Things You'll Need:
- Baking soda
- Gentle detergent, such as Woolite or Ivory
- Towel
- Fan or blow dryer
- Commercial fabric refresher, such as Febreze (maybe)
- Hypo-allergenic pillow cover
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Step 1
Baking soda, that refrigerator deodorizing staple, can also work on smoke smells. Take the pillow out of its case, sprinkle liberally with baking soda, and allow to sit, preferably overnight. Then brush it off or use a hand-held vacuum on the lowest setting to remove the powder.
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Step 2
If the smoke smell has soaked all the way through the pillow, the smell could re-emerge. In that case, thoroughly, but gently, washing the pillow in gentle detergent might be your best bet. Fill the bathtub about 1/2 full of warm water, add a squirt of gentle detergent, and agitate it with your hand until bubbles form. Then, place the pillow in the tub, squeezing and manipulating it to allow the soapy water to go all the way through the pillow. Drain the tub, and rinse thoroughly with clean, warm water until the water runs clear. Press out as much water as you can without wringing the pillow (it could damage the cells). A good way to do this is to lay it on a towel, then roll the towel, and the pillow, into a tube. The water will come out of the pillow and be absorbed by the towel. You might have to repeat this several times. Dry the pillow flat. You can use a hair dryer or fan to speed up the process, but make sure it is completely dry before you put it back on the bed.
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Step 3
At this point, if odor still remains, you can try a commercial fabric refresher such as Febreze. Just spray it on in a thin, even layer, and allow to dry.
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Step 4
Covering your pillow with a washable, hypoallergenic pillow cover should keep your pillow fresher longer. Not to be confused with a pillowcase, these go on directly over the pillow and usually have a zipper. The pillowcase then goes over the top. Frequently washing both the pillow's cover and case should prevent the worst of the smells from seeping in (or back out!)
