If you’re a smoker or are around people who are, you’ve experienced the smell of cigarette smoke ligering on your clothes long after the butt has been extinguished. Washing smoky clothes over time can even cause a smelly washing machine. Here are a few tricks for removing smoke smell from clothes and using a washing machine cleaner to keep your washer fresh.

Remove Smoke Smell From Clothes

Smoke is particulary hard to remove from clothes because of the tar in the tobacco; the tar causes the smoke to adhere to your clothes more readily than other offensive odors. So to prevent a smelly washing machine, it’s a good idea to remove as much smoke as possible before washing.

Trick 1: put the smoky clothes in a plastic bag with 2 dryer sheets and 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Secure the bag, and shake. Let the clothes sit overnight, then shake out any remaining baking soda and wash as usual.

Trick 2: add 1 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of white vinegar to your washing machine and allow the smoky clothes to soak for at least an hour. Add detergent and wash as usual. This will also help neutralize your smelly washing machine.

Both baking soda and vinegar have remarkable odor-neutralizing abilities. For clothes that are not washable, hang them outside to air out before dry-cleaning.

Use A Washing Machine Cleaner

If you’ve been washing smoky clothes for any extended period of time, you may have a smelly washing machine. While the tar and smoke may be eliminated from your clothes in a typical wash cycle, the odors can remain and cling to the inside of your washer. The smoky smell is then re-deposited onto your “clean” clothes, making them come out smelling… not-so-fresh.

Using a washing machine cleaner, such as Smelly Washer, effectively removes odors from your washing machine; and the natural ingredients in Smelly Washer are safe and gentle and can be used up to twice a month. A washing machine cleaner is used in your washer’s hottest or “clean” cycle with no clothes.

Smelly Washer not only removes odors; it also effectively eliminates mildew and fungus that can make your clothes smell musty.

Freshen Up In Between Washes

In between washes, there are a few simple tricks to minimize smoke clinging to your clothes. Whether you are a smoker, or are standing near someone who is smoking, stand upwind so the smoke blows away from you.

You can also use an odor-eliminating fabric spray on your clothes. Certain fabric sprays are designed to actually remove odors, not just cover them up with flowery smells. And if you don’t plan to wash smoky clothes right away, instead of throwing them in the hamper, try hanging them up instead.

Nothing’s worse than a lingering mildew odor in your linen closet when your towels are supposed to be “spring fresh.” But don’t despair. If your towels are smelly, here are a few simple secrets that will help break the mildew cycle and prevent it from returning. If nothing else works we’ve created all natural Smelly Cleaners to remove odor from your clothes washer, dishwasher and laundry forever!

 

The Baking Soda Trick

OK, what doesn’t baking soda do? It’s in our toothpaste, it’s in our cat litter, it’s in our laundry detergent, and there’s probably even a box in your fridge to help neutralize odors. Notice a trend?

Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a chemical compound with alkaline properties which make it a great neutralizer and proven odor remover. Baking soda is used in cooking, cleaning, and even is the main ingredient in many antacids. Because of these properties and its gentle nature, it can be safely used in every load of laundry you do.

If your towels are smelly, try using ½ cup of baking soda in your next load. This amount can safely be used in every load of towels and even regular clothing. For a more powerful odor-fighting combination, use baking soda and very hot water.

High Heat

We know that heat kills bacteria. That’s why we cook meat and pasteurize milk. So it makes sense that high temperatures would also be effective at eliminating and preventing mildew in your washing machine.

Most washing machines come with specific cycles that use hot water such as “sanitary” or “whitest whites.” Unfortunately, it’s simply not realistic to wash all of your clothing in hot water because it can cause damage and shrinkage. Fortunately, most towels are made of 100% cotton which allows them to be washed in hot water, for the specific reason of sanitizing them.

To use these hot cycles effectively, take the extra time and do the extra load; wash your towels separate from the rest of your clothes. These high heat cycles can also be used in between load of towels to simply clean your washing machine. For an extra boost, use a washer cleaner.

A Clean Washer = Clean Clothes

Clean, fresh towels start with a clean washing machine. Lingering mildew in the washer can work its way into clothes during a wash to make it smell.

To combat mildew in your washing machine, use a washer cleaner such as Smelly Washer. The natural ingredients safely and effectively eliminate odor, fungus and mildew from your washing machine. A washer cleaner can be used whenever odor is noticed. Use Smelly Washer with no clothes or towels in the load, and use the highest temperature or cleaning cycle on your washing machine. If odor persists, add a cap to a full load of laundry and wash in order clean the splash area above the normal washing waterline and the entire inside of the outer, plastic tub.

Washer cleaners are powerful tools against the war on smelly towels. Use a washer cleaner, such as Smelly Washer, regularly to help prevent mildew from growing in the first place. In between cleanings, keep your towels fresh with baking soda and hot water.