How to Remove Smoke Smell From Clothes – Air It Out, Don't Perfume It

Smoke smell is an odour problem, not a stain

Smoke is not the same as soot. Soot is a black, visible deposit that has to be brushed and lifted off like a stain. Smoke smell, by contrast, can sit in a garment without a single visible mark, because the odour-carrying particles are so small they soak into the fibre itself. That is why shaking or brushing the garment rarely helps – you have to air, absorb or wash the smell out. Thick, lined and structured garments (wool coats, down jackets, suit jackets) hold smoke smell longest, because you cannot simply throw them in the machine.

The most important rule: never apply heat before the smell is gone

The most common mistake is throwing a smoky garment in the tumble dryer, ironing it, or hanging it on a hot radiator to 'freshen it up'. Heat does the opposite: it fixes the smoke particles in the fibre and makes the smell far harder to remove later. Always treat the smell – air, absorb, wash – before you use heat of any kind. When in doubt, let the garment air-dry and keep it away from the dryer, steam iron and hot surfaces until it actually smells clean.

Air, absorb, steam – the steps from mildest to strongest

Always start with the gentlest step. For light smoke smell it is often enough on its own:

1. Hang the garment in fresh, moving air – on a balcony or in the shade outdoors. Hours of airflow remove a surprising amount. Avoid prolonged strong sun on colours.
2. Put the garment in a sealed bag or box with a bowl of baking soda, activated charcoal or coffee grounds for a couple of days. These attract and bind odour molecules.
3. Steam the garment with a clothes steamer or on a hanger in a steam-filled bathroom. The steam relaxes the fibres and helps the smoke out – without a full wash.
4. Smell the garment afterwards. If the odour is reduced but not fully gone, repeat the airing or move on to washing.

Wash the smoke smell out of what can take it

If the garment can take water (check the care label), a wash with the right addition is the most effective route for everyday clothes:

1. Wash with an enzyme detergent – the enzymes break down the odour-carrying residue from the smoke.
2. Add a cup of white vinegar to the rinse water (not together with the detergent). The vinegar neutralises the smoke residue and leaves no smell of its own once it dries.
3. Alternatively, whites and colourfast items can take a scoop of oxygen bleach in the wash for an extra lift. Note: enzymes and oxygen bleach do not belong on wool or silk – those need gentle protein-fibre rules.
4. Air-dry the garment fully before you use any heat. Smell it again before you put it back in the wardrobe.

When household tricks are not enough

For heavy smoke smell – after a fire, smoke damage in a home, or a garment that has hung for years in a heavy smoker's house – household tricks often stall. The smoke has soaked in so deeply that airing and an ordinary wash only mask it temporarily, and the smell comes back. That kind of pervasive smoke damage is a job for professional cleaning, which reaches deeper than a washing machine at home. And never try to 'perfume' the smell away with fabric spray: it only masks the smoke for a while and can set together with it.

Send the garment to us

For garments you cannot wash at home – wool coats, down jackets, suits, structured pieces – or when the smoke smell simply will not let go, you can send the garment to us. We clean according to the garment and its care label, so the treatment is right for the fabric. You order online from anywhere in Norway, and you see the price before you order.

Frequently asked questions