Last Updated on July 17, 2022 by Ecorf
The unmistakable smell of smoke that lingers on your clothes after enjoying a Braai or a night in the pub can be annoying, to say the least. You will agree with me that no one would like to keep that smell on their clothes. So what can you do to get rid of the irritating smoke smell?
To learn how to get smoke smell out of the clothes, you can follow some of the tips outlined below. You can get rid of the smoke smell either without washing or washing the garment in the washing machine.
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How to Remove the Smell of Smoke from Washable Fabric?
If the fabric is washable, you will need a washing machine, vinegar, lemon juice or scent booster. There are just a few steps that you can take to clear the bad smell of smoke from your garments. You should first soak the clothes in warm water consisting of a few drops of your preferred product that can remove smoke.
If the smoke smell is too strong, you should begin by taking the clothes outside for about 24 hours to let the air out. The method can remove the smoke smell entirely if it is of campfire only. You must also shake the clothes thoroughly to remove all the soot particles. After this task, you then prepare your garments for washing.
Before washing the garments, leave them for about 30 to 60 minutes in the water containing vinegar or lemon juice. The main advantage of using vinegar is that it is slightly acidic and it is capable of breaking down the smoke as well as tar molecules that produce the smell on your clothes.
After soaking the clothes, fill your washing machine as usual and add your preferred laundry detergent. You can then wash your clothes as usual and repeat the same process if you have a big load of clothes affected. You should note that your clothes can remain with a slight scent of vinegar but this is not an issue since it will disappear within moments.
You should also note that the smoke smell may not disappear with a single cycle of washing. If you feel that the smoke is still lingering, you can consider rewashing them until you are satisfied that they are clear of the odor. You may need about five cycles to be able to remove the smell of smoke completely from your clothes.
Alternatively, you can use alcohol which also acts as a powerful smoke odor remover. It is also safe on washable garments. You need about half a cup of vodka that you pour into a load of your laundry and it helps to eliminate strong odors from your clothes.
Removing the Smell of Smoke without Washing
It is possible to remove the smell of smoke from your clothes without washing them depending on its intensity. You need to air out the clothes first and this tip can be very helpful if you are dealing with campfire smoke. You just need to take out your clothes and leave them in open air and a bit of some sunlight can also be helpful in freshening the garments.
Use Febreze
Febreze is an odor eliminating products that you can use to remove the smoke from your clothes. You simply spray the product over your hanging garments and leave it to absorb the smell. The other good news is that you can make your own homemade odor eliminating spray by mixing equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle. You can then add a few drops of your favorite oil to give it a good scent.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is another effective odor absorber that can remove smoke smell from your clothes. You simply spray baking soda over the entire surface of the garment and place it in a plastic shopping bag or zipper for effective absorption. Shake the bag and leave it to sit for about a day or so that the baking soda gets ample time to absorb the smell from the clothes.
Once you are done, you then take out the garment and shake it to remove the residue of the baking powder. Allow the garment to dry slowly or you can tumble it in low drying heat. When the garment dries, the odor will disappear. Baking soda is an effective home remedy that is easy to use and it is also readily available in almost every home.
Steam the garment
If the fabric is not washable, steaming is another viable option that you can consider. However, you must make sure that the type of fabric is suitable for steaming then you should do it slowly making sure that you cover the entire item. You can add distilled water to the water reservoir for enhanced odor elimination.
Other helpful tips
You can also try other products that are specifically designed to remove smoke odor and these can be obtained from superstores. For example, Funkaway Odor Eliminator Spray For Clothes is a good product that you can try and it is designed to eliminate the bad smell of smoke from your clothes.
The product is powerful in eliminating odor from clothes and other gear that you cannot wash. It consists of a compound called OM complex that can eliminate the odor on your clothes for good. You can also use this product on other sportswear and it is effective in removing bad smell.
Conclusion
Smoke smell can be irritating since it lingers on your clothes for extended periods. However, you do not necessarily need to throw away the affected clothes since you can eliminate the smell by simply following a few steps.
If the garments are washable, you can add vinegar or lemon juice to the load in the washing machine and wash them in a normal way. If the clothes are not washable, then you can use the method of baking soda or steam and these are also simple home remedies that can give you excellent results. You can leave your comment or any question below.
