Smoke odour removal for your clothes – our advice and tips

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Whether it be smoke from a fire or a cigarette, smoke odour removal can be a challenge. There’s nothing better than sitting around a campfire in the wintertime, warming up, toasting marshmallows, and getting all cosy. But at the cost of your favourite jumper or jacket? We think not! We are here to help you avoid that pain.
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When you’re faced with smelly clothes, there is only one solution - Pride Dry Cleaning

What causes smoke odour to stick to your clothes? 

Sitting by a campfire, toasting marshmallows, and staying warm can be lovely. But let’s face it, the smell of smoke isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. So, what is it about smoke that makes it leave such a lasting smell on our clothes?

To break it down, wood is composed of large molecules that are packed very closely together.

While the molecules are combusting, not all of them are converting into smaller gas molecules. Instead, they are going through a process called volatilisation, which easily collects on clothing when they cool down. Similarly, with cigar and cigarette smoke, the smoke is a by-product of the incomplete combustion of tobacco.
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The non-combustible materials are mostly minerals such as magnesium and potassium. These minerals are quite sticky, which means they are more likely to stick to your clothes and make smoke odour removal nearly impossible.

The dangers of third-hand smoke 

Health and safety is extremely important to us. Particularly when it comes to reducing people’s exposure to harmful chemicals. Our business ethos from the beginning has been centered around providing safe dry cleaning and laundry solutions. Therefore, we think it’s important to also advise others about the dangers that come from things such as third-hand smoke.

But what exactly is third-hand smoke?

Third-hand smoke is caused by the residue of cigarette smoke and other harmful chemicals that stick to surfaces and fabric.

Non-smokers can be exposed to third-hand smoke from breathing in residual gases, swallowing dust, and even touching surfaces where the smoke has stuck to. Studies coming from the San Diego State University, show that two months after previous smoking tenants vacated their home, nicotine levels remained elevated, even as the current tenants were non-smokers.

Further studies since then have shown the exposure to third-hand smoking showed a range of harmful side effects, such as damaged cells and DNA, and metabolism and behavioural changes.

During our smoke odour removal process, we carefully handle our clients’ clothing items to reduce the exposure of harmful chemicals and side effects of smoke exposure. 

The best solution for smoke odour removal

Our number one piece of advice when it comes to smoke odour removal is to leave it to the professionals.
Before you bring in your clothing items to us, we have some helpful ‘dos and don’ts’ if your clothing has been exposed to smoke.

• DO – air it out. Hang all garments in a well-ventilated area.
• DO – leave it to the professionals, we’re here to help!
• DON’T – chuck it in the washing machine and hope for the best. Some fabrics aren’t machine-safe, and you will risk ruining the clothing item.
• DON’T – buy odour neutralising productsthat simply mask the odour on your clothes instead of getting rid of them. These will wear off and often include a lot of chemicals that can be harder to remove at a later date.

​Pride Dry Cleaning have special chemicals that remove smoke and soot particles from clothing safely. We use a solvent that binds with the soluble fats in the smokes oil and is then filtered and the particles are caught. The tar from the smoke is dissolved and the rest of the soot is disposed of. 

Needing some help with smoke odour removal? Talk to us today.