I was making applebutter over the weekend (452 pints cooked in a copper pot outside) with several other people. My project bag was in my car with a quilt top I am making for my husband for Christmas.

Long story short, smoke from the fire leached into my car and now my quilt top smells like smoke.

Any ideas on how to get the smell out? I am heartbroken!

Hang it outside for awhile. That helps. Then I usually put it in a plastic bag with 3-5 fabric softeners. But, then you trade one annoying smell for another.

I repaired a quilt for my daughter that had an awful odor from some medicine her husband had put on his face.
I washed it (adding 1 cup white vinegar and 1/2 baking soda to the wash water), hung it up to dry and sprayed the heck out of it with Febreze with Gain before it dried. The Febreze didn't hurt the fabric and it took care of the odor. You may want to test your fabric first.

After I posted this, there was an ad at the bottom of the page for Extra Strength Febreze advertising it gets rid of smoke odors. :lol: And, no, I don't work for Febreze! LOL :lol: :lol:

No idea! but sorry that has happened to you. Can you just wash it, maybe use some Arm&Hammer washing soda. It works good on smelly bedding and dog smells.

I've successfully did this with a queen size quilt.

I did not wash it first. I put it in the dryer with several damp towels and several unscented dryer sheets. Dried it for about an hour. Smelled fresh afterwards.

Good luck! How sad!

Activated Carbon will draw the smoke out. You get it in the pet area or at a pet supply store. It is made to go in an aquarium. Put the activated carbon in a small container (no lid). Put the quilt and carbon container in an airtight enclosure. It will also draw the smell out of your car. Just put some in an open container and put it in your closed up car. (If you can put your car in the heat of the sun it will work faster.)
The applebutter and friendship sounds great....

Hang it outside to air. Fresh air will remoe the odor. This works for me. There is a woman that visits our sewing group, she smokes. YUK

I use vinegar in the wash.

Just a cautionary note... using dryer sheets to store in dry fabrics for odor removal or prevention, or in the dryer with dry fabrics even with damp towels, can cause oily stains to occur on the fabric.
They are made to use with wet clothes :wink: If you rub them between your fingers, you can feel the oil :wink: