Clothing from a Smoker

Lots of people are recommending super smelly detergents, but honestly, my husband and I are smokers and I use ALL free and clear detergent and no fabric softener sheets (hey, time's are tough), and everything comes out smelling clean... I'm not just saying that because I'm a smoker, my 5 year old daughter is allergic to tobacco smoke so it's imperative that we get the stink out. If she smelled it still, she would let me know!!

(And no, I'm not a bad mom because I smoke and she's allergic, I don't smoke around the kids at ALL, I'm like a closet smoker... she's also allergic to the dog, but he isn't going anywhere. How sad that I feel like I have to throw out a disclaimer!)

Baking soda. My sister is a smoker and sometimes spends the night. I wash the sheets normally & just add a cup of baking soda to the wash. If you can dry clothes outside as well.

I would think that the smoke smell would come out of the fabric after one washing, maybe 2. Try some OxyClean or see if Febreeze has a detergent.

I've never been able to get smoke out of some fabrics, while others have come out after a few washings (some say adding borax or vinegar helps it come out) and airing them out. You can air it outside for a while, drape items over chairs and such, the sun helps absorb the smoke. I don't smoke but I love buying on ebay and thrifitng.

My Mom smoked and when we moved away from home for college we were able to get the smell out of our clothes. Ugh! Can't stand the smell now! I think it would just come out with washing but if you want to give it an extra boost there are detergents that specifically fight odor and/or you could add vinegar to the wash.

You can wash them a few times and if that doesn't work you can put them in an inclosed space with some charcoal. The charcoal will absorb the odor. Just make sure it doesn't touch the clothing so you don't get stains.

Yes, the smell will wash out. My dad was a tobacco chimney. I had to wash the shirts he wore that I wasn't going to donate to charity. I had to wash some of them three times before they were wearable by a non-smoker that didn't want to smell like a dirty, wet ash tray.

Before non-smokers rights to not breathe that garbage were considered, my wife could tell if I went out of town and was in a meeting by the way my clothes smelled when I came home.

Good luck to you and yours.

I have purchased clothing on ebay and it was clear the clothes came from a smoker's home. I simply washed them on heavy cycle, double rinse, and with some homemade laundry soap and white vinegar. They came out smelling nice again!

You can add a cup of white vinegar to the wash. It really does get out smells and does not leave a vinegar smell. My sister is a chimney and I get sick from teh smell of cigarettes. She gave me clothes from my niece and they went straight to the wash with the vinegar. Plus it is CHEAP.

My in-laws smoke and we literally disrobe in the laundry room b/c it's so hard to get the smell out of the couches if we go upstairs!

Wash them on the "heavy dirt" cycle with OxyClean. It will likely do the trick!

vineagar works miracles - but you may have to use more than a cup and you may have to soak it - but it should work. Costco sells vinegar in huge jugs I keep them by my washing machine and use it in every load. nice fresh smelling laundry all the time. ;o)

yikes! I hate cig. smoke! I can remember in college coming home from the bars smelling like smoke and it seemed to always come out after washed. Are we just that much more sensitive now and will still smell it? Good question. How about if you try a strong smelling detergent and fabric softner...I would say Tide with Downy fabric softner...possibly even run each load through the washer twice on the rinse cycle...both times with fabric softner. Good luck! Let us know how you make out!

I got a jacket from a smoker a while ago, and it took me three washes to get the smell out. But it did come out.

You might also try adding a little vinegar to the wash to speed up the process.

Baking soda added to your normal wash should work.

My husband is a smoker and we use the All Free and Clear and the smell is out of his pants and shirts.

If that doesn't work - vinegar should help.

I got some baby clothes from a smoker, I washed them with detergent, baking soda, and fabric softner TWICE and they turned out fine. Smokers sence of smell is damaged and they often don't even realize just how bad the smell is, but it is usually possible to wash it away.

it should wash out but add baking soda to your laundry water.

I ordered a few things on eBay years back and although they were clean and packaged very well...they REEKED! Normal laundering got them fresh the first time.

I agree with the vinegar ... and it also depends on how much big of a smoker they are and how clean they are. My aunt was a pack a day but you NEVER smelled it on her unless she was currently smoking and her house was the same even though she smoked in it. You only knew she smoked in the room she was currently smoking in.