nanacc

You might try covering them with a sheet and spritzing with vinegar.

Neesie

I would put them into lingerie bags and wash them. If you're planning to iron the pieces AT ALL, while making the quilt, you first need to get them clean (not just deodorized). Otherwise, the hot iron may set any nicotine stains.

Mitch's mom

Put them in stacks of 4 or 5. Using safety pins, pin the stack of blocks together around all the edges. Gently hand wash them using some gentle soap. rinse well, lay them on a towel and press the excess water out of them. Remove the pins, separate them and lay each block to dry flat.

Jeanne S

There was a thread on this issue within the last week or so that you might refer back to however it was about a quilt not blocks. If I recall, several said leaving it outside to air worked (avoiding direct sun fading) and a product from Sam's called Odorout or something like that. Several suggested washing with vinegar. If you just gently soak your blocks in the sink and lay flat to dry you would probably be Ok unless they were not prewashed/preshrunk in which case soaking May change their size..

ragamuffin

I would lay them on the green grass, and let the grass remove it. It will work.

patper

Not sure anything but good old soap/water will help permanently. Shouldn't be a problem as long as you soak, gently hand wash, roll in a towel to squeeze out extra moisture, then air dry. I like tessagin's plan.

bearisgray

If you can set your washer to "spin" after hand washing and rinsing the fabrics,you can dump the fabrics into the washer and the spinning will remove a lot of the extra water water and the pieces will dry faster.

My washing machine is "old" (1990 or 1991) and I can do that.

Peckish

I participated in a block exchange, two of the blocks I received just reeked of cigarette smoke. It was so bad I could smell it in the driveway as I walked to the mailbox. Didn't even bother taking them in the house. I laid the blocks on my front patio, sprinkled baking soda over them, and let them sit for a few hours. Shook the baking soda off, the blocks have no smell at all now.

Up4BigChal

Or Soak them in Vinegar Water then clean water and lay them flat to dry outside? I hope you find a solution

GailG

Yes. It's amazing what good ole sunshine and fresh air can do for odors.