My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Housekeeping

Getting rid of smoke smells from wooden furniture??

11 replies

PathOfLeastResitance · 24/06/2016 07:31

I have bought a lovely little wooden chair from a boot fair that I planned to replace the seat on. Now it has been sitting waiting for its transformation in my house, it has become very clear that this chair was in a smokers house. The smell has permeated through two levels of house and now it has been relegated to the garage with the window open to air it and the house is slowly returning to its previous (our!) smell.
I really like this chair and would love to let it live inside again but I can't get rid of the stench. I've tried vinegar and water and good old elbow grease with washing up liquid and also lemon juice. Now it smells like a smoky-vinegary piece of furniture. The seat will be replaced so that part will be all fresh.
Has anyone successfully removed smoke smells from varnished furniture? I'm thinking of painting it but worried that the smell will permeate through that too.

OP posts:
Report
mon73g1 · 24/06/2016 07:48

I don't think painting it will remove the smell. Check out this site, might help you. :-)

Report
PathOfLeastResitance · 24/06/2016 09:52

Thank you for that. I'd seen that site and tried the ideas but this smell is very persistent. Dread to think what the house that it came from must smell like. I could smell it on my skin and clothes just from carrying it around.

OP posts:
Report
wowfudge · 24/06/2016 12:11

Try cleaning it with sugar soap and leaving it outside in the sun (weather permitting).

Report
PathOfLeastResitance · 24/06/2016 13:31

Oooo. Hadn't thought of sugar soap. I'll dive into the shed of chaos and try to track that down. The first glint of sunshine this morning and that little chair was out in the sunshine! If that doesn't work I may have to sand it back a bit to see/smell how far down the rankness goes. My husband says I should just throw it away but I feel sorry for it now and my stubbornness means I don't want to be beaten!

OP posts:
Report
user1464934899 · 25/06/2016 18:37

Hey,

I would try an odor remover like this one It works with upholstery so it should do the trick.

Report
PathOfLeastResitance · 25/06/2016 20:06

Thanks! Looks like it's full of chemicals and should do the job.

OP posts:
Report
Thisismyfirsttime · 25/06/2016 20:44

Is there fabric on the chair? If so have you removed it already?
If the smell's in the wood I'd try Zoflora Clean Linen mixed up quite strong in a bucket or spray bottle wiped over with a sponge rinsed under running water. Really saturate it then let it dry in the sun.
When we moved into a heavy smoker's old flat Zoflora really worked well along with lots of airing.

Report
PathOfLeastResitance · 26/06/2016 09:09

I've taken off the material (that was really gross!) and it's been sat in the sunshine for a couple of days. I will try zoflora - is that something I can easily get in a supermarket?

OP posts:
Report
wowfudge · 26/06/2016 09:57

Yes - usually bottom shelf on cleaning products aisle with the disinfectants. The only thing about Zoflora is that sometimes the strong smell you don't want mixed with the smell of Zoflora can be utterly disgusting too!

Report
RosieThorn · 26/06/2016 11:02

I used baking soda to remove the smoke smell from an old chest of drawers. Just dusted it all over, left it a day and then hoovered it all off. It did help but then the varnish had been stripped ready for repainting so don't know how much that had to do with it.

Report
PathOfLeastResitance · 26/06/2016 23:00

Thanks RosieThorn. I'll give that a whirl tomorrow as I've sandpapered it down now.
Zoflora and smoke is bound to be better than vinegar and smoke smell!

OP posts:
Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.