How to Clean Clothes From Smoke Damage

A fire in the family home is a tragedy that causes tremendous damage from smoke, soot and water. Insurance is rarely enough to cover the replacement costs of everything in your home. Since smoke permeates to all areas of the building, smoke damage is the most common problem resulting from a contained house fire. To reduce your out-of-pocket expenses, make every effort to salvage your smoke-damaged clothes. Before you throw away clothes with smoke damage, try cleaning them with a simple homemade remedy.

Things You'll Need

• Laundry detergent
• White vinegar

Instructions

1. Place the smoke-damaged clothes in the washing machine, and select the strongest cleaning cycle available for both washing and rinsing. Use cool water to wash the clothes, not warm or hot, to avoid setting the smoke odors into the fabric.

2. Add your normal laundry detergent to the washing machine and wash the clothes.

3. During the rinse cycle, pour one cup of vinegar into the washing machine.

4. Check the clothes for odors before drying them. You may need to repeat the washing and vinegar-rinsing process more than once to completely remove the smell of smoke.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have the space, air-dry the clothing items rather than using a clothes dryer.

References

• Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things; Reader's Digest Staff Writers; 2005
• Fabric Care Tips & Tricks: Green Earth Cleaning