Removing smoke odor from things you’ve bought or want to sell
July 20th, 2007 | by mbhunter |If you’re not a smoker, then you probably can detect even very low levels of cigarette smoke pretty quickly. It can be pretty nasty. I grew up with family members that smoked, and when I talked with one woman on my paper route who had quit smoking because of her emphysema, she knew immediately that I lived with a smoker.
Many non-smoking sellers on eBay state in their auctions that their items come from a smoke-free home. It’s quite common, and buyers doing their due diligence will ask, or not buy from, sellers that do not specify that their items come from a smoke-free home. Regardless, opening a box that you’ve been waiting for in the mail and getting a nose-full of stale cigarette odor is not pleasant.
I don’t smoke, and neither does my wife. (My 2 1/2 year old doesn’t either.) Once in a while, as I’m picking up a bargain or buying someone out at a yard sale, I miss the smoke odor, or forget to check for it. So I’m stuck with a decent deal, but one that really should be de-stinkified before trying to re-sell it.
Fortunately, I’m not the first one to run across this problem. This eBay guide is written for people who have bought items with unpleasant smoke odors in them. It covers many common items, like clothes, books, rugs, leather, small appliances, plastics, and wood. Febreze®, activated charcoal, vinegar, baking soda, soap, and kitty litter can be used on various surfaces to different effects. Additionally, there are good ideas on how to get rid of smoky odor at GetRidOfThings.com.
Some things to remember:
- Don’t panic. There’s a very good chance that the item can be made acceptably smoke-free by some method.
- Research how to clean your particular item correctly. One method that cleans one type of item successfully will rin another item. Check out the guides above, or search “remove smoke order from item” to get a number of opinions on how to do it correctly.
- Test an inconspicuous area. This is always a wise step to take. Treat the underside of a table to see if your treatment bleaches the wood. Or test a small part of a garment before soaking it.
- Repeat if necessary. Cigarette smoke is really nasty. One cleaning will likely reduce, but not eliminate, the odor, so expect to try again.
- If you’ve tried several times and the item still smells smoky, just airing the item out or keeping it in a smoke-free environment will gradually reduce the odor. Fresh air is kind to items and not kind to smoke odor.
2 Responses to “Removing smoke odor from things you’ve bought or want to sell”
By Matt on Jul 20, 2007 | Reply
That smell is even worse than the smoking itself (from a smokers perspective) because you notice it in the least opportune times. When you’re in the middle of trying to quit or have guests over who don’t smoke you become incredibly self conscious about the smell on clothes and bags [even if you don't smoke at home]
By Charlotte Poe on Aug 7, 2008 | Reply
I just bought a 10 count box of copy paper at an out door yard sale, when I got It home I realized it all smells like smoke, now how would I get rid of that??? The whole box of 10 reams was only $5, how could I pass that up??? Well, I do not know if I have reached a place where I might be e-mailed about this, and may not find my way back here. I do hope I hear from some one, and this might not be the right place. If not thanks for listening. Charlotte