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Beth asked: How do I remove cigarette smell from a massage table that I bought second hand? The smoke seems embedded under the vinyl covering, and perhaps in the foam (I can’t remove the vinyl covering). Any tips?
Removing cigarette and smoke smells can be a chore, especially when they seem to be completely absorbed into the furniture. Try these steps to eliminate the odor and freshen up your vinyl furniture.
You Will Need:
- White vinegar
- Small bowls
- Washing soda (found in the laundry aisle)
- Ammonia
- Baking soda
- Vacuum
- Soft cloths
Steps to Remove the Odor:
*Removing cigarette odors can be tough, so we’ll offer several different options. Try one or try them all until the smell is gone. If applying cleaning products to the surface of the piece, always test a small area first to ensure there are no damaging effects to the vinyl or coloring.
- Start with the easiest remedy – allowing vinegar to pull the odor out of the piece.
- Place a couple of small bowls all around the furniture piece. Close the door and allow it to set for several days (the smaller the room the better).
- After it has had a chance to remove the odor, air out the room completely.
- If the odor remains, sprinkle the entire piece down with baking soda and allow it to set for several hours.
- Vacuum the piece to remove.
- It is also helpful to clean the surface of the piece to remove any smoke residue.
- Mix together ¼ cup white vinegar, ¼ cup washing soda, ½ cup ammonia and one gallon of hot water.
- Use the mixture to gently wipe down the entire piece with a soft cloth. Be sure to test a small area first as this may affect the color of the vinyl.
- Rinse with clean water and allow it to dry completely.
Additional Tips and Ideas
- If the smoke smell is too embedded into the piece to remove, consider getting it reupholstered.
- A good airing-out can do wonders to remove smoke smell. Consider setting the piece out in fresh air for a couple of days to see if it improves.
- Odo-ban is a commercial odor remover that some have found effective in removing strong odors from furniture pieces.
Let me guess- you’re not a chemist. And… you don’t understand what happens when you mix the chemicals in this recipe. Nor what the products are. Too bad, because if you did you’d seen how ridiculous this advice is. I might guess you’re all freaked out about “chemicals,” and this soup seems less scary than a product designed to help with odors. But given the recipe, it’s hard to imagine what “chemical” means to you. At any rate, you can’t just fly by karma or whatever you’re doing- to concoct recipes for mixing household chemicals. I’d get some advice.
Hi Stan,
A pH neutral cleaner recipe can actually be very effective. Many commercial products are being sold now that advertise as being pH neutral as well. This is ideal because it causes the least amount of potential damage to a surface, yet still can get the desired results. I’d prefer to use a cleaner that I can make with products I already have available at my home, however, if you would prefer to use a store-bought product, you can try the one listed in the Additional Tips section: OdoBan. Good luck!
Hi,
I found a really nice executive leather-like rolling chair on Craigslist. The owner sold it to me for $5. I gave myself a mental high five as I drove away with the incredible find. I stopped for a quick errand and when I got back in the car, I looked around to see who had joined me in the car because it smelled like someone was smoking. Yuck! I had failed to ask if the owner was a smoker. Determined to save my $5 beautiful chair, I hit Google for tips. I came across this page and I tried the suggestions. The smoke persisted! So did I. I remembered that I had sprayed some of my favorite orange air spray on another secondhand find (hey! I’m thrifty) and it worked like a dream. So I headed to Trader Joe’s to pick up a new bottle of Mia Rose’s Air Therapy. I sprayed the chair down and checked back about 15 min later, and all I could smell was sweet oranges 🙂
I’ve only ever tried the air therapy spay, but I can’t wait to try out the cleaning product and some of the other sprays.
Hope this helps!
A tablespoon of vanilla extract mixed with a cup of water then poured into a sprayer works awesome. I dare anyone to try it! You not be disappointed. Works on doggie odors and fish too! We should bottle this and sell it.