Thread: Should Have Listened!

Wash it but hang it out to dry. I have experienced that putting them in the dryer doesn't work. Fresh air on wet fabric works.

Baking soda in the wash water has worked for me in the past when I have gotten clothes from a family member that smoked.

Maybe you should mention something to the lady that did your quilt. She might be losing other customers because of this and doesn't realize it. And then, maybe she just doesn't care.

It actually happens with some regularity. Usually it's people trying to get something very clean.

Originally Posted by LivelyLady

Originally Posted by Mattee

Since they have both been mentioned, just a word of caution, do NOT use bleach AND ammonia. Mixing the two will kill you. That's knowledge that people once had, but I'm finding more and more (maybe with the removal of home ec classes?) that people are unaware.

Good luck with the smell!

I hope everyone heeds your advice. Years ago a woman did die from the fumes after putting bleach and ammonia in the toilet bowl to clean it.

Wash, lay out on a sheet on your lawn (nice weather of course) and cover with another sheet. Let it dry. No fading, no odor.

Oh.. I will try that. They are so hard to clean!

I would never hang my quilts out in the sunshine...it can fade them...Just my opinion

How inconsiderate of this longarmer! You should at least tell her and give her the opportunity to change this situation before losing future business from you and your possible referrals.

Originally Posted by kathy

as a former smoker for many years I can say, no they do not realize how strong and offensive the smell is, when you quit you are amazed at how much more taste food has and I seem to have a keener sense of smell, it also makes your hair yellow! now when I get around a smoker I really feel guilty about my poor little kids and everybody else I tried to kill! glad I finally wised up.
anyway, the quilts could probably use a good washing and that WILL take out the smell

I had to laugh at this one. I quit smokin over 25 years ago and now that is one of the things I am most allergic to and I cannot be in the same room with a smoker.

Originally Posted by susie-susie-susie

I too used to smoke. It is amazing how bad it smells. I now notice it in stores etc. I washed my entire stash with all fabric bleach, an enzyme additive, and OxyClean. It got the smell out and the yellow that seemed to coat everything. All I can say is good for us who quit and good for all of you who never started. When I was a teen, it was cool to smoke--what a foolish habit.
Sue

When I was young most of my friends smoked. They tried to get me to smoke. But I thought it tasted bad so never started. Considering how hard it was for them to quit years later I'm glad I never started.

I'm sure smokers don't realize how awful it smells. Sometimes a family member of a patient reeks of smoke, and I feel sick the whole shift at work. Then they act surprised when they get instructed on the dangers of second hand smoke to newborns by every nurse and doctor, like "how did they know?". So I doubt they realize. I don't even wear perfume to work for fear of annoying others. My brother just quit after 18 years and I still tear up saying so, like I've been given more years with him, God willing. I'd wash the quilt, try to hang it outside, maybe pack it in a box with odor absorbers. Sorry for your dilemma, good luck!

I used to smoke when I was in college - it was cool back then. When I got married my husband (who did not smoke) finally said to me - don't you know you smell like %#!+. I guess I didn't realize it then, but I never smoked after that. I do think smoking alters your taste buds. We have a lady here at work that smokes and whenever she brings a dish for potluck, no one touches it because it's so salty.

I recently bought fabric from someone on the board that smelled like smoke. I dampened a dryer sheet and put it all in the dryer for a few minutes. Took the smell away.

I used to work at a dry cleaner even after going thru the dry cleaning process clothes of smokers still smelled it never came out some reeked so bad we sprayed them with a clothing deoderizer

Definitely tell the longarmer that although you're satisfied with her work, you're not happy that the quilt smelled of smoke, and you won't be using her services again. Even if she has heard this before, she should hear it again.

If using all of these ideas don't work,try Febreeze.

I bought my stepfather's van after he died. He was a very heavy smoker and I never thought I would be able to drive that van. I have asthma, allergies, and can't stand the smell of smoke. DH said to give him a chance to clean it up. He used 4 or 5 bottles of Febreeze in the van and the smoke smell was entirely gone from the van.

No, smokers don't know how they smell. I was a smoker for years, and when I finally quit practicing quitting, and really did it, I was suddenly aware of the odors. I bought a new car, removed the carpet in the house and replaced it with Pergo, removed all the drapes and replaced them with shutters, scrubbed down all the surfaces and repainted everything. It was an awakening for me. I still can't believe I did it for so long, and now I simply can't tolerate the odor. I went into a restaurant last Friday with a couple of friends, and as we walked in, cigarette smoke overwhelmed us. We stood for about a minute, thanked the hostess and left. I had to come home and take an antihistamine because my head got all stopped up from the smoke - just for that short period.

Originally Posted by Ladyjanedoe

I don't think smokers realize how pervasive the smell is. I often stand behind smokers in grocery lines and I'm shocked they can't seem to tell how bad they smell. Did I read correctly somewhere that smoking deadens the taste and smell receptors in a person? I guess it doesn't matter.Use white vinegar in your wash cycle.I sure hope it works.

Take it from an x-smoker, we have NO idea how badly we smell

Smoke on fabrics goes both ways. I have had to air quilt tops out before putting them on the LA so that the smell would not migrate to my leaders.

It is a good idea to know if your LAer works in a smoke-free or pet-free studio if those are things that bother you.

Geez, I've never had a problem cleaning smoke out of our clothes after a night out back when restaurants and such were smoking. Maybe if the quilts were in the smoke for a long time...I have always just washed and dried.

Sorry to hear about your quilts, I am on the board, and I am also a longarm quilter, I own a Statler Stitcher and can do both digitized and free motion quilting, I quilted the quilt in my avatar. I can send other pics if you are interested in seeing any of my work. I have another lady in Florida that sends me her quilts to be quilted as well. I also get quilts from Michigan, Nevada and from all over Colorado. My home is a smoke free home.

You should have used Charisma on here. She does beautiful work.

I think I would ask for a partial refund!!

What smokers are smoking now has some tobacco but mostly chemicals and fillers that leave a horrible stink.
Pure tobacco smoke doesn't stink that way.
I read putting original Safeguard soap in a plastic bag with the smoke filled quilt will neutralize the odor. Be sure and let the quilter know how bad the quilts reeked of cigarette smoke and you will not be using her again because of it.

Originally Posted by kathy

as a former smoker for many years I can say, no they do not realize how strong and offensive the smell is, when you quit you are amazed at how much more taste food has and I seem to have a keener sense of smell, it also makes your hair yellow! now when I get around a smoker I really feel guilty about my poor little kids and everybody else I tried to kill! glad I finally wised up.
anyway, the quilts could probably use a good washing and that WILL take out the smell

Thanks for quitting! I know it isn't easy!

Dial Gold Bar open wrap bar in tissue paper, and put it asnd quilt in plastic trash bag for a couple of days. It works. We had to do it to quilts that were going to be raffled.