how do you get the smell of smoke out of clothing?
- Thread starter zannew
- Start date
Jonathan
VFG Member
As an ex-smoker (and I was careful to keep the clothes away from my smoking room but odours still travelled...) the smell does dissipate with time but the best fast cure-all is a day outside in the fresh air, or alternatively, a good cleaning either wet or dry, depending on the material. I personally hate the smell of Febreeze because it is used to cover up an unpleasant odour - pet, smoke, mildew, b.o...
Vinclothes
Alumni +
I agree with Jonathan. Sometimes it takes a long time, but the odor will dissipate in fresh air. I ran across some more ideas in an article reprinted in our local newspaper from the Star Tribune (Minneapolis).
"Hang out clothes in a confined area such as a closet, with the rinds of a few lemons on a plate. The rinds will work as a sponge to absorb the odor. The process takes up to a week, depending on the severity of the smell. You might have to replace the rinds with fresh ones half way through."
and
"Take advantage of the natural ozone created on a stormy day. Hang hour clothes outside where they won't get wet. 'Whenever there's electrical discharge from lightening, that's the best time to deoderize anything,' Schumann for Treasured Garment Restoration in Stillwater, Ohio says."
Marian
"Hang out clothes in a confined area such as a closet, with the rinds of a few lemons on a plate. The rinds will work as a sponge to absorb the odor. The process takes up to a week, depending on the severity of the smell. You might have to replace the rinds with fresh ones half way through."
and
"Take advantage of the natural ozone created on a stormy day. Hang hour clothes outside where they won't get wet. 'Whenever there's electrical discharge from lightening, that's the best time to deoderize anything,' Schumann for Treasured Garment Restoration in Stillwater, Ohio says."
Marian
Wow! I had never heard that advice about hanging something in a covered area outside during an electrical storm!
I had a big lot of clothing that had been around a heavy smoker forever and ended up taking it all to a dry cleaner with an ozone-treatment room. It was quite reasonably priced given the items took up the whole room (he charged a daily rate for the room) and it completely eliminated the odor.
I had a big lot of clothing that had been around a heavy smoker forever and ended up taking it all to a dry cleaner with an ozone-treatment room. It was quite reasonably priced given the items took up the whole room (he charged a daily rate for the room) and it completely eliminated the odor.
Circa Vintage Clothing
Alumni
I'm a big fan of fresh air - I hand wash if I can and leave out to air, preferably a whole day or more if needed. I recently bought a whole lot of things including handbags that stank of cigarettes, it took a while but the smell went.
Really don't like Febreeze - I worry about what smell it's masking, don't like the smell at all and would not use chemicals on vintage fabrics. Many ebay sellers seem to automatically Febreeze their vintage and it amazes me - I don't like it at all.
Nicole
Really don't like Febreeze - I worry about what smell it's masking, don't like the smell at all and would not use chemicals on vintage fabrics. Many ebay sellers seem to automatically Febreeze their vintage and it amazes me - I don't like it at all.
Nicole
somelikeitvintage
Alumni
believe it or not, vodka in a spray bottle is an excellent odor remover. it's an old trick used by the Mad Men costume designer...she let that one slip!
sometimes it takes a couple of times, with drying in-between. i have even used it on silk by spraying from enough of a distance to create a fine mist...
just don't put it in your glass and waste the vodka - as tempting that may be on some days!
sometimes it takes a couple of times, with drying in-between. i have even used it on silk by spraying from enough of a distance to create a fine mist...
just don't put it in your glass and waste the vodka - as tempting that may be on some days!
morning-glorious
VFG Board Member
Oooh, vodka! I like that! 
Besides airing out of doors, I've had luck removing odors by using Drycleaner's Secret in the clothes dryer. Unlike Febreeze, it doesn't leave very much of a chemical-y mask-y smell, but actually freshens things up. I've sometimes used Febreeze but the after-smell bothers me, so I suspect it would bother others, too.
Jen
Besides airing out of doors, I've had luck removing odors by using Drycleaner's Secret in the clothes dryer. Unlike Febreeze, it doesn't leave very much of a chemical-y mask-y smell, but actually freshens things up. I've sometimes used Febreeze but the after-smell bothers me, so I suspect it would bother others, too.
Jen
Rue_de_la_Paix
VFG Member
Hi,
What great advice from everyone!
An old method is to hang the clothing outside overnight, and they will get ever so slightly damp from changes in the cool air in the very early morning, and then let them air dry in the sun in late morning and afternoon. Then brush them lightly. This works for smells, and surface dirt too. The soil/smells rise to the surface when they get damp, and are evaporated along with the moisture in the sun or rise to the fabric surface to be brushed away.
Coffee grinds works to remove odors like the lemons too. Works on mildew smells. I had not heard of the lemon trick, I have to try that one.
I wish my dry cleaner's had an Ozone room!
I agree....yuck to Fabreeze. I hate the smell and all it does is cover it up.
B
What great advice from everyone!
An old method is to hang the clothing outside overnight, and they will get ever so slightly damp from changes in the cool air in the very early morning, and then let them air dry in the sun in late morning and afternoon. Then brush them lightly. This works for smells, and surface dirt too. The soil/smells rise to the surface when they get damp, and are evaporated along with the moisture in the sun or rise to the fabric surface to be brushed away.
Coffee grinds works to remove odors like the lemons too. Works on mildew smells. I had not heard of the lemon trick, I have to try that one.
I wish my dry cleaner's had an Ozone room!
I agree....yuck to Fabreeze. I hate the smell and all it does is cover it up.
B
