How to Remove Cigarette Smoke from a Punching Bag

Table of Contents:

You Will Need
Steps to Remove the Stains
Additional Tips

Jerrie said, “I have an 80 lb Everlast punching bag. It is a canvas material on the outside and I’m guessing rags is used for the filling. It is heavily stained with nicotine and smells. How do I clean this bag? I don’t want to hose it down or anything because I’m afraid the rags will become mildew and moldy and I will have a worst problem. Can u give me some cleaning advice?”

Cigarette smoke can easily accumulate on almost any surface, leaving an oily residue and a distinct odor. Luckily, it (and its odor) can also be easily removed from most surfaces. Follow the steps below to clean the smoke residue off your punching bag.

You Will Need:

Baking soda
Enzyme digester
Upholstery foam or white shaving foam
A spray bottle
White vinegar
Water
A bowl

Steps to Remove the Stains:

If the punching bag can be laid on the ground, do so.
Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda over the bag. Baking soda is a natural deodorizer and it can also absorb the oily tobacco stains.
Leave the baking soda on the bag for several hours or overnight, then vacuum it up.
If the stains or odor remain, repeat the process as many times as needed for them to be removed. Once that area of the bag is clean, flip the bag over and repeat the process on the other side.
If the bag cannot be laid on the ground or if the baking soda does not work as well as needed, you can try using enzyme digester. Get an enzyme digester that specifically works on stains and odor, such as Kids ‘N’ Pets or Nature’s Miracle. These can be found on the pet aisle of most grocery stores.
Use the enzyme digester according to the instructions on the label of your selected product. Work from the top of the bag downward so that any stains that become loosened by the spray don’t drip downward to an area you already cleaned.
If any stain remains, try using a foaming upholstery or carpet cleaner. Be sure to test it on a small hidden area first to look for any adverse reaction. White foam shaving cream can be used instead if you don’t have any foaming upholstery cleaner.
If any odor remains, you can spray the bag with a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water. You only need to mist the surface of the bag, not soak it. However, you can also wet a cloth with the vinegar solution and blot the surface of the bag, which may help to remove the stains as well as the odor.
Another option for odor removal is to set a bowl of undiluted white vinegar near the bag overnight.

Additional Tips

Taking the punching bag outside to air out for a day can also help to remove smoke odors.
If none of the above tips have removed the odor, you may need to treat or replace the filler in the bag.