Whether visiting the home of a smoker or having a fire in the home, smoke leaves a terrible pungent odor embedded deeply into the fabric. Simply washing and hanging the clothes outside in the fresh breeze doesn’t always remove the smell. Smoke odor can linger on clothing for a long time if it is not properly removed.
Place each article of clothing on a hanger. Hang the clothing in the bathroom. If there are no wall hooks, set up a portable clothes drying rack in the bathroom and hang the clothing from it. Do not crowd the clothes. Allow room for circulation between each piece of clothing.
Close any windows in the bathroom, turn off the exhaust fan and shut the door.
Turn the water on in the shower to the hottest setting. When the shower begins to produce steam, close the bathtub drain.
Pour 1/2 gallon of white vinegar into a plastic basin and carefully set it under the streaming hot water.
Leave the bathroom and close the door behind you. Don’t go far! Periodically check to make sure the bathtub does not overflow. As soon as the water fills the bathtub, turn off the shower, leave the bathroom and close the door behind you.
Leave the clothing hanging in the bathroom for several hours. When the steam clears and the room cools, the smoke smell will have disappeared from the clothing.