Help me save this dress!

[MaverickSnoopy]

Bought a dress from a seller on eBay and it's arrived and smells very strongly of smoke. Looking back at listing it doesn't say smoke free house. I've never smelt anything like it though and I say that as an ex social smoker.

I've tried washing it and it still smells. Stupidly put it in with other clothes which now also smell of smoke!

What can I do to get the smell out? I need it for tomorrow.

It's currently on another wash having been soaked in stain remover and I've put some napisan in the wash as well as normal powder - it's on a 40.

No time to go to shops today and no fabric softener. Can hang on the line but I'm not confident it will get the smell out doing that alone and then I won't have time to try other methods.

Do you have any fabreeze? If not can you make up a bottle with 1 part fabric softener to 4 parts water, spray it until damp and line dry?

Maybe wash with a little strong scented shampoo/shower gel? Perhaps a hand wash though as you dont want your washing machine foaming!

I think i also read something about bicarb of soda being good for this kinda thing.. have a google :)

When I used to come home from the pub in days of yore I'd hang my coat on the fencepost outside. Fresh air and the damp night mist evaporating off
in the morning seemed to do wonders. If all else fails try that tonight!

I don't have any frebreeze or fabric softener unfortunately.

I've just looked up the bicarb thing (thanks for the tip) and apparently hot water + bicarb + vinegar so will give that a try once the next wash is done. It also says that you might need to clean your washing machine after if it smells of smoke (just what I want to be doing the day before going on holiday and packing for 5 people).

I might just keep repeating all day if needed and then try the overnight thing.

Fingers crossed!

And yes I'll give the shampoo idea (in the sink) a go too.

Thanks so much!

Google spraying vodka on it. I use it on my daughters dance dress as can’t wash it and works ok. You can of course re wash yours once smell has gone!

Hope you get it sorted op. It’s a bit grim really, obvs I know that smoke makes clothes stink but I didn’t know it got so ingrained that it’s still there after a wash

Bicarb and white vinegar are my go to for the majority of my household jobs.
I'd soak the dress in the solution for a couple of hours or overnight if possible, then wash and line dry.

Good luck

Agree that the vinegar and bicarbonate is the best bet, I'd pre soak it and then wash it again with some in the machine.

You can always try some of the scented laundry beads, thought I suspect they're a short time win, maybe good for after the vinegar wash though.

I'm currently trying to get nicotine smell out of an antique cabinet I bought (couldn't smell it at the time as it was outside and I had hayfever) - it's proving impossible (i am clueless) and I'm a bit gutted as its beautiful but no way can be used for clothing as it is- so I feel your pain OP.

Try soaking in bicarb and fairy liquid - really rub the fairy liquid in to it and leave soaking in cool water for a few hours then rewash - no idea if other washing up liquid works though

Second the fairy liquid thing. Someone recommended this to me to get stains out of my baby's clothes and it worked better than vanish!

If I were you I would complain to the seller. It doesn't say smoke free house, but neither does it say 'reeks of smoke'. Who would expect such a smelly garment to be saleable in this day and age?
It's not the 1960s when it was hard to escape from smokers.

Great suggestions here maverick hopefully one will work.

bacon re your cabinet, there are a few options worth trying. You can buy activated charcoal in bags which absorbs the smell over time, or try cloth bags of ground coffee. We did the coffee thing on a very stinky car (dogs!) and it works like the charcoal.

Good luck to you both!

Lay it flat.
Put a fine layer of Catsan cat litter over it.
Leave for several hours.

No I haven't gone mad.

Actually cat litter is also a great suggestion, friday. OP needs to absorb the smell, not disguise it, and cat litter would do this.

It's fixed!

To get to that point it took:

1. normal wash with washing powder
2. spray with stain remover and chucked napisan in wash with washing powder and put on pre wash as well as full cycle
3. soak in bicarb and vinegar and then wash with pre wash and washing powder
4. hang on line

I did consider complaining but tbh I've got so much on my plate atm it would just be an extra thing to do. I do agree though that you wouldn't expect it to be like that even if someone were a smoker. It was so strong the smell was stuck up my nose for most of the day.

Thanks everyone - just had a blind panic on a busy day yesterday. Now manically trying to pack/get baby to nap/keep other children occupied/ignore DH moaning about packing and tiredness....and have a mild hangover after a late night packing and ONE drink!

bacon I know nothing of how to fix your problem. Lots of airing and also those little bags that smell of things might help a bit.