Neutralizing cigarette smoke

[sodamo]

The thread title is my goal.

My Dad was a lifelong heavy smoker, it's contributing factor noted on his death certificate.

Anyway, after his passing we were fortunate in that we inherited a number of items, nick-nacks, etc that we'd like to display in our home in honor of my parents. These items have been packed away for 7 years. Today we unpacked some and unfortunately, they reek as much as the day my wife packed them.

So the question is how to lose that stench, without harming the items, which range from various metal figures, to painted ceramics, to wooden, even the woolen afghan my Mom hand crocheted before I was born.

We do know they will NOT just air out placing in the breeze, outside, even in sunlight - tried that with other items already.

So anyone with experience, suggestions? We'd appreciate it.
Thanks

 

[tulenutn2o]

The thread title is my goal.

My Dad was a lifelong heavy smoker, it's contributing factor noted on his death certificate.

Anyway, after his passing we were fortunate in that we inherited a number of items, nick-nacks, etc that we'd like to display in our home in honor of my parents. These items have been packed away for 7 years. Today we unpacked some and unfortunately, they reek as much as the day my wife packed them.

So the question is how to lose that stench, without harming the items, which range from various metal figures, to painted ceramics, to wooden, even the woolen afghan my Mom hand crocheted before I was born.

We do know they will NOT just air out placing in the breeze, outside, even in sunlight - tried that with other items already.

So anyone with experience, suggestions? We'd appreciate it.
Thanks

Nick naks can be sprayed 409 or put in dishwasher. Or in tub with dishwasher detergent. Tsp works well too.(tri-sodium phosphate- will irritate skin though). You have to cut through all the tar and nicotine. Been there many times, nothin real easy.

 

[ustmd]

For the fabric items or iems that can't be washed, you need to get them treated in an ozone chamber.

Given the age and exposure, you may need to do several treatments.

You can look in the yellow pages for fire or smoke recovery. You may also be able to rent an ozone machine, put everything in a closed off room (or car) and leave for several days.

 

[sparrowhawk]

get some Primos scent blocker with silver. it will do a pretty good job neutralizing the smell.

 

[jeffreythree]

+1 on the ozone. We used one all the time on smokers' trade ins and such at a car dealer.

 

[Egon]

Chances are the items will have a tar type build up on them that retains the smelly ingredients.

Remove that tar and all should be good.

How to remove it without damaging things is another matter?

 

[sodamo]

Thanks, good suggestions.
Looked online for ozone generator, a bit too expensive, but sounds like the best solution for some things, like my Mom's bible. We'll be gently hand washing some things.

 

[Dargo]

My company used to be a distributor for a chlorine gas generating packet (place a packet with crystals of one chemical in one side and a different chemical on the other side) that when placed in a 1/4 cup of water would literally destroy and eliminate the odor without harming anything. I can tell you for a fact that I loved car dealerships that had spent thousands and thousands of dollars on those worthless so called ozone generators only to find out that they did not work. The smell always came back on the first damp day.

Unfortunately, just as things were getting really nice, the owner of the company (a chemist who invented and patented this product) sold out for tens of millions and the "not to be named" company who bought the patent eliminated all existing distributors immediately. I honestly don't know which chemical company bought the patent, but they would have to be really big, have deep pockets, and have existing production facilities to take over production of this product. Everything on the internet about the product has been removed as well.

Since some company bought this product for a considerable amount of money, I would assume we will see it in some retail fashion in the near future. Cars, furniture, clothes, books etc. that were treated with this product had a slight smell like a municipal swimming pool for a couple of days and then there was no odor that ever returned. Of course, if someone started smoking in their car again it would again start to stink again (yeah, you know why I know that - some people never cease to amaze me).

Other than that product, there is nothing I am aware of that actually works. My company has listened to the sales pitch and had dozens of "works just like it" presented to us, but none are even remotely close. This product actually killed and eliminated the actual source of the odor and then literally evaporated. As I said, based on what they spent on the patent, I expect to see it relatively soon. Good luck and be careful about wasting your money on products that will NOT work and some will actually permanently damage what you have.

 

[sodamo]

Thanks Dargo, that was interesting.

