It’s common knowledge that smoking cigarettes or tobacco can leave a lingering and unappealing scent on our skin, furniture, and our most-loved outfits. Whether you’re a smoker yourself, or live in a smoking household, you might be conscious of the smell you’re carrying around with you.
Many smokers become used to the smell and can’t notice it, so asking a non-smoker’s opinion will serve you well. If you’ve tried machine washing but just can’t defeat the scent, we’re here to help.
Keep reading to hear our 4 best tips for getting smoke smell out of clothing for good.
Air Your Clothing Out to Reduce Smoke Smell
This may seem like an obvious one, but it can be extremely effective. If you’ve got a dress that can’t be machine washed, or a suit you’re avoiding taking to the dry cleaners, airing out your clothes can be a very successful way to reduce the scent of smoke.
Our top tips for effective airing include:
Be sure to air out outside, preferably on a breezy day
Secure your clothes firmly with your favorite pegs or clips
Hang both regularly and inside-out for superb airing
There’s no set time limit on how long you can air out your clothes for, so don’t be afraid to leave them to it. If you’ve got a particularly sunny week coming up, strap them in and get ready for a week of wind-powered airing action!
Pre-Soak Your Clothes in Vinegar Before Washing
Stay with us…we promise this tip works. Pre-soaking your clothes in a solution of distilled white vinegar and water tackles the odor elimination stage of cleaning before the washing machine is even switched on—meaning the actual wash will offer a second round of action.
To successfully pre-soak your clothes in vinegar, simply:
Add 1 cup of distilled white vinegar to your sink or basin
Fill with warm water (make sure it’s not too hot!)
Add a few drops of essential oils for a fresher scent
Soak for 1 hour, and then wash in your machine as usual
Pre-soaking your clothes in vinegar to reduce the smell of smoke is a great method, but it can be a lot more time consuming. If you’re short on time, why not search for ‘drop off laundry near me’ and let the professionals take care of it? A professional laundry service is a much better option for time-saving and eliminating the smell effectively.
Machine Wash with Baking Soda
Noticing a trend here? While it may seem strange, so many day-to-day kitchen products can work wonders when it comes to getting stains and smells out of your clothing. Baking soda is extremely powerful, acting as a natural laundry booster to aid the cleaning process.
Use baking soda in a wash by following these two simple steps:
Add about 1 cup of baking soda to your washing machine
Turn on and watch the magic happen!
Make sure to rinse your clothes and your machine well for the best results possible! If your machine has an extra rinse feature, turn it on for best results.
Use the Dryer Sheet Trick
This is a super-secret tip, but we’re willing to share it with you today for the greater good. Instead of using a dryer sheet in the usual sense, this trick is a little different.
Place your smoke-scented clothes in a large bag with 1 or 2 dryer sheets
Seal up the bag and leave to rest for a few days
Once you release your clothes and try them on again, you’re bound to notice the difference in scent. It’s a cheap, easy and reasonably speedy way to get great results.
Getting the smell of smoke out of clothing isn’t easy, but we hope we’ve made the process a little more straightforward with our top-4 tips. If you’re looking for a professional clean to remove stubborn scents or stains, why not try out WaveMax Laundry? Our laundromat is the go-to location for all your laundry service needs in the northern Denver metro—providing solutions to thousands of households every year. Check out our website today to find out more about what we can do for you.
