HOLY HOLY COW!!. I bought 3 jelly rolls of daydreams by Deb Strain for Moda off of ebay. Got in mail today and I have NEVER SMELLED CIG SMOKE SOOOOOOO BAD! We had to put them in the bed of the truck they were so bad.I am a smoker. I do NOT smoke indoors ANYwhere. I dont really smoke very much.

Nothing I sew EVER comes in contact with smoke at anytime. Even if it is in the car and i am traveling. I will stop or just not smoke at all.

Ok, deep breath. How do I get this smell out of jelly rolls without washing them? I am afraind they would fray so much I cant use them. I have big plans for them and searched high and low for them. It is my all time fav fabric line.
ok, I know someone here will have a great idea. Someone always does.
Thanks SO much!

well I am not sure other than leave them sitting out in fresh air for a week and see if it somehow dissiaptes long enought to sew with them ..so you can wash them?

Another thought is maybe you could try dryell? I am not sure...maybe someone else has better ideas?? Sorry

You can try taking the strips apart and letting them sit in the sun outdoors. And fabric softener sheets in a plastic bag after that. Once you get the quilt made you can wash, wash, wash and everything will be fine. Just sew quick!

And no more deep breaths! Wear a mask!

I live in central illinois. the weather is so bad here right now. Mud one day, ice, and then snow the next. I wish i could hang them on my line.

I have kept them wrapped in the roll. i put them In a plastic bag with a dryer sheet(it isnt touching them) and tie d the bag tightly closed so it doesn't stink up my house.

What is dryell?

Seal them in a plastic bag with a bar of deodorant soap for a couple of weeks. You need either Dial or Safeguard deodorant soap. This also works for books.

I bought a couple of bolts of a fusible interfacing from an auction that smelled of cigarette smoke and the deodorant soap took the smell out.

My only thought was to try to soak them in vinegar water. It seems to get the smell out of everything. You could then rinse them and let them hang over some kind of drying rack. That should minimize fraying.

Please keep the awesome suggestions coming. I am going to take a nap. Had to go to dr. yesterday. bad sinus and chest infection. I will check back later.

Again, thank you all sooooooo much.

God bless and see ya later.
:)

there is a spray that I have used called smells b gone that seems to work.

I think if you mist it slightly that should help.

I would try something like febreeze fabric or something else that is made for fabric that is an odor eliminator.

I was gonna suggest Frebreze but Mom beat me to it.
When my Mom stayed at my Aunt's house, who was a heavy smoker. She put her suitcases outside for a few days then placed fabric softener sheets in them while they were stored.
Dryell is a do it at home dry cleaning sheet (kit) I use them all the time, works great. A pre moistened sheet (has dry cleaning chems on it) toss the items in the bag provided and put it in the dryer for 30 minutes on low heat.

I quit smoking 6 years ago on my Mom's 76th b-day. I spent weeks after wards shampooing, dry cleaning and scrubbing everything that was in the house.

Sorry to hear of your stinky problem!! I too was a smoker till 4 years ago, and did NOT smoke in the house. I also washed my hands before ever touching fabric. I purchased fabric from eBay recently and it smelled of smoke. I spread it out and misted it with Febreze, it worked well. You might also fluff the pieces in a large plastic bag with some baking soda, which I've also used for smelly books. Good luck!

Febreeze works pretty well. My dad is a huge smoker so I have this problem with jackets when I'm around him.

I would try to put some fleecy sheets or other softener sheets inside of each piece - that may work..I know that decorators often use clothing softener sheets tucked under sofa pillows, behind cushions, etc. a few days before showing a house for sale when the house has been heavily smoked in...supposedly it works...I don't know from experience but that's that I heard...

How 'bout Fabreeze AND out in the sunshine?

Try putting them in a plastic bag, big enough to hold the jelly rolls and an open box of Baking Soda for a couple days. That should do it. Or unroll them before you bag them with the Baking soda.

Febrese is your fastest remedy, I fear. Have you unrolled them to see if it is throughout the roll? I would mist with vinegar as a last resort only because it acidic and may change the color. Hang them over coat hangers in your bathroom and mist, then turn the exhaust fan on to help eliminate the odor is my best suggestion.

Sorry it happened, they really should let a person know if they are smokers/pet owners when selling fabric especially. I always ask because of my pet allergies and I'm buying a large quantity.

Good luck with the odor removal!

Setting them in a bag of cat litter for a couple of days, isn't as messy as baking soda. Just open the bag and lay the roll gently on top. Close the top.

I live in central Illinois too. Today we just seem to have a yucky smell in the air..we are suppose to get rain tonight. Maybe next week you can get them out in the sun. What if you clothespin them to a hanger and hang them on a porch? I would alos try the deodrant soap too. I think the smell will get better once this yucky snow and fog pass us over! Hang in there!!!

I bought a car once that was a smokers car, I febreezed the carpet and seats and within a weekend the smell was gone. This was right after febreeze was put on the market, I miss the original version but think the new ones should do the job.

To the Illinois Ladies...Just west of the Quad Cities today it rained all day and still is. I'm hoping that it doesn't get too cold for my DH to make it home in the morning.

Just be careful that whatever liquid things you use don't stain the fabrics. I would try maybe fluffing them up in the dryer with whatever softener sheets you use. JMHO

Thank you for this hint. I bought a book from ebay and had the same problem. I'm trying this.

You can try XO from QVC. I had a terrible wet carpet oder and the XO is the only thing that got rid of it.