 

[Skyco]

Be careful with ozone- it will damage rubber and some plastics.
Read an interesting article years ago where an electronics repair shop was puzzled as to why one customer kept bringing her VCR in with crumbled bad drive belts. Finally turned out she was running some air cleaner that emitted ozone (part of the claimed "air cleaning") and it was attacking the belts!

 

[MarkV]

Have you talked to a company like Servpro that specializes in clean ups from fires and floods? They are generally used in buildings but may well have advice for your items.

MarkV

 

[RogerMc]

As Skyco says beware of the ozone machines. My sons father in law was selling them a few years ago and I bought one for my office, smoked then. It worked but would destroy rubber. I am in the construction business and had drawings in my office with rubber bands around them. I would come in and the rubber band would be laying in the floor. I though we had just gotten a bad batch then the cd drives in the computer started going out. Needless to say I don't have one any more. Short term use they may work fine but I left mine running 24/7 and that was not a good idea.

Roger

 

[AchingBack]

For the fabric items or iems that can't be washed, you need to get them treated in an ozone chamber.

Given the age and exposure, you may need to do several treatments.

You can look in the yellow pages for fire or smoke recovery. You may also be able to rent an ozone machine, put everything in a closed off room (or car) and leave for several days.

Absolutely works! Years ago I bought a box of Audobon Society field guides. They had come from an estate, and reeked of cig. smoke.

Since I used to sell ozone/negative ion generators, I had one in the living room. Books take longer to treat, as air does not easily circulate between pages. However, ozone will eventually kill all of the gases containing the odor. It worked for me.

 

[MarkV]

Absolutely works! Years ago I bought a box of Audobon Society field guides. They had come from an estate, and reeked of cig. smoke.

Since I used to sell ozone/negative ion generators, I had one in the living room. Books take longer to treat, as air does not easily circulate between pages. However, ozone will eventually kill all of the gases containing the odor. It worked for me.

Did you ever have problems with rubber items?

MarkV

 

[johnrex62]

I moved into a house in North Carolina that had been lived in by a family of avid smokers for over 40 years. I had to wash the walls and ceilings and other hard surfaces with TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) a couple times and I sprayed the carpets with Odo-Ban several times.

I have also had experience with a chest of drawers that were heavily impregnated with cigarette odor that was completely removed with multiple dosings of Odo-Ban. I saturated the drawers and inside and outside of the chest each day for a week to get that odor free.

I can tell you that this works, but it takes several treatments. If the items can be left in sunshine for several days it will speed the results for some reason. I am not sure why, but the drawers that sat in sunlight longer were neutralized faster than those that sat in the shade while I aired them out.

 

[Dargo]

Absolutely works!

Really?! If it did work every car dealership in the country would use such a machine in all the cars they bring in that stink of smoke. The fact is that they don't because it doesn't work; period. Any odor that goes away after being "treated" with an ozone machine would have gone away on it's own. There again, I'm 100% convinced the little magnets and electric wraps that are sold to put on your incoming water line to your home are also snake oil. Based on decades of experience, I place "ozone machines" in the same category when it comes to removing odors. I guess it all depends on if you "believe" the sales pitch and "believe" it works. Sort of like The Emperor Has No Clothes.

 

[AchingBack]

Ozone kills odors, period! Sure, most odors will eventually go away with time. However, the car dealer, car rental agency, motel and hotel owners; can't afford to wait. And I don't care if you call it snake oil. My customers liked the results.

Ozone, like any other agent, can, and will destroy - if it is applied at excessive amounts.
You wouldn't put more salt on your food than needed, nor would you overdose your lawn with fertilizer, and burn it. But some people do just that. Read the labels.

 

[sodamo]

Thanks for all the advice. Had some limited success. Washed some items and hung out to dry in the sun and wind. Cleaned some with Simple Green and a soft brush. Other items just been sitting out in the air. Mom's bible seems reluctant to "freshen" up on it's own, was thinking maybe if I stuck it in a plastic bag with baking soda or something.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

I have some rentals, I stipulate no smoking but once in a great while, well you know.

The janitorial supply store has some great stuff in there. You can spray it all around and wash stuff down also and it really takes the smell out of the carpets. Haven't had that problem in a long time but that's what I used.

 

[heehaw]

check ebay for a ozone generator: i bought one for about a forth the retail price several years ago: it was new, an i believe it was made by the same co as the ones that i see advertised for many times as much.
heehaw