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We're staying at my Brother's place for a bit, and part of the deal was that I clean it for him...

Most stuff only needs hot water, elbow grease and a bit of washing up liquid... but the stink of the smoke on some stuff is just awful.

The pillows in the bed are the worst.... they are feather and reek to the high heavens (I speak as a loooooooong time non-smoker) I have been getting a headache every night getting to sleep.

So, any ideas of...

how to clean (specifically feather) pillows?

a deodorising spray maybe for the rugs, curtains, etc...

any other tips?




I have books about this stuff, but needless to say they are packed away somewhere or other....

Ewww yuk!

Not sure about pillows - can you hang them outside on a blustery day for a few days? Perhaps you could do this wiith the rugs too?

As for cleaning, when I moved into a house where there had previously been a smoker, I found sugar soap did the trick... you can't use it on very delicate surfaces, but fine on normal paintwork and celings.

Good luck.

Hanging them outside would be great if it wasn't for the rain and that they are the only pillows..... maybe I should buy him a spare set.... as a gift...lol

thanks for the sugar soap plan.... I have used that before to remove the yellow on walls from cigarette smoke, I never thought it would do the smell too.

I have sprinkled bicarb on the rug and filled a (clean) ashtray with vinegar..... hoping that will absorb some of the smells in the livingroom at least.

There are those candle you can get specifically for getting rid of the tobacco odour in the air... but that won't help linen and things which would need washing.

Have to agree with Bonniethomas sugar soap is the best for walls, paintwork ect.

For the pillows how about using a cold wool wash, obviously they would take a while to dry so might have to wait until the weather is better or if you have an airing cupboard. Also I just picked up a load of clothes from a friend which stunk of smoke. I washed them with my usual washing concoction which is grated soap and soada crystals and then put a good glug of white vinegar in the fabric softener section of the washing machine.

The vinegar has about 25-30 drops of white thyme essential oil added to it, the smell is a strong one which is why I added it and remains on the clothes. It is nice but not over powering once they are dry.

if you can't wash the pillows, then only a few days airing in a good crisp wind will really help.

Thanks....

Thyme essential oil sounds nice.... I have some citrus EOs and lavender EO with me but thyme might be a bit more acceptable in a bachelor pad than lavender. I have got rid of the smell from the kitchen, hall and bathroom.... but I guess the bedroom has the most soft furnishings of anywhere so that explains the excessive pong.

Keep the windows open, and mask the smell for a while with oil burners etc. Lavender I like, as it is calming.

Give it a week and you won't notice the smell, and it would have got better.

Oh you could "wash it"

Wash it?

" wash it with Fabreeze"

I know it's not very green but Neutradol worked really well on my first car which reeked of smoke (it was my Gran's car and my Uncle used to use it and smoke with the window pretty much totally closed, eugh).

can you not use your own pillows? presumably you had some before? if not i would buy some.. not hugely expensive and worth it for a good night's sleep

Vinegar is a great was to get rid of smoke smell. Leave a wee pot of it in a room. You could try spraying your pillows with white vinegar - febr**ze style and then hanging them out to air.

Make up an anti bacterial air freshener from EOs, Vodka and water. I made one for Nik when she went to Uni. I can't remember all the ingredients offhand, but i know that there was Thyme and some spices and citrussy stuff in it. It eliminated cooking smells and damp smells. It also works well on smoke smells. Use half a (spray) bottle of vodka, then put in the EOs and then top up with water and spray with happy abandon!

I here that citrus works quite well in getting rid of all strange smells. Vinegar too. I love the smell of lavender and I once met an old lady that would pick it from her garden, dry it and then burn it in the fireplace. Makes the house smell lovely.

Talking about using EOs to fragrance your washing; how do you avoid getting oil stains on your clothes? No doubt I did something wrong because this is what happened to me
I stopped using my beloved soapnuts since I got fed up with the laundry not smelling 'fresh' but old like it's been in a cupboard for ages instead.

Keaniebean: What ratio of soap to soda crystals do you use?

Sorry I can't think of anything else to help with the pillow situation.

Our spare room is also my partner's office and he does smoke so apart from leaving the window open whenever possible I use a spray of water, tea tree oil and a little bit of pine disinfectant.

On a related note our bedroom smells lovely since I started scattering dried lavender under the bottom sheet. Our body heat releases the scent and helps us to sleep. Just hoover up and relace when you change your bedding. Got the idea from reading about using herbs in floor rushes and bedding in the 12th century