A garment that reeks of cigarette smoke is unpleasant, whether you’re a smoker or you experience secondhand smoke while hanging out with a friend. Unfortunately, the lingering smell from tobacco smoke lasts much longer than other odors. Learn how to get cigarette smoke out of clothes with simple methods to restore their clean scent.
If you’ve ever walked through a crowd of smokers, you know how the smoke smell adheres to clothing. While washing the clothes in the washer may remove the smoke, there are times when there is still a lingering odor and other cleaners are necessary to eliminate the smell.
Smoke odor is challenging to remove because thirdhand smoke is made up of smoke molecules, and these tiny particles settle on surfaces, resulting in smoky clothes. Even walking through the fresh air doesn’t completely remove the cigarette smoke odor.
Ways to Get Cigarette Smoke Out of Clothes
Stale smoke is an undesirable smell. Luckily, there are ways to eliminate smoke odor from clothes without taking them in for dry cleaning, whether the smoky smell is from a cigarette or other smoke damage.
Before Getting Cigarette Smoke Out of Clothes
Does cigarette smoke come out of clothes? Yes, it does. Yet, there are a couple of steps to take before getting cigarette smoke out of clothes to ensure the cleaning process is successful and you don’t damage the fabric.
Fabric Cleaning Prep
Before washing your clothes, the first thing to do to remove a smoke odor is to check the care label to ensure it’s safe for home cleaning.
If the tag says hand or machine-washable, clean the item with vinegar, baking soda, or laundry detergent. Otherwise, take it in for dry cleaning or hang it in the open air if the smoke exposure was only for a short time.
How to Remove Cigarette Smoke Stains From Fabric
One of our favorite home remedies for removing foul odors is sodium bicarbonate or baking soda. This cheap powder is readily available in the grocery store baking aisle and is safe for use on clothes. Discover how to remove cigarette smoke stains from fabric with a baking soda soak.
Fill a clean sink or tub with water and pour in a cup of baking soda. Stir the liquid with your hand and place the smelly item in the water. Let it soak overnight and rinse it beneath running water to flush out the baking soda and cigarette smell. Wring the excess water out of the cloth, and clean it in the washing machine.
Does White Vinegar Get Cigarette Smoke Out of Fabric?
White vinegar is excellent at pulling smoke particles and odor out of fabric, and you probably have a jug in the house already. Find out how to remove cigarette smoke stains from fabric with vinegar.
Fill a plastic bin with water and add a cup of white vinegar. Swish the liquid to mix, and soak your stinky clothes in the solution for about an hour. Rinse the item under running water and clean it in the washer.
If you prefer to add vinegar to the washer instead of soaking the garment in a bin, pour a cup of white vinegar into the rinse cycle, and stop the machine to let it soak for an hour.
How to Get Cigarette Smoke Out of Clothes
After removing cigarette smoke from clothing by soaking the fabric in baking soda or vinegar, it’s time to give the garment a good washing. Clean clothes in the washer to remove cigarette odor residue.
Place the stinky garment in the washer, add liquid or powdered laundry soap, and clean the item on the regular wash setting. Follow the cleaning instructions on the care tag of your clothes and use the cold, warm, or hot water cycle as recommended.
Do a sniff test when the clothes are clean to ensure that the smoke or musty smell is gone, and transfer them to the clothes dryer with a fabric softener sheet. Otherwise, hang the items to air dry.
Preventing Cigarette Smoke Odor on Clothing
Getting cigarette smoke out of clothes is a task we’d rather not repeat often. We put together several preventative tips to help you keep smoky odors off clothes, furniture, carpeting, and other surfaces.
An air purifier is one of the best ways to reduce smoke odor. Tobacco smoke contains gaseous pollutants and smoke molecules, and not all air purifiers do the job of removing them from the air. Check to see if your purifier has a HEPA filter, which significantly reduces smoke particles.
Another way to reduce the smoke smell is to open windows and turn on ceiling fans to circulate air, ventilate the room, and perform regular upholstery and carpet cleaning. To absorb odor, consider placing a bowl of activated charcoal or coffee grounds in the smoky room and replacing them as needed.
Additionally, air fresheners are great for masking smoky smells, and there are different varieties, from plug-ins to sprays. Or, you can make a homemade fabric spray by combining a half cup of water, a quarter cup of rubbing alcohol, and ten drops of essential oils in a spray bottle.
Not everyone enjoys a cigarette smoke smell, especially when it gets on your clothing. The smoke residue stubbornly clings to fabrics, leaving clothes with a foul smell. Luckily, there are ways to remove odors from smoke particles and keep your clothing fresh.
Now that you’ve learned how to get cigarette smoke out of clothes, we’d love it if you’d share our tips for removing tobacco smoke odor from fabric with your family and friend circle on Pinterest and Facebook.