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I sold perfume at a department store when I was in college. I learned fairly quickly that there were certain items of clothing you should never wear on the job—because no amount of dry cleaning in the world can remove the scent of 100 different perfumes permeating the fibers of your favorite sweater or jacket. Clothing, as you probably already know, latches on to fragrance—even just a tiny spritz can linger on the cuff of a sleeve for days. Apparently, this phenomenon is called “perfume marinating,” and users on TikTok are now doing it with intention.
TikTok user @EarthlingSabi posted a video of herself dousing a white shirt in Tom Ford’s Lost Cherry perfume a few days ago, captioning the video “marinating my going out top.” The captions were equally split between those praising her for the genius hack and those sharing their own perfume marinating techniques. The TikTok currently has 1.9 million views.
“After I do that, I put the top inside a ziplock overnight and then use it the next day 🥰,” writes one user. Another adds, “I lock the scent by ironing it after spraying my fave perfume.” One commenter even says she does this to every single item in her closet.
Here’s the thing: perfume marinating does work. “Marinated mine in Baccarat Rouge, and when I washed it, the smell didn’t come out,” one commenter writes, while another adds: “I accidentally marinated a cotton cardigan with Chloé Nomade five months ago; it’s been washed twice, but Nomade is still there 😅.”
This long-lasting smell comes at a cost, though. Certain notes in perfume activate from the warmth of your skin, so spraying it directly on fabric—especially outerwear—might not reveal the true nature of your chosen scent, unless you then apply heat via an iron or steamer. You also run the risk of staining your clothes. Alcohol, natural oils, and even dyes in certain fragrances can leave discoloration marks on light-colored or delicate fabrics. Certain notes and ingredients in perfume can also be volatile, so you might not like how a perfume smells in two days versus sprayed fresh from the bottle. If you’d rather keep your scents to the confines of your skin but still crave longevity and projection, check out our edit of the best long-lasting perfumes. But if you’re super excited about the trend, I would first try perfume marinating on a dark winter coat to see if you’re a fan before drowning any other closet staples in your signature scent.
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