Linen-scented sachet rectangular-shaped packets with purple flowers on the front. They're placed on a wooden surface.

Sachet, You Stay

Linen-scented sachet rectangular-shaped packets with purple flowers on the front. They're placed on a wooden surface.

A banana-scented wallet will not perfume your drawers. I got one of these in a gift exchange, and it wasn’t a wallet I’d actually want, so I put it work in my underwear drawer and…nothing. Lesson learned. Don’t send a banana-scented wallet to do the job of an actual scented sachet packet.

Here’s what prompted me to buy sachet packets now, nearly two years later: not my underwear drawer. It was a skirt I bought.

In a previous post, I boldly stated I would buy a pleather skirt as one of my “goals” for 2025. Well, I did it. I bought a pleather skirt. I researched it online, looked at reviews, viewed pictures and videos, and decided that the $20-$30 price point was irresistible for this skirt.

Not one review mentioned a smell.

Mine, however, smelled when I opened the package—on the inside lining and waistband. Here’s what I suspect happened: someone bought this skirt, they wore it clubbing all night, they sweat A LOT, and then they sent it back for a refund. The store steamed it, rewrapped it, and sent it to me.

Of course, I had to involve Nate in the whole smelly process. He’s a sensible person. Was I really smelling a strong stench? Yes, yes I was. Nate confirmed it. Now that Nate had confirmed it, he was ready to help.

Nate: What’s it made of?

Me: Polyurethane—vegan leather.

Nate: It says online you can wash vegan leather on a gentle cycle.

Me: You definitely can’t wash it. The shiny front will crack and the whole thing will shrink and possibly stain.

Nate: Send it back.

Me: No. It fits. I like it. I don’t want to go through the trouble of sending it back.

Nate: Maybe it’s real leather—with an odor like that? You sure you didn’t accidentally buy real leather?

Me: For $30?

Nate: Yeah. It wouldn’t be $30. Wash it lightly on the inside with soap and water.

Me: Nah. I’ll just get some sachet packets. I need to unleash my inner Victorian socialite.

So, I ordered the sachet packets. I figured linen scent would be safe—and it’s like the company that made these saw the order and said, “This is it. Someone needs scent packets, NOW. This is not a drill. Rush these over. This is a rush order.”

I’m not kidding. These packets arrived the next day—in the morning. I didn’t even put any desperate notes with my order like “Please send these immediately, I have a skirt that smells.”

When they arrived, I could smell them all the way through the package. The scent force is very strong with these. Quickly, I turned the skirt inside out, placed about four scent packets on a flat surface, covered them with a scarf, placed the skirt on top, and then covered it with another scarf layer and four more scent packets on top. It’s much like making lasagna, now that I think of it.

I closed the closet door, went to sleep, and the next morning, my skirt smelled MUCH better—like it got shot in the face with a burst of department store cologne. The scent lingers, but not too long. I do really need to keep up with the sachet-ing. It’s another chore I have to add to my list:

Make the bed, straighten the couch pillows, make dinner, pack my lunch, sachet the skirt.

The next step is to buy a lavender-scented travel-sized spritz I can put in my purse in case the sachet scents wear off in public—in case I suspect I suddenly smell like I’ve been clubbing all night on a public bus.

So, the skirt stays, the smell goes. For how long? Nobody nose.

Your Turn: What’s something you bought online lately? Did you like it? Did you have to send it back?

Unknown's avatar

Published by ckennedy

Author of the DIY blog: Fixin' Leaks and Leeks. Paper/Rock Writing Consultation, Sole Proprietor.

30 thoughts on “Sachet, You Stay”

  4. Baking soda will remove any lingering odours. Sprinkle it all over the smelly parts of the skirt and then place it in an enclosed area like a drawer or box. You could even put the rest of the open box of soda in the space, too. After a couple of days, shake the soda out of your skirt (outside if you can – it’s a lot easier). It will be pristine and odour-free. Baking soda is the best deodorant out there for problems like this. Cheers.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

      1. You could try putting your skirt in the enclosed area just with the open box of soda instead of sprinkling it on. That might work and then you don’t have to worry about getting the powder off. Otherwise, a good shaking out should get rid of it.

        Liked by 1 person

  8. I ordered a garden chair and specially shaped cushion from Amazon and thought it was a very reasonable price. When it arrived, I wondered how they had packed it all in a small box. There was no chair. Looking closely at my order it was only for a cushion. When I looked the item up on Amazon I realised the chair was a line drawing to show you how good the cushion would look!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  9. I tried on a tweed jacket which had an odd smell, I guess like Scottish sheep that got put in the closet still wet. I didn’t mind the smell really, but there are coyotes on the outskirts of town and I worried they might smell the jacket and jump me some night when I’m walking home.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  10. Sorry I can’t stop laughing at your now fabulous banana scented skirt 😂I both 2 door wreaths after Christmas except after hours or researching I finally decided and placed my order without my glasses and by mistake ordered a print instead of the actual wreath so now I have two gigantic cotton print to cover my front doors instead 😬

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  11. I just bought a bunch of large wooden buttons to make badges for our library kids. Stitched on a safety pin and painted the badge with a gold star (not in a Nazi way, I swear!), We 💗 books, and Long View Library. The prototype looks too hideous for me to share, but the kids like it enough to read more! I told them 15 books plus reviews will earn them a badge.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment