How to get rid of foul smell

bounty_hunter

I wasn't quite sure if this was an appropriate forum to put this, so apologies to mods if it isn't.
Does anybody know of any effective techniques for getting rid of the smell of cigarette smoke from items of clothing? I'm not a smoker myself and absolutely cannot abhor the stale smell that lingers on clothes, but since several of my friends are smokers I am occasionally forced to be in the same room as the stink when at parties, etc. In this particular instance I've just bought a new coat and then headed out to a party, and I've returned reeking of the horrible stuff. I would really appreciate any advice.

Edit: Just to clarify, I'm talking specifically about items of clothing that can't easily be washed.

Rb

give febreeze a shot and air it out.

C_Breeze

try washing it perhaps?

bounty_hunter

C_Breeze wrote:

try washing it perhaps?

Coats aren't easily washable though, especially for me who has no tumble drier. That isn't really a convenient solution.

C_Breeze

bring it to a dry cleaners so!

and then if you like that jacket so much , you can take it out on nights out (where you wont be forced to be in a smoking area , and even if u are its outside)
and avoid bringing it to smelly house parties, and if u must - then put it in the closet or somethin

daiixi

DRY CLEAN! (or try the febreeze style option.. or spray liberally with Impulse as recommended by all teenage girls!)

bounty_hunter

C_Breeze wrote:

bring it to a dry cleaners so!

and then if you like that jacket so much , you can take it out on nights out (where you wont be forced to be in a smoking area , and even if u are its outside)
and avoid bringing it to smelly house parties, and if u must - then put it in the closet or somethin

Aye, I didn't intend to end up there. Only problem is though, it's all very well saying don't wear it to smelly places etc. but it's the only warm coat I have so I don't really have much option in this wearther.
And therefore I don't really have the cash to be bringing it to the dry cleaners every time I go out. See my point?

tie_mi_shu

bring a water gun with you when you go out and shoot the smokers with it.

daiixi

bounty_hunter wrote:

Aye, I didn't intend to end up there. Only problem is though, it's all very well saying don't wear it to smelly places etc. but it's the only warm coat I have so I don't really have much option in this wearther.
And therefore I don't really have the cash to be bringing it to the dry cleaners every time I go out. See my point?

Still no reason to not put it in a closet or a room where people aren't smoking! Or better still, new year = new friends! (the non smoking type) ????

bounty_hunter

That really isn't practical advice First of all there isn't always a closet around, second of all even if there was I mightn't necesarrily want to take my coat off, and third of all that still doesn't solve the problem of the smell that's already there. And I can only assume you're joking about the new friends bit.

Dellgirl

Take up the habit and in no time at all you'll have no sense of smell and the tarry stench wont bother you anymore. You'll smell just as much as the rest of them and have a whole new social experience to boot!

Stark

Can we stop with the off-topic non-helpful posts please?

Dellgirl

We can.
Get a bottle of febreeze or dry clean. I dont know any old wives remidies that will get rid of the smell./ maybe hang it outside the next day if possible?

bounty_hunter

Thanks to anyone who mentioned Febreeze and the like. I've tried it but unfortunately it doesn't seem to be helping much. I've heard of the hanging outside thing, I'll give it a try when the weather clears up.

CJhaughey

Hang it up outside on a really windy day, thats the best way of getting rid of stink out of clothes, a nice sunny windy day is the best.

simu

You could consider getting a cheap coat for when you're going to smoky places although that's not a very satisfactory solution. Whatever you do, don't hang your coat in a narrow closet space after it has been exposed to smoke - that makes it worse, I find.

spiderlegs

CJhaughey wrote:

Hang it up outside on a really windy day, thats the best way of getting rid of stink out of clothes, a nice sunny windy day is the best.

Yeah that's your best bet.

techguy

Just hang it out on the line and leave in the fresh air for a couple of hours. Works well for my clothes that are clean but have a stale smell, they are so fresh when I take them in.

bounty_hunter

Thanks everyone, the hanging it outside thing seems like the best option. I'll give it a shot the second it stops raining!

Vokes

Get the smell out of it by adding a cup of vinegar to a bath tub of hot water.
And hang the coat above the steam for a few hours.

Its worked for me in the past.

techguy

Another pointless piece of info for this thread but if you have lingering odours (after you remove the gone off meat:o ) rinse clean a lump of coal and have it sit at the back of your fridge. The carbon absorbs all the smells..

Sorry OP but I had to say it

Hakko

bounty_hunter

hakko1872003 wrote:

Another pointless piece of info for this thread but if you have lingering odours (after you remove the gone off meat:o ) rinse clean a lump of coal and have it sit at the back of your fridge. The carbon absorbs all the smells..

Sorry OP but I had to say it

Hakko

No sweat, I could use that one too *goes to clean fridge*

bounty_hunter

SofaKing wrote:

Get the smell out of it by adding a cup of vinegar to a bath tub of hot water.
And hang the coat above the steam for a few hours.

Its worked for me in the past.

Did it make it smell of vinegar instead? Cos I wouldn't like that either...

Vokes

Only a little bit. But then i'd let it air outside afterwards for a while.

bounty_hunter

Great, I might give that a go if all else fails. Thanks.

ferdi

tie_mi_shu wrote:

bring a water gun with you when you go out and shoot the smokers with it.

yes but this may result in you getting your face kicked in.

Fajitas!

Fresh air is the best choice from my experience.

Seraphina

in my underage days, when i didn't want my parents to know i'd been in the pub (before the smoking ban) i always hung my clothes in the bathroom while taking a hot shower. the steam helped get rid of the smell.
i see adding vinegar to a bath and hanging the coat over it has been suggested - similar enough idea really.
i think a coolish iron with plenty of steam also helps. steam in general really, hence the whole steam-cleaner thing.
anyway g'luck - i HATE getting my clothes stinky and smokey!