Originally Posted by mudose8
I received a bag full of fabric cut into 5" strips from my SIL . Very pretty, but came from a smokers home!! Had set them in garage for about 9 months thinking that would help to eliminate odor. WRONG! Then I washed them in soapy water with white vinegar, rinsed well and hung outside to dry. Worked perfectly, smell totally gone.
My grandfather was a cigar smoker and although a smoker herself my mother couldn't stand the smell of the house after he would leave from one of his visits (usually every Sunday for supper). Anyway just as soon as grandfather was out the door mother would get a dish towel that she had soaked in vinegar and wrung out. She would walk through the house flapping and waving that towel until it was almost dry. It worked every time and the vinegar smell didn't last but a few minutes. A few years ago Mother moved into a care center and I inherited many of her things. I couldn't believe how yellow and smelly everything was. Then I remembered the vinegar magic and washed everything before bringing it into the house (we are not smokers).
It worked like magic! Fabrics that had previously looked tea dyed were white as snow and nothing had that musty smell. Even the tea cup collection that she had on the knick knack shelf was yellow. I threw some vinegar in the dishwasher and they look like brand new.