Getting Rid of Foul Smell from Vintage Clothing - as part of the Women's Style series by GeoBeats. Getting rid of foul smells from vintage clothing can be solved easily and quickly. You can do this by running your vintage lovelies through a mild, delicate, cold water wash cycle. If the item cannot be washed and it is fully lined or it is a fifties skirt or crinoline, I suggest taking that piece and airing it out, hanging it under a sheltered porch, underneath away from the sun and away from the light and keeping that item aired out and clean and free. You can also use fabric softener sheets to lay between clothing as you are storing it and putting away. This will not air your clothing out but it will get rid of the foul smells. I highly recommend airing clothing out for a day or two prior to wearing it or running it through a cold water wash. Another item, that I would also like to recommend, is a clothing fabric spray. These fabric sprays work well in keeping foul smells away from your clothing. You air it out a little bit, give it a spray, and the item will be good to go. I do not recommend putting vintage clothing in the dryer to fluff it up regardless if it is a sweater, a dress, a bra or an undergarment. Do not put vintage clothing in the dryer. The dryer has the high heat which vintage clothing can be very sensitive to. The dryer will rip up your nylon, it will melt your nylon, your snaps and many fabrics that are vintage will be destroyed in your dryer.