Dr. Deer where he poured human urine on an active scrape and trail cammed the buck the same day. Next he sprayed it with new car scented air freshener and the buck was back in hours. I have hunted a ranch with a guy smoking cigarettes to the point where his hand was yellow while posing with the two 8 pointers he shot within 15 minutes of daylight on opening day. Certain scents are threatening to deer and others are not. They smell everything and I am fairly certain they know how long the scent has been in the area. I have also noticed that the first day of the season is way different that mid or late season. Once they are spooked all bets are off. I have been winded at 300 yards and I have taken deer right under my stand.

 

[Sunray]

"...younger and poorer, I had..." You had camouflage? Rich guy! Had to make my stuff out of newspapers. snicker.
"...Best not to wash wool, even in cold water. Shrinkage problem..." Nope. No dryer though. Hang 'em to dry. It's the dryer that shrinks, usually. Mind you, hot water will too.
As mentioned, cedar is a normal odour for most deer. You won't need any scent block.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

OK first,
you may wash wool. To do so you need to fill your washing machine at the lowest setting, and let the water come to room temperature. So fill it at night, go to bed, and the next morning you will be ready. Submerse the wool article in the water and let it soak, do NOT allow the machine to agitate. After about an hour, switch the machine to spin dry, and turn it on to remove the water. Remove the sweater, and lay it flat on a bath towel to air dry.

It's the rapid change in temperature when using warm or hot water and the back and forth movement of the agitation that causes the wool to shrink,..., not the actual water. If you hang the sweater up on a hanger to dry it will stretch in odd ways, so lay it flat. This may take a couple of days to dry. IF the item is really stinky..., you can use a capful of woolite or "scent free" hunter's detergeant in the water just before you add the garment, and let it soak for 3 hours so the chemical reaction in the "soap" will attack the body oils and contaminants.

Cedar scent is good. So is hanging the dry item on a hangar, and then poking a hole through the bottom of a green garbage bag for the hangar hook. Cover the item with the inverted garbage bag. Add some local mulch or loam to the bag with the garment, and close the bag bottom with a twist tie. Hang this in the sun for a week, and the heat will warm the mulch/loam, and this will scent the clothing. You should smell like dirt no problem. Smoking the clothes in a hardwood fire also works, and as the lads have said, be concerned with wind direction too.

I am around campfires with my hunting clothing all the time, and I only wash them once in a while to reduce damage to the fibers from body oils and such. So my clothes pretty much smell like I have been working in a smokehouse. I get deer every year, and I really pay attention to the wind as I don't do tree stands.

LD

 

[WayBeau]

Since it hasn't been soiled at all, I think I'm going to hold off on washing it and just hang it somewhere to lessen the smell. I like the idea of the trash bag with local scents in the bottom and might try that.

Thanks to everyone for all of the replies.

 

[jhnrckr]

take it to the dry cleaners

 

[interlock]

just hunt the wind right and you'll be fine

I shoot many many deer. our seasons go all year. firstly hunt the wind.

in a high seat (in your language a tree stand) the scent seems to go up and away. don't worry about it.

if you are stalking (still hunting in your language) then HUNT THE WIND. you can wear pretty much what you want in drab natural colours. It can come straight out of the rest of the laundry... mine regularly does.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

in a high seat (in your language a tree stand) the scent seems to go up and away. don't worry about it.

Generally speaking, scent doesn't carry up unless you have a breeze coming up from below or sucking from above, such as being in the inflow at the front of a storm. It does disperse, however.

Where being high is advantageous is that the wind carries your sent out just like on the ground, but it has a greater volume of space into which to disperse with distance and ground level critters will be most apt to receive a much more diluted version of your scent down range. In other words, being up high allows your scent concentration to diminish much more significantly with distance such that when it reaches the ground, much less of it is there than if you were on the ground at the same distance.

Additionally, for some distance, depending on wind speed, eddies, etc., the wind may carry your scent above the ground before the dispersed particulates reach ground level. There are actually calculations for this process that are used for air contamination sources.

 

[interlock]

Generally speaking, scent doesn't carry up unless you have a breeze coming up from below or sucking from above, such as being in the inflow at the front of a storm. It does disperse, however.

Where being high is advantageous is that the wind carries your sent out just like on the ground, but it has a greater volume of space into which to disperse with distance and ground level critters will be most apt to receive a much more diluted version of your scent down range. In other words, being up high allows your scent concentration to diminish much more significantly with distance such that when it reaches the ground, much less of it is there than if you were on the ground at the same distance.

Additionally, for some distance, depending on wind speed, eddies, etc., the wind may carry your scent above the ground before the dispersed particulates reach ground level. There are actually calculations for this process that are used for air contamination sources.

Thanks for the full explanation.

Still the message remain the same... don't worry about it

 

[WildBill63]

The only scent killer I have used is a little turpentine on a rag and rubbed on my boots. If you have any pines in the area, it is a normal woods scent.
I've gotten a deer every time I used it.