I'm fixing to move out of my parent's home soon, a home where smoking indoors is a thing. I've always had to deal with my stuff reeking of cigarette smoke, despite never smoking. The last thing I want is to get into me new place and still have to deal with the smell. Any suggestions of anything I can do to my clothes/what furniture I already own to suck the smell out of them? Thanks for any and all advice! Absolutely adore your blog!
Hey there! Sorry it took me so long to respond. In this situation, plain old white wine vinegar is going to be your cure-all for that smoke smell.
For the clothing: This Wikihow article works like magic! Essentially you’re soaking your clothes in a watery vinegar mixture, and then running them through a wash cycle with your preferred detergent.
I would avoid cleaning anything delicate this way- only wash the clothes you would normally wash in a commercial washing machine. Take your expensive items to a dry cleaners to be properly cleaned, usually around $25.
For the furniture: Combine two cups of vinegar with ½ gallon of water, and use a sponge to rub this solution on your furniture. It’s always best to test each item before going to town- dab a small amount of the solution on a part of the furniture normally obscured from view. For example- under couch cushions, on the backside of a lamp, etc.
Unfortunately leather is impossible to clean properly, and this solution will create stains. You need to specifically buy leather wipes.
Despite all these precautions, you may still smell a little residual smoke. I love walking into a good smelling apartment regardless, and here are some inexpensive ways to make that magic happen:
1. Scented beads. There is absolutely nothing not to love about these. They look so cool, smell so good, and are super inexpensive. Every Stop & Shop-like supermarket carries them in the cleaning isle.
2. Potpourri. My boyfriend’s favorite thing in the world. Essentially dried flowers, fake fruit, and weird twine things. Pier One sells large packs of this stuff for $35, but you can buy something just as worthwhile on Amazon. This has great visual appeal, but doesn’t last as long as some of my other scent suggestions.
3. Incense. Remember back in high school when we all used to have a fascination with this stuff? I can’t use it anymore because my cat Mason jumps up on the counter and tries to eat it.
4. Febreze. This is something I recommend you own in your new apartment regardless of what you’ve got going on. There will be a time when somebody comes over unexpectedly and your apartment smells like rotted fish, and you need a quick fix. Febreze has got your back! Store cans up to three months- while they still smell good, they lose a lot of their potency.
5. Glade Air Freshener. I absolutely love these. I keep my cat’s litter box in the closet, and I like to leave one of these on a shelf in there to constantly permeate the area with amazing scents.
I hope this helps!
