Getting smoke smell out of non washable item?

absolutebounder

tik33 wrote: »

HI all,

hope I've got the right section - basically I bought a vintage armchair (not that cheap £240 - but I've seen them go for a lot more (over £500)) and when I bought it home I realised that it stank of smoke.

Now, I have been on to trading standards who say that I have every right to take it back to the shop for a refund - but then I'll be without an armchair and the shop is miles away (bought it rather spontaneously), so I'm wondering if there's something I can do to get rid of the smell. I've been spraying it with vinegar and leaving it outside - but the smell is not only in the leather but in the foam - so I'm not sure whether I'm fighting a losing battle. I've even tried sprinkling with baking powder which I read can absorb smells. It has definitely gone down - but I can still smell it as can my wife.

Anyone got any ideas or would you say just take it back...? the owner says to try saddle soap.

Thanks very much for your thoughts, Gus

get a smelly old dog or cat and let it sit on it for a few weeks.
Alternatively let the old man sit and fart in it. you soon will notice the difference.

Penelope_Penguin

tik33 wrote: »

HI all,

hope I've got the right section - basically I bought a vintage armchair (not that cheap £240 - but I've seen them go for a lot more (over £500)) and when I bought it home I realised that it stank of smoke.

Have you tried Neutradol?

Alternativley, are there any suggestions in this older thread? I'll merge this later to keep ideas together.

Hannah_10

I bought a leather sofa and chair from a neighbour, in thier house I hardly noticed the smokey smell but in mine it was really strong. Nothing I tried worked, so don't bother with... Method leather wipes (although they do smell gorgeously of cherry bakewell), Autoglym car leather interior/motorycle leather jacket cleaner or the same range but leather polish.

It took about 6 months to a year to wear off I am sorry to inform you. That was with regulr cleaning too, about once a fortnight. Thankfully, unlike you, I had only paid £50 for really nice comfy good quality sofa's so I was more able to take it as one of those things.

tik33

thanks everyone for replying - it does seem to be going down - but I can't help feeling that I should get a proper discount to keep it! problem is shop is a way away - so can't really drive down easily to see them. hmmm...

ubamother

tik33 wrote: »

thanks everyone for replying - it does seem to be going down - but I can't help feeling that I should get a proper discount to keep it! problem is shop is a way away - so can't really drive down easily to see them. hmmm...

Just a thought - could you write/email the shop and ask them? If you told them you were willing to either return for full refund or would accept a partial refund might they respond positively? Another though - and I don't know the answer - could you claim your travel costs of them? If you could you could include this information in your letter/email to help spur on a positive decision.

tik33

thanks for your thoughts. I have spoken to the shop, to date they've promised that they would help out - but it's a single trader - so promises aren't worth as much as cash! having spoken to consumer direct, apparently I am within my rights (sale of goods act) to ask for a refund. I do really like the chair and although it was quite a lot of money it is cheaper than other similar ones I've seen on ebay and it fits really well in my house - so if possible I wanted to keep it but get rid of the smell. The trader has offered to pay for new foam which might help considerably.

meritaten

yes take the new foam. but in meantime why not try cleaning it with scented soap? as long as you rinse it off and dry the leather it wont harm it. if the chair has a bit of clearance from the floor - could you put a shallow bowl of pot pourri under it? may help mask the smell untill the leather is dealt with.

tik33

"yes take the new foam. but in meantime why not try cleaning it with scented soap? as long as you rinse it off and dry the leather it wont harm it. if the chair has a bit of clearance from the floor - could you put a shallow bowl of pot pourri under it? may help mask the smell untill the leather is dealt with."

I have been trying a pot of vinegar (I read somewhere that the vinegar molecules absorb the smoke molecules - and in the past when I let people smoke inside - I used to leave vinegar out and that would actually get rid of the smell by morning - so I do believe that it does something) - anyway, suffice it to say it hasn't done much, when you put your nose in the chair it really stinks.

I'm now thinking I have one of two courses of action:

1. ask for a discount - what do you think would be fair from a £240 chair?
2. ask for my money back and say that I will buy it back from him if he gets rid of the smell!

thanks, Gus

mum2twinsx2

Ive got a nice coat off ebay, but it stinks of smoke. The coat is dry clean only according to the label.

How can i get the smell out... without paying for it to be dry cleaned???
Thank you in advance

Looby_-_Lou_2

Hang it outside on a brisk fresh day!
L-L