How to Get the Smell of Cigarette Smoke Out of Clothing

If you have ever spent any amount of time in a smoke-filled room you know how the aroma of cigarette smoke clings to hair and clothing. Even after just five minutes in a bar, a bowling alley, or in a home filled will cigarette smoke, everything including clothes smells like smoke. Sometimes the clothing can be washed and it still smells like cigarette smoke, especially if the clothing was worn by a smoker or worn in a smoke-filled room on a number of occasions. It is possible to get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke in clothing without getting rid of the clothes.

Wash and Dry it First

Machine washable clothing should be washed according to product label instructions before using deodorizing methods. Cigarette smoke clings to clothing and shrouds it in fine particles that harbor the odor, and washing is the first step in getting rid of the smell. Even if the clothing cannot be washed, try the following easy methods. Chances are the odor will disappear or at least become considerably less noticeable. Add one cup of baking soda to the wash cycle to help sweeten the fabric and get rid of the odor, and after drying according to label directions, proceed to one or more of the following steps.

Ground Coffee

Believe it or not, fresh ground coffee is a fantastic odor absorber, and it is used in many different ways to get rid of bad odors. Hang the washed and dried article of clothing on a hanger, and after making a small hole in bottom of the bag, place it over the hanger. Tape the bottom of the bag except for approximately six inches near the corner. Set a container of ground coffee in the other corner of the bag, and seal it shut with tape. Allow the garment to remain undisturbed for at least 24 hours. Carefully open the bag at the bottom and remove the container of ground coffee. Chances are the smell of cigarette smoke will not longer be detectable, and the lingering odor of ground coffee will quickly fade away.

Charcoal

If you do not have ground coffee on hand, use charcoal briquettes to get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke. Hang the article of clothing as instructed above, and place a bowl of charcoal briquettes in the bag. Seal the bag, and allow the briquettes to absorb the smell for at least 24 hours. After opening the bag and removing the charcoal the clothes should smell fresh and clean with no trace of the smell of cigarette smoke.