!#7# Ew, That Smell! Cleaning Smoke and Other Odors in Your Collectibles

!±8± Ew, That Smell! Cleaning Smoke and Other Odors in Your Collectibles

Have you ever bought anything, gotten it home then realized that it didn't smell fresh as a daisy? Have you ever opened a box you had in storage and the smell almost knocked you over? While everyone has a different sensitivity to odors the last thing you want to do is send an unsuspecting buyer a package that has an offending odor.

Sellers who smoke cigarettes, cigars or pipes must be particularly careful with their inventory and keep it in a smoke free zone if they are to keep their buyers coming back. Nobody wants to buy a garment only to find out it smells like an ashtray. Keep your shipping materials in areas away from smoking too because cardboard easily absorbs odors.

Getting rid of odors can be a tedious task that must be gone about with great care. Many collectible items just can't be washed. This is where simple cleaning items are best.
Always test the method you choose in an area that won't be noticeable before cleaning the entire item. Use these cleaning tips at your own risk.If the item is washable, like clothing, then hand wash or soak in cold water with Woolite then soak in a mixture of white vinegar and water (about an 1/4 cup vinegar to a gallon of water). Let air dry. I've been told that using Woolite on some vintage doll clothes (even Barbie clothes) ruins the sizing so be very careful.

What if the item isn't washable? Get a plastic container with a tight fitting lid and pour in a few inches of baking soda. Put a layer of paper towels on top of the baking soda then place the object you are trying to freshen up on top of the paper towels. Put the lid on and let it sit for 5 - 7 days. Repeat as often as necessary until the odor is gone.

Another remedy you can try is to leave your item outside in the sun for a few days (as long as the weather is nice). Do not do this with anything that would be damaged by heat or may melt. I've also heard that leaving an item out overnight if the weather is dry may work as long as the item is not porous.

Books, boxes and paper items should be aired out or put into containers with baking soda. Most paper items should not be left out in direct sunlight as they may fade.

There are some powerful odor removing products on the market that you can use. One of them is called D-Stinker by Twin Pines of Maine and is made to remove odors from non-porous items. They even have doll cleaning instructions on their website.

I have purchased sets of china on several occasions that were plagued by smoke odor and yellow discoloration. I put these items on the China setting on my dishwasher and let the cycle run. It removes most of the residue. A little bit of window cleaner or grease remover mixed with water can be used to get rid of the yellow stains.

Make sure you always do a smell test when purchasing used items. Unless the item is rare or highly collectible, it is better to pass on items that have offensive odors. You may find a treasure priced really low but the cost can be huge if you have to spend hours cleaning it.