Dear Lifehacker,
We recently moved my father into a long-term care facility. There are a number of wonderful things he wanted my sister and I to have and to share with our children. The trouble is that he was a lifelong smoker and everything reeks from years of smoke. We want to keep these things, but the smell is just awful. What can we do?
Sincerely,
Smoked Out
Dear Smoked Out,
Smokers lose sensitivity to the smell of their own smoke, especially over years of smoking. And yes, if they smoke inside, the smell gets into everything. The good news is that we have some pretty good ways for destinking your mementos.
Try Dryer Sheets First
Before we look at getting the smell out of specific items, here's a safe, simple trick you can try for anything. Grab a Ziploc bag, put the item inside with one or more unscented dryer sheets (depending on the size of the item), and leave it. For things like books, which can really absorb the odor, you may need to leave them in the bags for several weeks. For other items, a few days may be all it takes. You can even get really big Ziploc bags if you need them.
The nice thing about this method is that, while it takes time, it's completely harmless to the items you're trying to freshen up and requires almost no effort. Of course, sometimes those stubborn smoke smells are going to take a little more work.
Check the Labels on Clothes
While it's tempting to just toss smoky clothes in a hot washer with nice-smelling detergent, it pays to check the labels first and keep a couple of things in mind. If the clothes are indeed machine-washable, don't mix them with your other clothes. Wash them separately using the hottest water the fabric allows and toss in a cup of baking soda or borax for some extra smell-fighting power. When you're done washing the clothes, smell them before you dry them to see if they need rewashing. And when you're finally done washing, make sure your washer hasn't picked up any odor itself. If it has, run it through a cleaning cycle.
There are some other things you can try for stubborn clothes or for those that you can't machine wash:
- Try the dryer sheet and baggie trick.
- Spray them down with something like Febreze or another odor eliminator (but do test it on the fabric first).
- Leave them hanging for a day in sunlight and fresh air. You should also dry them this way after washing, if possible.
- Take delicate or dry-clean only clothing to a professional. If you don't like chemical treatments, let them know and they may have some options for you.
Remove Smoke Smell from Leather
Getting the smoke smell out of leather goods can be easy or difficult. It depends on whether the leather is hard (like a biker jacket or cowboy boots) or soft (like a purse or more stylish jacket) and on what's on the inside, which is likely where most of the smell has collected.
Either way, the place to start is with a good leather cleaner recommended for your type of leather. According to cleaning website How to Clean Stuff, you can also use a diluted vinegar or rubbing alcohol solution to clean the leather, though you'll want to careful not to allow the solution to soak into the leather. Personally, I think I'd spring for the cost of the leather cleaner.
How you clean the inside of the item depends on what it's made of. Many purses and bags have a nylon interior that you can wash down with soap and water (or a vinegar and water solution). For fabric interiors, follow the cleaning instructions or you can first try to simple deodorize using these tricks:
- Place dryer sheets, coffee grounds, or charcoal inside a nylon stocking or wrap them up in cheesecloth. Put this inside the item and leave for several days.
- For bags, you can also use an opened box of baking soda in the same way.
- Just like with other fabrics, fresh air and sunlight will go a long way to reducing odors.
Destink Books with Vinegar and Water
The dryer sheet and baggie trick works pretty well with most books, but if you'd like to get a jump start on the process or just have some books with a stubborn smell, there's another simple solution. Mix equal parts warm water and distilled white vinegar. Apply to the covers of the books (hard cover or paperback) lightly using a clean cloth and let them dry. If the cloth gets dirty, switch to another clean one so you're not just smearing grime around.
Vinegar also does a great job at removing mildew from books and other surfaces. And don't worry. The smell fades quickly so you won't be reading vinegary books.
You Can Even Tackle Smelly Furniture
There are a lot of variables when it comes to cleaning the smoke smell out of furniture. Is it wood or upholstered? If it's wood, is the wood well sealed? What's the upholstery made of? Nevertheless, here are a few tricks that can help:
- If the piece has drawers, place small bowls with baking soda or charcoal inside and let them sit for a few days. Replace the material as needed.
- Wipe the outside down with a white vinegar and warm water solution and let it dry. After that, use a good quality wood cleaner.
- If you just can't seem to get the smell out of wood furniture, you may have to resort to refinishing the piece or even painting it. If you do decide to paint, start with a good sealing primer first to help kill that smoky smell.
- Many upholstered pieces are okay to wash yourself, but check the labels first. You can do it by hand using a mix of warm water and detergent or, better, use a carpet cleaner with an upholstery tool. They don't cost too much to rent from your local hardware store or megamart and you can tackle your carpets while you're at it.
- You can also try a deodorizer like FeBreze on fabrics or, according to Organic Authority, just mix up a little vodka and water in a spray bottle.
Hopefully those tips help you out a bit, Smoked Out! Good luck clearing the air, and enjoying those memories that your father gave to you and your family!
Sincerely,
Lifehacker
Lead photo by DucDigital . Other images by trenttsd, 邰秉宥, Robert Sheie, Kamal Hamid, and Daniel Dudek-Corrigan.
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