Removing Odors From Vintage and Other Pieces

[WearYourWild]

If you buy vintage things, sooner or later you're going to receive a package that smells like cigarettes and/or perfume. I recently received two in one week. Yuk!
I tried my usual remedies and neither worked. I got online and Google came to the rescue. Thought I'd pass my findings on here.

One of the orders had porous beads in it, so I didn't feel comfortable using vinegar on them. The other was old brass and I was afraid the vinegar would clean the brass. Didn't want that to happen! So, I didn't even attempt to try the vinegar.

I took a one quart yogurt container, put the bone beads in and covered with baking soda. Left it for a few days. When I opened it, the odor was still there.
Next, I tried coffee. I put the beads in a yogurt container lid and set them on a bed of coffee beans in a plastic container with a lid. Left it a few days. That didn't work either.

With Google's info, I put my beads back in a new yogurt container and covered them with clean cat litter. After a day the odor was gone! Worked with the brass too.

[halfmoonroad]

Silly question....was that "plain" cat litter, or the fancy schmancy cat litter with the odor crystals ??

[WearYourWild]

LOL! I used what we had, but my guess is that any would work. We had Tidy Cats scoop for multiple cats with the turquoise blue label and lid.

[ampersandwitch]

Wow, good to know! Thanks for sharing.

[Former_Member]

Another great thing to use when you don't want to use vinegar is activated charcoal.

Its also a good idea to keep some on hand in case of poisoning.

[WearYourWild]

Where do you buy activated charcoal?

[GryWinther]

Strange question: But do you believe this would work for clothes as well (covering it in cat litter) ? I bought a beautiful vintage dress, sadly it smells very "vintage" too.....................

[Former_Member]

Try your local pet shop for charcoal, it is used in filters for fish tanks. Vintage clothing can be de-odoured by spaying with Vodka. I belly dance and the elaborate costumes can not be cleaned easily. What is done to make the garments fresh is spritz them with Vodka, air dry. This is an old, old, old theatre trick and works. Some smells will not leave 100% this is due to the fact that fabric etc may have started to break down [rot] or the cause of the smell has actually bonded [think science class here] with the fabric content or dye.
With the bone beads did you try fresh air and sunshine [outside in the sun]? The heat of the sun can actually sweat out some smells but be careful it is a natural bleach, restores old linen quite well.

[WearYourWild]

I thought that was the kind of charcoal she meant.
And what a great tip with the Vodka!
No, I didn't put the beads out in the sun. It's been raining and cloudy here for days. Plus, these smelled SO strong, I don't think it would have done the trick.

GryWinther, it couldn't hurt to try that. This was the first time I ever used cat litter to get rid of odors, but I am sold on it. Whatever method you use, come back and let us know how it worked.

[LeatherheadOriginals]

Great tips, as I sometimes have mustiness in leather that I upcycle for my hats. I will stay tuned!

[Former_Member]

Thanks for sharing this info. I bought a vintage picnic basket at a flea market one time and have never been able to get the cigarette smell out of it.

[Former_Member]

thanks for sharing your info, a lot of my yarn is finds, and I can't tell what it may have come in contact with

here's another tip-if your item can stand it, use scentaway wash

[jnshomespun]

thanks for sharing! I bought a large box of lace from a flea market and it smells like incense. I have left it sealed in the box because I wasn't sure how to get that smell out.

[VintageCarolina]

Thanks for these tips, I had forgotten about the cat litter. It is also very good for removing oily spots.

[rocksandsalt]

Love the kitty litter tip, I had heard of using activated charcoal before to get moth ball smell out and it sounds like the clay litter is similarly absorbent.

[pinkpainter]

Great info here. How about heavy moth ball smell? I have a small box of vintage cards that I can smell im the next room. Thought I'd try leaving it opened in fresh air. Is there anything better?

[pinkpainter]

I'll try some kitty litter.

[gloriosaysplendido]

I am allergic to all synthetic chemical smells (as in moth balls and today's products like Wick, Glade, strongly fragranced laundry detergent/fabric softener, etc.) and musty smells which really are a type of mold. I have searched high and low on ways to remove these smells from fabrics and finally came up with these two effective methods:

1) I add a few drops of Rosemary Essential Oil to the unscented laundry detergent after I have added the detergent to the washing machine, and, the same to the unscented fabric softener. When the clothing is done, I give it the nose test and if it still smells a bit, I run the wash over again. Usually, though, the first wash works fine. I have used this method on new flannel sheets and new children's clothing.

2) I found a wonderful product that not only removes smells from fabrics, even washable wools, but, it also removes most stains and brightens whites and colors. Especially in cotton it removes the old cotton smell that is common in blue jeans and mens' undershirts and underpants. The product is called OXO BRITE by Earth Friendly Products and is NOT the same as the product you see on TV, which is called OXY Clean. Do NOT buy OXY Clean as it is strongly fragranced with synthetic fragrances which are neurotoxins, poisons to the brain.

The cool thing about OXO BRITE is that it will also remove most stains off kitchen and bathroom sinks and even toilets. Just make a paste of it with water and then apply and let stand for awhile. I originally bought OXO BRITE at Trader Joe's but they discontinued it. I now buy it at New Season's or Whole Foods.

OXO BRITE is great to wash old fabrics with, such as tablecloths, linens, doilies...just put the OXO BRITE in the soaking cycle in the washing machine. After that cycle is completed then wash the item as normal. I always wash older fabrics on delicate and either low or no spin.

[Former_Member]

BlackStar says

Where do you buy activated charcoal?
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Since its also used as an antidote for many poisons, most pharmacies will stock it. Its also used in filters so its also available in hardware stores.