I was given a raincoat which is a plastic material on the outside and a silky fabric on the inside. The previous owner was a cigarette smoker, and the coat stinks like cigarette smoke. The coat cannot be placed in the washer. I have hung it outside to air for over a week, placed it in the bathtub with Dawn dish soap and cleaned it with a rag, and I have sprayed it with Febreeze. All to no avail. Does anyone have a secret to getting this horrible smell out of the coat so that it can be saved?
By Jocelyn Scalzott from Pittsburgh, PA
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Well, if you're sure that you're not comfortable washing it in a machine on gentle cycle, you've already tried most of what I would do (leaving outside, dousing with Febreeze, etc.). The only other thing I can think of was some advice I got years ago for getting the stinky plastic smell out of a small cooler.
The recommendation was to wipe pure vanilla extract all over the inside (or in your case the outside) and let it set for several days. I reapplied the vanilla a couple of times as it dried out and it seemed to work getting a nasty smell out of plastic (which is where I assume the cigarette smell is lingering - the cloth part should be pretty good by now).
Tomato juice is supposed to help de-stink skunk smell, so if the vanilla doesn't work you might move on to that, although I'd be careful of tomato stains on the cloth portion.
Good luck!
Have you tried using Borax? Baking soda has gotten smelliness out of plastic toys for us, and vinegar has worked for baby bathroom "accidents". Borax has directions on the box on how to use as a deodorizor. This is a shame, because that cigarette smell is very hard on non-smokers and smokers alike. I am not a smoker and my kids and very sensitive to that particular smell. Good luck.
Try tightly sealing the jacket in a plastic bag or a plastic clothes storage container with newspaper for a few weeks or more. Make sure to put the paper in the sleeves and inside the raincoat and cover the jacket with newspaper. Another thought would be to use baking soda or coffee grounds in the bag along with the newspaper.
You can put it in the washer, just put on gentle cycle and hang on a hanger somewhere in the house or outside until dried.
I wash my vinyl tablecloths that way and my tennis shoes, just do not throw into the dryer.
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