How to Get the Smoke Smell out of Your Clothes (So They Stop Smelling Like Campfire)

Whether your sweatshirt smells like the campfire from the night before or you bought pre-owned clothing that is still carrying around the scent of tobacco, you may be wondering how to get the smoke smell out of your clothes. The smell of smoke can linger in clothes for weeks or even longer if you don’t wash them properly. It’s also vital to wash smoke-filled clothing as soon as possible because the longer it sits, the more the scent will embed into your garments, making it more difficult to get them smelling fresh again.

We went straight to the experts to learn the best ways to remove the smell of smoke from clothing and how to tell if you should take it to a pro.

Considerations Before You Get Started

Taylor Sutherland, laundry expert and president at Charlie’s Soap, says that trying to remove the smell of smoke from fabric, whether it’s from tobacco or a house fire, can be daunting. “The problem with smoke is that not only is it made up of multiple types of staining compounds, but no single method works for all of them, and smoke itself often carries dangerous carcinogens that must be removed,” he says. “Perfuming the problem is not an option.”

That said, there are options to ways to remove the smoke smell from clothes—and a few things to consider before attempting to do so.

The first thing to check is the care tag on your clothing item. If the item can be washed, you can try the recommended methods for removing the smoke smell. However, if it’s supposed to be dry cleaned only, it may be best to take the item straight to a professional cleaner. You should also consider the fabric material because delicate fabric types, like silk, may not handle excessive washing and scrubbing. 

Type of Smoke and Severity of the Smell

The type of smoke and the severity of the scent can factor into how difficult it will be to remove it from your clothing. Various types of smoke sources leave different types of odor and residue. For instance, the smell from house fire smoke can be more difficult to get rid of than something like cigarette smoke.

The reason is that smoke from a house fire contains more chemicals and particles, such as soot, that can be challenging to remove. 

What You’ll Need

Equipment/Tools 

• Washer and dryer
• Outdoor hose 
• Scrubbing brush

Materials

• Laundry detergent with an odor eliminator (One that is 80% effective for soot and smoke removal)
• Dryer sheets

How to Get Smoke Smell Out of Your Clothes

Step 1: Rinse Clothing 

Sutherland says that when you find a garment that has been exposed to smoke, you should first hose it off outside with water and then scrub it with detergent, brushing vigorously to remove visible debris. Rinsing before soaking the item can help remove residue and particles, making pre-soaking more effective.

Step 2: Pre-Soak Clothing in Detergent

“Pre-soak the clothes in water mixed with a little bit of detergent,” instructs Jessica Ek, laundry expert and associate vice president of strategic communications at American Cleaning Institute. Pre-soaking clothing can help dislodge the smoke particles embedded in the fabric, which will help get the smell out more easily.

Step 3: Wash on High Temperature

Ek says you should wash at the highest temperature that is safe for your garments. If you’re not sure what temperature is safe, simply look at the fabric care tag on your clothing—it will tell you what temperature to use. 

Step 4: Let Air Dry

“Once complete, either dry your clothes on a clothesline outside to remove any lingering odor or use the dryer with a dryer sheet,” Ek advises. Air drying allows air to flow through the fabric to help dissolve the smoke smell. The combination of sunlight with fresh air can deodorize clothing.

Step 5: Repeat Process if Smoke Smell Persists

Ek states that it may take several cycles to remove all the smoke smell from heavily soiled clothing. If it still smells after two washes, Sutherland says you should check on a few things.

First, make sure you are using the right laundry detergent that has been tested to remove more than 80% of soot and smoke particles. Second, you need to check your washing machine to ensure it doesn’t have hard water build-up that is keeping your detergent from functioning to its full potential and that it is able to agitate the clothes sufficiently.

Additional Tips to Help Get Smoke Smell Out of Your Clothes

Don’t get discouraged if your clothing still has a smoky smell to it even after washing. Here are a few more tricks you can try to help get it out for good:

Utilize baking soda: You can use baking soda in your pre-soak or add ½ cup directly to the washing machine. Baking soda is a pH neutralizer and natural deodorizer that can effectively remove the smell of smoke from clothing.

Add white vinegar to the laundry cycle: Another option is to add diluted white vinegar before the washer reaches the final rinse cycle. White vinegar is acidic and can neutralize the odor of smoke.

Clean your house: Ek says if you are dealing with smoke smells in your home, it’s also essential to clean the entire house. Open all windows to let fresh air in, wash blankets, pillow covers, and curtains, vacuum, and clean all hard surfaces such as mirrors, floors, wood furniture, and windowsills. “You should also clean your lightbulbs when they’re cool—this is because they attract smoke, and the heat emitted from them can release smoke odor back into the air,” Ek informs.

How to Know if Smoke Smell in the Clothing is Beyond Repair

If you’ve tried all the techniques and ensured the washer is operating correctly, and your garments still smell of smoke, you may wonder if they can be saved. Determining if they are beyond repair can be challenging, and it depends on factors such as the severity of the smell, the type of fabric, and the duration of smoke exposure the clothing was subjected to.

One way to tell is to check for visible stains that are contributing to the smoke smell. If the item is stained and still smells, it may need to be professionally cleaned or discarded.

But before discarding your clothing, you should consult a professional laundry service. They can advise you whether or not they will be able to get rid of the smell.