Aunty e Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 So I made a really stupid mistake, and bid on a sofa on ebay without checking that it came from a non-smoking home. Picked it up yesterday and they smoke so much, the chap had a fag hanging out of his mouth while he loaded the sofa into the van Leaving aside the fact that I am a terrible hypocrite, as I used to smoke in the house (not for years mind you) and only gave up smoking completely when I got pregnant, the smell is VILE. The covers are washable, but I'm really worried about the cushions and the frame. Febreze does not work (I had a similar problem with a futon mattress my sister borrowed a couple of weeks ago and ended up chucking it out), so does anyone have any other suggestions? I have a steam cleaner and a vax machine, so could steam and wash it a bit. I will wash the covers again in biological (I actually bought new covers, but I'm not putting them on until it stops smelling) and I'm going to try and leave the cushions in the sun on the patio this weekend (sorry chookiehens). At the moment, it's locked in my spare room with the window open to try and contain the stench. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yolky Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 Perhaps pay for it to be professionally cleaned. I don't think it is that expensive and it should sort out the smell and make it look like new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 Sprinkle bicarbonate soda over cushions and leave for a while before vacumming out. Look in supermarket for bags of baking soda rather the little tubs as it's cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 I too would look into a professional clean, after trying the bicarb. We bought a large wide screen tv on ebay and went to pick it up, the house was damp and really smoke filled and when we got it home it smelt awful. We gave it a good clean but I thought that the smell would be so ingrained in the plastic that it wouldn't go, but after a week or so it was much better and now it is fine. We only paid £30 pounds for it and it is a great tv but if the smell had continued we would have got rid of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poachedegg Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 I was going to suggest the bicarb too - if it is strong, sprinkle and leave overnight if you can before hoovering off. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 I'd be tempted to have a go on the frame with the steam cleaner if you can get to it, just having it outside in the fresh air might lessen the stench a bit too Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted July 3, 2009 Author Share Posted July 3, 2009 Right - nipped out at lunch and got lots of bicarb, some spray on upholstery cleaner (worth a try) and some shampoo for the vax. Will bicarb tonight after a good hoover, and see how it is tomorrow morning before I crack out the vax and the steam cleaner. Another tip I found, was to stuff tumble dryer sheets into the suite and cushions, so I bought a box of those as well as some heavily scented washing powder for the cover. On another, slightly annoying note, why do furniture recycling places make it so difficult to donate? i've spent two weeks trying to arrange a collection for our old suite that didn't involve me having to take an entire day off work, to absolutely no avail. So I've had to arrange for the council to pick it up instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 Have you tried sticking your old suite on Freecycle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 On another, slightly annoying note, why do furniture recycling places make it so difficult to donate? i've spent two weeks trying to arrange a collection for our old suite that didn't involve me having to take an entire day off work, to absolutely no avail. So I've had to arrange for the council to pick it up instead. I've had exactly the same problem with my old dining table and chairs, you think they'd be pleased with the donations However, as it happened a young girl in work was moving in with her boyfriend and they needed a table and chairs so I gave it to her, I was happy to see it go to a good home as she's a lovely girl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted July 3, 2009 Author Share Posted July 3, 2009 Freecycle never let me join - not sure what I was doing wrong, but it must have been something. If I get a second, I shall pop it up on Gumtree with the proviso that it has to be collected this weekend and then I can always cancel the council. They will apparently try to recycle if possible, but I'm not convinced I believe them. With smaller bits of furniture, and non-soft furnishings, I leave them outside by the bins and they are almost always picked up by neighbours. Even our last three piece suite (although we did see it back out again a year later and it did get taken by the council then). If it were drawers or a bookcase, I'd just put it out, but I don't want to be one of those horrid people who litters the estate with their unwanted soft furnishings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 I've done that before here; bunged something in the front garden with a sign on saying 'Free, please take me' and it's usually gone within the hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gracefruit Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 Grapefruit essential oil can help absorb/remove smoke smells. My dad bought a car off a smoker and a few cotton balls soaked in EO under the seats worked wonders. Maybe you could put some down in between the cushions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reikiranf Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 You could try using an air purifier/ioniser in the room you keep the sofa in, when my daughter bought her house it was only when she moved in we found that the place reeked of smoke She borrowed our Bionaire air purifier and the smell was gone in 2 days even from the curtains Good luck, I hope you have a smoke free sofa very soon. Amanda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted July 6, 2009 Author Share Posted July 6, 2009 Well, I used a combination of all of your tips and we have success pretty much! I got the cushions outside and sprayed repeatedly with my rug doctor pro odour remover ( I buy in bulk for kitty stains/smells) and then with some very diluted biological liquid and water. I think it was probably the sunlight which killed most of the smell though. I washed all of the covers again in a deliciously scented biological liquid and let them air dry. Then I ironed them all with nummy ironing water (took three hours - URGH). I hoovered the frames, and sprayed thoroughly with enzyme cleaner, pausing to mend the broken section Then I carried on spraying throughout the next day, with all the windows in that room open to carry a breeze through. I think what really helped was stuffing tumble dryer sheets into the frames, it really seemed to pick up the smell. By Sunday, it was a bit musty, but not smokey, so I rebuilt the sofa in the living room (pausing to mend the main cover, which had been CUT IN HALF ) and put the covers on, stuffing many more dryer sheets under the main cover and inside the cushion covers. We love the new sofa, and the cats adore it, so it will no doubt smell of cat soon, rather than being a bit stale (only if you shove your face in the cushions and sniff). I am cross with myself for not checking that it was from a no-smoking home, and the odd stain on the cushions I am ok with, as it was used, and I do have new covers for when we move. What made me really quite cross was that the frame was broken (and they obviously knew, because they'd had a really bad attempt at mending it) and that they'd cut the main cover in half (presumably their washing machine wasn't big enough to fit it in. That really should have been mentioned in their advert. Oh well. Live and learn. What is pleasing is that someone took our old suite away So it won't be clogging up a landfill just yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
