Whole bundle of smelly, smoky baby clothes from Vinted ☹️

[CaptainCabinets]

I ordered a bundle of BNWT baby clothes from Vinted and they’ve arrived absolutely reeking of cigarette smoke 😩 so many lovely little clothes and they smell bloody awful. Nothing in the seller’s reviews to suggest that they’ve been selling smoky clothes, so no warning. I normally only buy stuff from sellers who explicitly state that they have a ‘smoke free home’ but this is the one time I didn’t bloody check, and I would hardly expect someone with a tiny baby to be smoking indoors anyway!

Two questions, really (one of them is an AIBU!)

1. AIBU to give negative (but honest) feedback or suck it up because I didn’t check if the seller was smoke-free?

2. Should I attempt to get the smell out so the clothes can actually be worn, or just bin them? Is it safe for my baby to wear them even after washing them or do the chemicals from the smoke linger in the clothes? They were inexpensive so I don’t mind binning them if need be, but it seems such a waste to throw them away as they are all unworn with tags, they just stink! If I keep them, how can I get rid of the smell and the chemicals?

Please be gentle with me, I’m having a bit of a tough time with PPA and have been making a lot of mountains out of molehills lately 😬

They will be fine. Wash them and hang to dry outside, then see how they smell and how you feel.

Just stick it in the wash with a generous dose of fabric softener and everything will be absolutely fine.

I think it would be extremely unreasonable to leave negative feedback without contacting the seller first to point out that the clothes smell of smoke and to see how they react. If they refuse to accept a return, then leave appropriate feedback, but it's very unfair if you don't give the seller the chance to put things right.

I've no idea how they were packed, but If the clothes came in a grey mailing bag, they are notorious for having a smokey smell which gets into fabric if they're used for clothes, so do bear that in mind if that's what was used.

If you like the clothes give them a couple of washes and line dry on a nice breezy day, they will be absolutely fine.
I would definitely leave a negative review to the seller though as that's really not on. Baby clothes especially!

Also makes me feel sad for the poor child who is clearly being exposed to a lot of second hand smoke 😞

^ I agree with this.

Contact the seller and see if you can negotiate a return...

I'm non smoker - you can smell cigarettes on clothes even if they are washed millions of times. I would return them.

I'm sure they would be fine, but no, I couldn't bring myself to put baby in them, and it's ok if you decide that.
I would leave honest feedback, smoke free home is the norm with babies, seller should specify if it isn't. And as another potential buyer, I would want to know. The next one might not be able to afford to bin the clothes.

I'd leave a negative review, wash the clothes a few times with white vinegar, and stick them in a bag with a lot of bicarbonate of soda.

I would hang them outside for a few days to air before washing them.

I would have thought they'd be okay if you wash them?

How about washing them then if the smell is gone but you can't bear to use them yourself, popping them in a clothes bank or charity shop? At least they wouldn't go in the bin but you'd not have the worry of whether to use them.

Just wash them, I would go 30/40 degrees though rather than cold. Air dry outside if you can too. The smell will come out.

I once got something off eBay that absolutely honked of smoke. Never smelt anything like it and I was a smoker at the time. That needed a few days outside on the line to air the smell out of it. Some people must just never open their windows.

In that case I'd wash and donate somewhere- they will be fine after a good wash or two. Please don't bin, that would be a waste, there will be people who would really need them. But I would also leave a negative review.

I left neutral 3-star feedback with an honest description of the clothes, explaining that they were visibly in good condition (true) but that they smelt of smoke (true) and accepting some responsibility in that I hadn’t checked to make sure the seller was smoke-free. The seller replied to my feedback within minutes admitting that it wasn’t a smoke-free home, she was quite gracious about it. I’m not going to raise a complaint as the clothes were technically as described. I will soak them in white vinegar and wash them and see how I feel afterwards.

To the poster that asked, I am getting support with the PPA, thank you for asking it’s not been fun, I’ve been off anxiety meds for a while but have accepted that I may need to go back on them for a bit until my head isn’t so all over the place!

Send them back for a refund stating they're damaged. This is what I do when anything from Vinted arrives smelling of smoke/perfume/Febreze. The seller always accepts the return without question because they know the items stink.

I'm sure washing them once would be just fine.

Very annoying though. Definitely mark as smoky on your review.

Ohh, poor baby in that smoky environment 😩

I wouldn't use them... I think the chemicals can remain in the fabric even if the smell goes away

A good soak in distilled vinegar the white vinegar not the stuff you put on your chips. Put some in the rince drawer in your washing machine as well. It's great for getting rid of smells and won't irritate baby's skin. And no the clothes won't smell of vinegar. There's a Stardrops vinegar laundry spray you can get as well. Brilliant for sweat smells.

The isn't the point but I do put distilled vinegar on my chips. 😀

Yes to the negative review and to washing the clothes thoroughly.
At least the items are machine washable, which is good! I once got a brand new pair of sheepskin UGG slippers that were stinking of smoke. And like you, there was nothing in previous reviews to suggest that the seller was a smoker!

Send them back for a refund with the seller paying tracked postage. If they say no then leave a review.

I was going to say this. I had this once, asp l with baby clothes. I complained and they told me they don’t smoke - I later realised it was the bag the clothes were wrapped in. It’s happened a few times since.

it really really really stunk, I was convinced it was cigarette smoke

Presumably you’d wash 2nd hand baby clothes first anyway?! Just stick them in the washing machine. You’ll soon be having to get the smell of poo & sick out of them - so don’t sweat it.

I wouldn’t be washing all that filth. I’m surprised so many people are advising this. My dc are adult - but there is no way I would have put them in these clothes. Even if you can wash most of the detectable smell out, there will be lingering chemicals from the smoke.

Can you say they smell of smoke and are therefore unsuitable for your baby and get a refund?