Just lay them out and spray them and let dry. Here it is.

http://www.qvc.com/qsearch/search.aspx

I have successfully used "odor-eaters" insoles containing charcoal to get rid of the musty smell in an old featherweight case. If you do this, you need to seal everything inside a plastic bag so the charcoal has a chance to absorb the odors. I think charcoal briquets or charcoal sold for aquariums would do the trick also, but they present problems if they touch the fabric. The insoles are not a problem and not messy.

While it would be a great idea to air the strips outdoors for a few days, you absolutely do not want to put them in sunlight. Fabrics fade in sunlight.

Scissor Queen, that is good to know, I bought a used book, couldn't find a new one, and when I got it smelt like musty meldew but it was in purfect condition other than the smell.

I will try the soap.
Thanks

I got a quilt back from getting it quilted and it was horriably smoky. I sprayed it with Fabree and layed it out in the fresh air.. had to do it several times but I finally got it out. Also bought a car that someone had smoked in I put a pan of unused coffee grounds in it. Stuck it in the car and shut it up.. takes the smoke smell out!!! that I guess is my tips of the day...

I don't know if you have a Sams store in your town or not but they sell a product call ordor-ban it comes in a gallon jug and u get a free bottle of spray of Odor-ban with it that is attatched to the gallon jug and u could just open the bag and spray a mist of it to your fabric and close back up do this a couple times and it will take the odor out but i use mine full strengh i don't add any water to it to make more they use this to clean houses that has had smoke damage from a fire and all sorts of uses it's the best thing i have ever use i even use it in my home and the church i attend when cleaning it can even be use for fabric softer in the rinse water when u wash clothes oh it has a tropical flower smell i just love this product and refuse to be without a jug of it i hope this helps i have brought things before and used Odor-Ban lots of times(:)

It's me,me again i use the Odor-Ban as a air fresher in my car to i just put some on a piece of cloth and tuck it away like maybe under a seat and it really smells good i mean to tell u it won't hurt your fabric at all(:)

One of my girlfriends smokes. She builds miniature doll houses and I've deodorized two of them so far. I put a bar of soap in each room and then tented them with a giant plastic bag for a month and the smell went away. The nice part is the soap doesn't add an odor of its own to stuff and you can use it for things you can't get wet. It probably took longer to do the doll houses because they're wood.

It may take a while but it does work.

Ok from a fellow non smoker let me tell you that sunning it will NOT get rid of the smell, fabric softner sheets make it smell like floral smoke. Soak them in the sink with some woolite it will come out just fine do not toss in the dryer let them air dry you will be fine just stuck ironing. Upside the smell is GONE and also they dont fray. I would soak, drain, soak again .. just my two bits. I live with a smoker just can not STAND that smell. My coats would get the scent when I visit my mom for one day. Anything in the suitcase had to be air hung out if only for one day so imagine if it was in the house for longer. Wash them you will be happier.

according to haley's hints, put the fabric in a box with saucers of vinegar or activated charcoal.

Spray with fabreeze, quilt quickly, and wash :)

I used to be a smoker, back when you could smoke anywhere, including your house....I have found that 'Orange Glow', or 'Simple Green' both natural cleaners, will take the smell out, of course you'll have to wash your fabrics. I use Simple Green on my running clothes to get the 'P-U!' out of them.
maybe you could soak them in a dish pan and hang dry so as no to shrink them too much. Good luck

I love this stuff, we had problems after being flooded, and it worked great getting all kinds of bad smells out.

Bright Air Odor Eliminator, will get the odor out. You can get it Dollar General. Put the jelly rolls in the bag as suggested open the container of Odor Eliminator, after pealing off the top sealer you can put the vent top back on or leave it off for for this project. In that small area it shouldn't take that long to eliminate the odor.
We loan out our Jeep several time last summer which was used to go to the river fishing, canoeing, etc. Then it sat unused for a few weeks. When I got in the car it smelled like something dead!
I put one container of Odor Eliminator in the floor between the seats, closed up the doors and windows and left it for a few days..........the smell went away. That was in Sept. and it still smells ok.

The size container I bought is supposed to be effective for 3 mos. I've had it in my house for all this time and it still is working.

Don't be fooled, how the jelly roll smells is exactly how a smoker smells after each cigarette, outside or not. Being a smoker you cannot smell it on yourself. I know, I use to be a smoker when I was young. In our guild we have two smokers who do not smoke in their homes or cars but everyone can smell the smoke on them. It's in their hair, clothes, and it lingers. A smoker won't believe that at all until they become non smokers.

The Vinegar trick really works. since you can't wash them yet, soak them in the bathtub with water and a cup of vinegar. this works for everything. I had a bedwetter and it worked so good on his sheets and comforter. you would have never known.

hey would febreeze do it? or would that compromize (sp) the fabric when you iron it???

Honestly, I wouldnt even try to get the smell out. I would return the jellyrolls to the seller and a) ask for my money back or b) ask them to replace the items with ones that dont smell so bad.

eBay has a resolution department if the seller is not willing to cooperate with you.

If you're bent on keeping them, I would seperate and hang outdoors until the smell goes away. But having lived with a smoker in the past, it can take a while.

I never tried the baking soda, but my father-in-law used to smoke cigars in our home until he finally realized that our "no, please" meant just that. To get the smell out of our house, I put out small bowls of white vinegar around the room I wanted to rid of the smell. After awhile the smell was gone. I have tried that on fabric as well. Just put the fabric in a few large zipbags and put in a small bowl of vinegar. leave it for several hours and it should work. I tried this with something I won on ebay and it worked.

I agree.