Antdebby1

I have not quilted in years and am getting back into it now. I am in the process of washing, ironing and folding all my fabric. It all stinks because I am a former smoker. The fabric absorbed the smoke despite the fact that all the fabric was stored in plastic bins. I honestly did not realize how much fabric I had.

wolfkitty

Congratulations on quitting!!! I'm glad you have quilting to keep you busy and help keep your mind off it! Welcome to the board - this is an encouraging bunch!

cjomomma

You can use vinegar and/or baking soda in the wash to get the smell out. If you have a Doller tree near by they sell a generic form of powered oxyclean that works great in the wash. I use it on my DH work clothing, he works in a kitchen and his clothing smelled even after washing but when I started using the cleaner the odor went away.

cjomomma

And congratulations on quitting smoking!!! I hope too some day but I don't smoke inside. I'm an working on my bad habits one at a time right now.

Nancy S.

Congrats on the quitting smoking, there are a few of us and it feels sooo good!! (More money for fabric.)cjomomma was right the oxy works good, sometime it may take a couple of washings. Welcome to the board too.

katiebear1

Congrats on quitting! I am tryiong right now after smoking for almost 40 years! PS I love the pic of your dogs. Are they Bassets ? Their ears seem a little long for Beagles, but I have a little Beagle that has big ears. ( probably a Basset in the woodpile somewhere) LOL.

CarrieAnne

Congrats on quiting! My little Sister used to smoke, and I get all her hand me down clothes. I just used regular laundry soap with some baking soda in it, and the smell would be gone!

Quilter4HireAndFun

Pat yourself daily on quitting....Congrats! (from a past smoker that quit 28 years ago!) I hate to think how I smelled all those years before, let alone how my stash smelled then! Yucky!
None the less, smoke-fumes are hard to get out of fabric. But the best luck I have had, is to air the fabric first, (I just hang it in the garage/shade) Remember that fabric fades very easily if you put it in direct sunlight. But I have taken quilts out to parks and laid them on the grass for an hour or so...My Grandmother in her 100's once told me they used to do this to freshen quilts
Vinegar (plain white/clear) has worked very well for me when added to the wash. Oxy-Clean is very harsh...but works well when just a little is used. But my best is vinegar in a light wash and then without drying your fabric, wash again in Orvus. If you dry your fabric in the dryer, before the smoke fumes are gone...it kinda seems that you "lock" your fumes into the fabric....I may be wacky on that thought....but heat sets color and smells in my experience.
Good luck and I hope to hear how you handled this ...let us hear back from you!

Mariposa

Glad you quit smoking!! For clean fresh fabrics and clothes, etc. I recommend using white vinegar. I put it in a Downy ball thing, fill it 1/3 full, then put it on top of my load of stuff in the washer. The vinegar gets rid of smells, and also helps to cut soap scum, build-up, etc.
Best to you!!

sahm4605

those fabreeze sprays work wonderful also. you just spray all your fabric and let it sit out to air dry. I would also suggest painting your entire house. you might not realize it but the smoke has gotten into the paint in the walls. if you repaint especially your sewing room and where you store your fabric it will make it easier to get the smell out. And don't forget the ceiling. you might not think but if you look at it and it is any shade other than white you have smoke fumes in the paint there also. That is how I can always tell if a house needs to be repainted from top to bottom when I move in. It is wonderful that you quit smoking. my mom did it about 8 years ago and has gotten rid of the smokers cough.