Attar is meant to be worn on clothes as much as on skin. A dab on the cuff of a kurta or the corner of a handkerchief is how many of us first learned to wear it. But attar is an oil, and oil can leave a mark.
The good news is that with a little care you can scent almost anything you wear without spoiling it. This guide covers which fabrics and which attars need care, how to apply attar to clothes, and what to do if a stain does happen.
Does attar stain clothes?
It can. Two things decide whether it will: the fabric and the colour of the oil.
The fabric
- Cotton and khadi are the most forgiving. They absorb a small drop quickly and a light mark usually washes out.
- Silk, chiffon, georgette and satin need the most care. Oil can leave a darker, see-through patch on fine fabric, and these fabrics often cannot take a vigorous wash. Avoid putting attar directly on them.
- Polyester and other synthetics tend to hold on to oil, so a mark can be stubborn to wash out. Apply sparingly and on the inside.
- Wool shawls and jackets hold scent beautifully. A small drop on the inside edge is usually enough.
White fabric and dark fabric
On white and pastel clothes, even a pale oil can leave a faint yellowish ring, and a coloured oil will show clearly. On black, navy and deep colours, a small oil mark is far less visible, though it may look slightly darker or shiny in the light. If you only want to scent one outfit without worrying, choose the darker one.
Dark attars and paler attars
Attars vary in colour from nearly clear to deep brown. Many traditional attars are dark because of how they are made and what goes into them. PV Hina Attar (from ₹149), PV Shamama Amber Attar (from ₹149) and oud oils such as PV Dehn Oud Hindi Attar (from ₹2,999) belong to this deeper, warmer family. They are wonderful on a winter shawl, but keep them away from white cotton and anything delicate.
Fresher styles are often lighter in colour. PV Musk Tahara Attar (from ₹149), a fresh musk, and PV Mogra Attar (from ₹99), a floral, are easier choices for everyday clothes. Colour is not always what the name suggests, though, so always look at the oil in the bottle before you put it on fabric.
Patch-test first
Before you scent a new or precious garment, test the attar where nobody will see:
- Turn the garment inside out and find a seam or hem allowance.
- Touch one small drop of attar to it.
- Leave it for an hour or two, ideally in daylight, then look from the outside.
- If you see no mark, you can scent that garment in the same way. If you do, use one of the methods below that keeps oil off the fabric.
How to apply attar on clothes
The cotton phaya
The oldest method is still the safest. A phaya is a small tuft of cotton wool. Put a drop of attar on it and tuck it into a shirt pocket, the fold of a dupatta, a sherwani pocket or behind your ear. The scent reaches your clothes and the air around you, but the oil stays in the cotton. Replace the cotton when it stops smelling.
Cuffs, collar and hem
Touch the applicator to the inside of the collar, the inside of the cuffs or the inner hem of a kurta. The inside of the fabric sits against your body, which gently warms the scent, and any small mark stays hidden.
Handkerchief and prayer cap
A cotton handkerchief is one of the best places for attar. It is washable, it goes everywhere with you and you can raise it to your face when you want to enjoy the scent. A white cotton prayer cap takes a paler attar well; for a dark oil, touch it only to the inner band.
Two rules for all of these: a little is enough, and never put attar on clothes you are about to iron, because heat will fix the oil into the fabric. For where to wear it on skin, see our guide on how to apply attar.
How long attar lasts on clothes
Much longer than on skin. Fabric does not warm up or absorb oil the way skin does, so a woody or musky attar on a shawl or handkerchief can often still be noticed days later. Fresher attars fade sooner on fabric too. Our guide on how long attar lasts explains why, and how skin, weather and notes change it.
How to remove an attar stain
Treat it as you would any oil stain, and act before it has had time to set:
- Blot, do not rub. Press a clean tissue on the spot to lift what you can. Rubbing spreads the oil.
- Absorb the rest. On a fresh stain, a sprinkle of cornflour or talc left for a while can draw out more oil. Brush it off afterwards.
- Pretreat. Work a little liquid detergent or plain dishwashing liquid into the mark and leave it for about ten minutes, then rinse well.
- Wash as the label allows. Use the warmest water the care label permits, since warm water lifts oil better than cold.
- Check before any heat. Let the garment dry in the air and check the spot before you iron it or use a dryer. Heat can set an oil stain permanently. Repeat the pretreatment if needed.
For silk, embroidered wedding wear and anything marked dry clean only, do not experiment. Take it to a dry cleaner and tell them it is a perfume oil stain.
Storing scented clothes
Scent travels between clothes in a closed cupboard, which you can use to your advantage. Keep a cotton phaya with a few drops of attar in a small cloth pouch between folded clothes, so the oil never touches the fabric. Keep scented garments away from ones you want to smell neutral, and do not store dark-attar clothes pressed against white ones.
Bakhoor: scenting clothes without any oil
If you want your clothes to smell wonderful with no risk of an oil mark at all, use bakhoor. Hold a garment above the burner so the smoke passes through it, or hang your outfit in a room where bakhoor has been burning. A warm bakhoor such as PV Bukhoor Khas (from ₹399) is a traditional way to scent clothes before an occasion.
Our guide on what bakhoor is and how to use it explains the method and the safety basics. Many people use bakhoor on the clothes and a small dab of attar on the skin.
Questions people ask
Does attar stain clothes?
It can, because attar is an oil. Dark attars such as hina, shamama and oud are most likely to mark, and silk and white fabrics show marks most. Patch-test on an inside seam, apply to the inside of cuffs or collar, or use a cotton phaya to keep oil off the fabric.
How to apply attar on clothes?
Use a small amount on the inside of the collar, cuffs or hem, or on a cotton handkerchief. For delicate or white clothes, put the attar on a cotton phaya and tuck it into a pocket or fold instead. Never apply it just before ironing.
How to remove attar stains?
Blot the oil, sprinkle cornflour or talc on a fresh mark, then work in liquid detergent or dishwashing liquid for about ten minutes, rinse and wash at the warmest temperature the label allows. Air-dry and check before ironing. Take silk and dry-clean-only clothes to a dry cleaner.
How long does attar last on clothes?
Usually much longer than on skin. On a shawl, kurta or handkerchief, a woody or musky attar can often still be noticed after several days, while fresher attars fade sooner.
Can I put attar on a white kurta?
Yes, with care. Choose a paler attar, patch-test on an inside seam first and apply to the inside of the collar or cuffs, or use a cotton phaya in the pocket. Keep darker attars for darker clothes.