How to Get a Smoke Smell Out of My Barbie

Smoke can absorb into the plastic, clothing and hair of Barbie dolls. The smoke odor makes the toys unpleasant and it can decrease their value if the dolls are collectible. Barbie dolls need treated carefully to remove the smoke smell to prevent breaking or harming the materials used to create the doll. Commercial air fresheners often only mask the smoked odors temporarily. Remove the smoke smells from the Barbie with ingredients in your home to restore the doll back to its original condition.

Things You'll Need

• White distilled vinegar
• Bucket
• Towel
• Blow dryer
• Plastic storage bag
• Baking soda
• Container with lid
• Activated charcoal

Instructions

1. Combine an equal mixture of white distilled vinegar with warm water in a bucket.

2. Soak the Barbie in the vinegar solution for one to two hours.

3. Place the Barbie outdoors to air dry in the sun. If the weather does not permit this, then dry the Barbie doll with a towel and blow dry the hair carefully.

4. Place the Barbie in a sealed plastic bag with one cup of baking soda if the smoke odor remains. Allow the Barbie to sit in the plastic bag overnight. Remove the Barbie doll and dust off the baking soda.

5. Fill a container with activated charcoal if the Barbie still has the odor. Place the Barbie doll in the container and seal it shut with a lid. Store the container in a dark location for one to two days and remove the Barbie doll.

Tips & Warnings

• Store the Barbie in a smoke-free location to protect the doll from absorbing the smoke smell.

• Placing the Barbie outdoors in the sun can cause the doll to fade.

References

• 4 the Love of Dolls: Doll Tip of the Month
• "Reader's Digest": Remove Cigarette or Cigar Smoke Smells
• The New Homemaker; 27 Ways to Clean with Baking Soda; Noël-Marie Taylor
• Mrs.Clean: Remove Odors
• Vinegar Tips: 1001 Uses for White Distilled Vinegar
• "AgriLife Today"; Removing Smoke Odors from Houses; Kay Ledbetter; April 2011