Anyone know how to get rid of smoke smell from a mattress?

@Shar19 (8231)
United States
October 9, 2009 12:49pm CST
We got a mattress from an acquaintance the other day for my son's bedroom. The mattress is in great condition but there is only one minor problem - it has a faint smell of smoke. I have tried using a steam cleaner on it but the smell is still there. Does anyone know how I can get this smell to disappear?
1 person likes this
13 responses
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
9 Oct 09
I may have the answer to your problem. Buy a box or two or ordinary baking soda and sprinkle it over the whole of the mattress. If possible leave this on over night and then vacuum it off in the morning. Baking soda does eliminate odours and this should help with the smoke smell from the mattress. good luck
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
9 Oct 09
Oh boy, I appear to have copied your idea! I work through email so I didn't see your reply--sorry! Baking soda is great, isn't it?
@Shar19 (8231)
• United States
9 Oct 09
I'm going to use the baking soda this weekend. You're right the Febreze will just mask the problem.
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@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
9 Oct 09
Don't worry! Most of the responses said baking powder. It really is incredible for so many things. I think that febreze will just mask the smell and it will eventually return. It will only temporarily eliminate the smell. Baking soda has so many uses.
@anniefannie (1737)
• United States
10 Oct 09
if you had someplace you could put it out side for awhile it would go away have you tried Lysol spray? it gets rid of oder.that is all i know to do.i smoke and i know it is hard to get ride of the smell. good luck
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@GardenGerty (157047)
• United States
10 Oct 09
Putting the mattresses out in the sun was a spring ritual when my grandma was a young woman. It kills bacteria, drives away bed bugs and freshens the smell. Glad that is an option for you.
@Shar19 (8231)
• United States
10 Oct 09
I'm going to sprinkle it with baking soda and put the mattress outside for the day. We'll see what happens.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157047)
• United States
9 Oct 09
Spray it with either Simple Green or with Vinegar and let it evaporate.Some people would put fabric softener sheets between the matress and springs or under the matress pad on top of the matress.
@GardenGerty (157047)
• United States
10 Oct 09
You are correct, I guess, the Simple Green might stain or at least discolor it. I would be more likely to do the soda, or the vinegar than Febreeze or other fragrance product. When you mix fragrance with smoke you end up with a seriously toxic and gross smell.
@Shar19 (8231)
• United States
10 Oct 09
Would the Simple Green stain the mattress though? I never thought of using vinegar. Fabric softener sheets is another good idea too.
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@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
9 Oct 09
Baking soda is great for removing smoke smells. Spread a box of it over the mattress and cover it with a sheet, leave it for 24 hours then vacuum it off. Repeat for the other side and your mattress will probably smell great! I have several friends who have done that with their guitars after playing in smoke-filled bars. It really does work!
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@Shar19 (8231)
• United States
9 Oct 09
I never would have thought to cover it with a sheet after I use the baking soda. Thanks for the tip.
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@walijo2008 (4644)
• United States
10 Oct 09
I don't know if you can ever get the smoke smell out of something like that, if it was clothing you can just throw it in the washer, but a mattress I don't know. I hope you get better answers than I gave you...Good luck
@Shar19 (8231)
• United States
10 Oct 09
I know what you mean. I did get some pretty good answers from people.
@laprzn (1)
• United States
10 Oct 09
Febreze works really well. There was the smell of smoke in my mattress, and it worked like a charm. Just make sure to re-apply every week or so.
@Shar19 (8231)
• United States
10 Oct 09
A lot of other people mentioned the Febreze too. Thanks for your response. Have a great weekend.
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
20 Oct 09
The smell of smoke is a hard smell to get rid of. I think the best thing to try to use, would be Febreeze. That should elimante the smell of the smoke odor. You may also try to spray it down with some other kind of air freshener also.
• United States
12 Oct 09
if they have it there,febreeze isn't too bad for smoke. i use it around my mom who is a chronic smoker.
• United States
23 Oct 09
Too bad you couldn't air it out outside for a few weeks. I don't have any further suggestions than waht others have mentioned.
• United States
15 Oct 09
I don't think there is a way, just burn the thing.
@Humbug25 (12540)
9 Oct 09
Hi ya Shar19 Well I would get some really hot water and bicarbonate of soda and sponge it over with that. When my kids have been sick in the car I do that to the seats and the bicarb absorbs the odour. I would then put it outside to dry in the sun if you still have some!!
@Shar19 (8231)
• United States
9 Oct 09
That is something to think about. I don't know if I'd want to use it wet though. Maybe I could sprinkle it all over instead.
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
15 Oct 09
Have you tried using something like Fabreeze? Baking soda is good at removing odors maybe if you treat it like cleaning a carpet?
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
9 Oct 09
I wonder if sprinkling baking soda over the mattress and leaving it for a while before vacuuming it off and then steam cleaning would work. I don't know for sure that this would work but I always think about the fact that my grandma and my mother always kept baking soda in the refridgerator and in the freezer to keep from having odor in there. It was that it draws out the odors and absorbs them so I don't really see why it wouldn't work for something like a mattress.
@Shar19 (8231)
• United States
9 Oct 09
That was actually my next thought too. Baking soda works wonders for a lot of things.