How to Scent Your Dresser and Lingerie Drawers
Delicates deserve better than a perfumed tissue. How to scent a dresser or lingerie drawer gently, with nothing touching the fabric.
Opening a drawer to a soft scent is one of the small luxuries of a well-kept home. Delicates, silk and fine knits need a gentle approach, though: anything oily or perfumed should never sit against them.
What to avoid
- Perfumed paper or sprays straight onto silk and lace: they can mark and fade quickly.
- Loose scented beads or open sachets: oil can transfer when they're warm or pressed.
- Strong, sweet scents, which can cling to underwear and compete with your own perfume.
What works
- Line the drawer with plain, acid-free tissue or a cotton liner.
- Rest a pomander in a back corner. The Wardrobe Pomander encloses its scented wool sphere inside a gold sphere, so the scent drifts through the drawer while nothing touches your things.
- Leave the drawer closed for a day; the scent settles evenly.
- Refresh when it softens, using the gold tongs and a fresh sphere from your set or a Scent Spheres refill.
The best scents for drawers
- Velours Rose for lingerie and silk: rose, orange blossom and vanilla, soft and romantic.
- Thé Blanc for everyday drawers: white tea and musk, simply clean.
- Santal Vellum for knitwear: creamy sandalwood and iris.
- Cèdre Noir for socks, ties and a man's dresser: cedar, cardamom and leather.
A gift idea
A pomander with a lingerie-drawer scent is a lovely bridal shower, birthday or anniversary gift. It arrives in a rigid black gift box with a care card.
Quick answers
How do I make my drawers smell nice? Line them with plain tissue and rest an enclosed scent, such as a pomander, in a back corner.
Is it safe to put scent near lingerie? Yes, if the scented material is enclosed and never touches the fabric.
What scent is best for a lingerie drawer? Something soft and floral, such as rose with orange blossom and vanilla.
Explore: the Scaldera Arch · Shop the collection · Take the Scent Quiz · Membership · Refill subscription
More from the Journal
- How to Make Your Closet Smell Good (and Keep It That Way) — A closet that smells good starts with air and ends with a quiet scent that never touches your clothes. Here's the order that works.
- What Is a Pomander? The Story of the Scented Gold Sphere — From royal courts to the modern wardrobe: what a pomander is, where it came from, and how people use one today.
- The Best Hanging Closet Fresheners: Luxury Alternatives to Sprays, Gels and Sachets — Sprays, gels, sachets, cedar or a pomander? How each closet freshener works, and which one keeps scent in the air instead of on your clothes.