How to Get Cigarette Smoke Odors Out of a Purse

Cigarette smoke can easily infest your favorite purse.

If you've quit smoking to improve your health and want nothing more to do with that habit, you'll want to get rid of lingering cigarette smells in your home. One accessory that attracts smokey odors is your purse. Removing the smell of smoke from a purse is just a matter of trial and error. Different fabrics may react differently to different treatments..

Things You'll Need

• Saddle soap or another leather conditioner
• White vinegar
• Mild soap
• Unused fresh coffee grounds
• Pantyhose
• Sealable box
• Odor-removing spray
• Activated charcoal

Instructions

1. Determine the type of fabric you will be treating.

2. Clean a leather purse with a leather conditioner like saddle soap. Some of the smell will be removed with a proper cleaning. Then place the purse in a very well-ventilated area. Leather is porous, so the smell may take time to fade.

3. Place fabric purses into a box that seals well and that's at least twice as big as the purse. Take an old pair of pantyhose and cut the foot off, then fill it with fresh coffee grounds. Cheesecloth or muslin will also work. Place the bag inside the box and seal it. Make two bags and place the second bag inside the purse if the smell is obviously on the interior. Leave box undisturbed for 24 to 48 hours.

4. Place the purse in a box along with a bowl of white vinegar in the event you don't have coffee. The purse should not touch the vinegar. You can find white vinegar in the cleaning aisle or the salad dressing aisle at the grocery store. Leave undisturbed for 24 to 48 hours.

5. Place the purse in the box with a dish of activated charcoal if the previous methods failed. You can usually find this type of charcoal in any store that sells supplies for fish tanks. Leave undisturbed for 24 to 48 hours.

6. Try treating it with an odor-removing commercial spray. Before spraying the entire purse, test a small patch of fabric in an area that will not be noticed if the spray changes the color of the fabric.

7. Hand-wash a fabric purse in lukewarm water as an alternative. Do not do this if the purse is leather or wool. Use a very mild soap. Allow the purse to air dry.

8. Take the purse to a professional dry cleaner if all else fails. Such establishments have odor-removing chemicals that are not available in stores.

Tips & Warnings

• Leather is the most difficult fabric from which to remove the smell of smoke.

• The inside of your purse may be as smelly as the outside. Don't forget to leave the purse open if you are using the box method.

• Some fabrics will discolor or bleed dye when you use agents like febreeze or attempt to hand wash.

• If you can place the purse outside while a breeze is blowing (think clothesline) try that first!

References

• How to Get Rid of Things: How to Get Rid of Smoke Smell