Help! Does anyone know how to get the cigarette smell out of my mattress?

Question

I have tried airing it out as well as using Fabreez. Fabreez worked for a short time but the smell always comes back.

The mattress was given to me. Nobody in our house smokes. Thank God! I hate cigerette smoke. If I can't get this smell out I will have to toss it. It is too bad It is only 2 years old, and a pillow mattress. Real comfy.

Answer 1

Trust me on this one: The very best way to get cigarette smell out of ANYTHING is to "blast" it with ozone. (Ozone will react with many chemicals and basically neutralize the odors. You are not masking the cigarette smoke with another odor like a perfume. You are literally eliminating the odor and replacing it with fresh air.) Take your mattress and form a "tent" around it with a sheet or bedspread. You can put a wooden stool or kitchen chair on it and drape the sheet over it and tuck in the sides under the mattress. Place an ozone generator next to the mattress, on another chair, and have it "peek into" this tent. Turn the dial on HIGH and run it for approximately one hour. Shut all windows and doors while you are doing this. The room will smell strongly of ozone, which is similar to a chlorine smell. It can be difficult to breath, so stay out of the room. When an hour is up, open doors and windows and air out the room with fans. If you would like, turn the mattress upside down and do it all over again. You may have to do this a couple of times, depending on how strong the smell is. You can purchase an ozone generator from EcoQuest International, or maybe a rental store has one. Good luck. This really works and is cheaper than a new mattress!

Answer 2

The Fabreeze Controversy When confronted with any odor on furniture, curtains, or bed linens, the natural thing to do is reach for a deodorizer such as Fabreeze. Some argue that this simply masks the odor temporarily and it will return as soon as the spray product evaporates. There have also been reports of breathing problems associated with the use of fabreeze and other deodorizers. Others swear it doesn’t work anyway. It just turns the odor into a disgusting blend of smoke and the great outdoors. If the odor your battling is very weak, it’s worth a try. If it’s strong then don’t even bother. Get it Steam Cleaned Cigarette smoke smell in fabrics emanates from tar ash and oil deposits left in it’s fibers. In order to remove the smell, you need to remove these deposits. Unfortunately, when cigarette smoke condenses onto something, the resulting ‘goo’ is very, very stubborn. If you’ve ever cleaned (scraped) this residue off of glass or painted walls you know exactly how stubborn it can be – imagine that same goo stuck in every fiber of the piece of furniture you wish to clean. The bottom line is that household cleaners just won’t cut it, hire some professionals to come and clean it for you. Make sure they use a van-mounted steam cleaner and tell them exactly what your objective is so they can use the appropriate cleaning solution. Low Budget? Completely cover the piece of furniture you’re cleaning with baking soda and then rub it and pat it into the fabric so it gets as far into it as possible. Let it sit overnight and then vacuum it all back up. Get Rid of it This is not meant to be flip, but sometimes you just have to cut your losses. When cigarette smoke gets deeply enmeshed into the fabric of an ex-smokers favorite couch, there may be nothing that will ever get it out. Unless you enjoy reupholstering furniture, you might just have to throw it away. Better yet, sell it to a smoker.

Answer 3

Well it depends on how bad the smell is. If it's so embedded in there then I hate to say it but it probably won't come out. You could try using a carpet cleaner on it, wash both sides. This could help some but cigarette smoke is really hard to get out. That's part of the reason smoking is such a bad habit. now your getting all that smell in your lungs and it's second hand smoking. I hope it works but I'd try to get away from it as fast as possible. I'm sure you've seen the commercials and how second hand smoking can kill you. I hope things work out.

Answer 4

Hi Vettechja,
Try mixing 1/4 cup bleach with 1 quart water spray on mattress if possible set outside in sun all day poof smell gone. But you can also do this inside spray both sides & let it dry. Good luck & have a good day!

Answer 5

Either buy a new one or stick fabric softner sheets all over the mattress before you put on the mattress pad or sheet. Doesnt work forever i assume but it smells nice!

Answer 6

cigarette smoke is hard to get out of anything ...You might have to get rid of that mattress ... either that or deal with the smell until it leaves on its own and after weeks or months it might ...

Answer 7

Rent a rug doctor carpet shampooer and the upholstery attachments and go over with the upholstery attachments and clean well, let dry and spray with OUT, it can be found in the pet section of Walmart, spray really good and let it dry, this will cut the odor in a heartbeat.

Answer 8

You need something that will absorb the smell not cover it. Try baking soda. Sprinkle it over and then vacume. Or you can also try oust sprays. charcoal also absorbs smells but in this case you're better off with the baking soda.

Answer 9

I dint think you can do much about that since its a large piece of furniture. Try sun bleaching like the old days or maybe just cover with plastic sheet that covers hole bed. depending on the size of bed they are about 15$ or so at walmart

Answer 10

Try using Febreze fabric spray. You'd be surprised just how well it works at getting smells out of your fabric.