01Why scent leaves a mark
Oud and attar are oils, so they soak in and leave a darker ring like any oil. Spray perfumes are mostly alcohol, but they carry oils and colour too. On white fabric, those oils slowly turn yellow with heat and light, which is why an old perfume spot can look worse months later than on the day.
02Fresh oud or attar
- Press a paper towel on the spot to take up what you can; do not rub
- Dust it with cornflour or baby powder, leave it for 15 to 30 minutes, then brush it off
- Work a drop of washing-up liquid in from the back of the fabric, leave it for ten minutes, then wash as the care label allows
03Perfume spots and yellow patches
- Rinse a fresh perfume spot with cold water from the back of the fabric
- Rub in a little liquid detergent and wash as the care label allows
- For yellowed spots on washable whites, an oxygen-based stain remover soak can help; follow the pack and test on a hidden part first
- Do not iron over a scent mark; the heat sets the oil and the yellow
04Bakhoor smoke and smells that cling
Bakhoor smoke settles in fabric, and heavy wool, abayas and curtains hold it longest. Hang the clothes outside or in a breezy spot for a few hours first, then wash or clean them as the label allows. Wash smoky and scented clothes apart from fresh ones, so the smell does not move across.
05Wear scent without the marks
- Put perfume on your skin and let it dry before you dress
- If you scent a kandura or ghutra with oud, use a little, inside, and away from the white front
- Keep perfume off silk, satin and light colours, which mark most easily
- Clean scented clothes regularly, before old oil has time to yellow
06Or hand it to us
Give it to our driver and tell us it is perfume or oud. We check the care label and treat the mark the gentle way the label allows, and if it is not right, we clean it again for free. A kandura is AED 15 to dry clean and an abaya AED 18, and clothes can go 12-hour express (+50%).