Sitting around the campfire making s’mores makes the perfect camping experience until you realize the smoke gets attached to your clothes. Smoke getting into your clothes is not a reason to dump out the clothes. There are proven ways that can be used to remove the smoke from your clothes. Some of these are simple methods, while some need a little extra hack to have fresh clothes. Below are some simple methods on how to get campfire smoke out of clothes.
1.Leave To Air Dry Before Washing
After leaving the campfire, remove the clothes and hang them on a line. You can leave them up to a day and allow them to air dry before washing. It helps remove any smoke particles clinging to the clothing. Depending on the extremity of the smoke, let it air dry for a few more days.
2.Put The Clothes In A Washing Machine
The quickest and the most common method to get the smoke out is by washing the clothing piece. To begin with, separate the clothes into washable and non-washables. Non-washable clothes won’t go in the washing machine and will need to be dry cleaned. Place the washables inside the machine and add one cup of baking soda and vinegar to the clothing.
Have your regular machine-washing routine with your normal detergents, and according to the washing instructions, give it a second wash. Wash multiple times until you are satisfied with the smell of the clothing.
3.Add Scent Boosters
Scent boosters used during laundry helps get rid of smoke faster when washing clothes on a washing machine. Laundry boosters can either be homemade or store-bought. Commercially available boosters are locally available in local stores, and you can add them to the machine to aid the cleaning process. It is cheaper to have it made from home if you are trying to save some coins. At home, laundry boosters can be made from essential oils combined with salt and sugar. Go for whichever efficiently work in removing the smoke out of the clothes.
4.Vinegar
Vinegar is another alternative to baking soda. You need to soak the piece of clothing in a vinegar solution. Combine one cup of vinegar with warm water in a bathtub. If you want the cloth to smell fresh and with a pleasing scent after that, add your favorite essential oils into the mixture. Put the cloth inside the bathtub and soak it on the solution for some time. After soaking, you can wash it following the washing instructions of the cloth. Adding lavender will leave the cloth smelling fresh and odor-free.
5.Lemon Juice
This method needs you to have fresh lemons in the kitchen. Cut the lemons into half and squeeze the juice out of them. When you have extracted enough juice from the lemons, about a half cup, add it to the first washing cycle. You need to add it to the fabric that is getting washed. The acidity in the lemon helps remove the smoke and odor from the fabric.
6.Alcohol
Alcohol is not just for parties and home drinking weekends. Vodka is an ingredient that works in removing foul smell from clothes. If you have one at home, you can use it instead of purchasing, especially if you are not an alcoholic. Before washing the cloth, add a half cup of vodka into the washing machine. Wash the cloth as you regularly do with the machine. The next time you go camping and have some liquor in the house, save some for emergencies like odor that needs to be removed.
7.Non-Washables
Non-washables cannot go inside the machine or hand-washed. Some of these include jackets. When smoke clings to them, it leaves them with a smoky smell making it unpleasant to continue wearing until it’s all cleaned. You will need to use other methods to have it cleaned without washing. Spread the fabric on a flat surface outside.
8.Baking Soda
Put baking soda on the cloth by sprinkling it on the cloth. Baking soda is a well known and traditional method that is effective in removing odor from anything. Let the baking soda stay on the cloth overnight or for at least 24 hours to remove the smell of the smoke. If sprinkling baking soda on a garment looks like tiresome work, have a zip locking bag large enough to accommodate the whole piece of cloth.
Place the cloth affected with the smoke inside the zip lock bag and add a cup of baking soda inside. Lock the bag tightly and shake it for a few minutes to allow even distribution of the baking soda to the clothing. Let it stay overnight or at least for 24 hours before opening the bag. When you remove the cloth from the bag, please give it a fair shake in the air to remove the baking soda from it. Leaving it overnight makes the baking soda do its work of removing the odor.
9.Steam
Not all clothes can be steamed. It is best if you check the manufactures instructions when it comes to cleaning a specific garment. If it is safe for steaming, use an ironing steamer to help eliminate the smoke smell. Most irons have the steaming option; when you fill it with water, you will be able to keep the cloth smelling good.
10.Commercial Smoke Odor Removers
The market is full of commercial smoke odor removers that are affordable. Smoke removers work by neutralizing the odor, leaving you with a fresh-smelling garment. Some of these you can directly spray on the clothing, and voila, it’s done.
Campfire smoke shouldn’t be the reason you end your trip or throw away your piece of clothing. Standing next to the campfire or generally being around it will make your clothes catch the smoke. It is not the pleasant smell you want to have around as it will leave the clothes smelling bad. We hope this article gives you the necessary hacks to get rid of the disgusting smoke odor whenever your clothes catch smoke.
