Bonfires are an essential part of the nighttime activities at beaches and remote venues. They fill the night warmth and ambiance, and have an unfortunate side-effect of producing unpleasant odors within clothing.
When the smell finds it’s way within a jacket, it can be difficult finding a solution to remove this odor. In this guide, there are a range of solutions provided for neutralizing your jackets bonfire odor without washing it.
Bonfire Smell Removal Solutions
1 Sun + Fresh Air + Grass
Place your bonfire infused jacket on the grass in the sun for 1-2 days. The chlorophyll within the grass, UV rays and wide open space all work at killing the odor and lifting it out of your jacket.
2 Baking Soda + Borax
Baking soda and borax work wonders in absorbing unwanted aromas from clothing. Create a mixture of baking soda and borax in equal proportions. Place the jacket down on the floor in a remote corner of your home, and sprinkle this powder compound onto the jacket until it is deeply covered within the powder. Let sit for 5-7 days, then shake the powder from the freshened jacket and vacuum this baking soda from the floor.
3 Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil works well in neutralizing odors. Mix one cup of water with one teaspoon of tea tree oil and pour within a spray bottle. Spray jacket down thoroughly and place outside in sun on clothes line to air dry. As the moisture evaporates from the jacket, much of the unwanted bonfire aroma will be carried off.
4 White Vinegar
Vinegar has been used as a household solution for odor reduction for several generations. Create a solution of white vinegar and water in equal amounts and pour within a spray bottle. Spray the jacket down jacket and hang outside in the sun to air dry. Once the jacket dries, the smell of the bonfire and vinegar will be gone.
5 Lemon Juice
The natural citric acid within lemon works to kill smoke related odors. Create a mixture of fresh lemon juice and water in equal parts and pour within a spray bottle. Spray jacket down, and hang outside within the sun to dry.
6 Vodka Spray
Vodka does a great job doubling as a deodorizing spray. By spraying down your jacket with a solution of vodka and hanging it up to air dry, much of the unwanted bonfire aroma will be carried off.
7 Febreze
This product works wonders at wiping out odors on the spot. Simply spray down jacket with a heavy coat of this compound and hang outside to air dry. Once the solution evaporates, the odor should be gone.
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The woodsy musk that comes from a bonfire can often require one, two or even three shampoo rinses to strip the odor from your hair. As the old saying goes, if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.
Baking soda has many uses, and can even be applied as a remedy for follicles infused with bonfire odor. By mixing one cup of hot water per one teaspoon of baking soda, you can develop a quick household shampoo. While showering, run this solution through your hair and rub in for full effect.
Apple Cider Vinegar is another powerful household solution which works wonders in neutralizing odors. Apply your normal shampoo and apple cider vinegar in equal parts during your shower, and allow several minutes for it to set in before rinsing solution out.
Add extra virgin coconut oil to your shower routine, and work thoroughly into hair providing time for it to strip remaining bonfire odor. Coconut oil contains lauric acid which has the effect of killing bacteria and unwanted odors.
Lemon Juice can be used as a household alternative to Apple Cider Vinegar for it’s natural acidic odor removal properties. Similarly, you can work lemon juice into hair in equal parts with shampoo during shower. Take caution to shampoo an additional time after lemon juice application to avoid combined lightening effect of hair follicles in sun.
By letting your hair down, you are effectively unlocking the musty odors trapped within. After you have developed unwanted bonfire odor within your hair, be sure to let your hair down to allow air in to sweep out unwanted aromas.
Natural UV rays are one of the most effective treatments for neutralizing odors. Try to spend at least one hour out in direct sunlight and allow your follicles to soak in the solar rays.
Fresh air can have a significant impact on odor reduction. By combining this with sun and letting your hair down, this will have the natural effect of reducing the bonfire remnants within your hair.
This is a word-of-mouth odor reduction remedy that dates back multiple generations. By applying light amounts of vodka within your hair, you will be able to wipe out much of the lingering smoke smells of bonfire. You can do this by applying it directly by hand or utilizing a small spray bottle. The vodka will quickly evaporate and take much of the odor with it.
Febreze is used for many things including car, house and clothing odor reduction. While it is rarely suggested for hair, it remains an effective tool for masking and removing bonfire smoke odors. Similar to vodka, it will evaporate quickly, leaving your hair fresh for the rest of the day.
Often one rinse and spin is not enough to the remove the musk of bonfire from clothing. By putting your smoke infused clothing through two or even three washes you will usually be able remove remaining bonfire odor.
If you were unsuccessful removing odor with the above methods, air drying clothing after your wash cycle is suggested . Air drying clothing on a outdoor line provides additional freshness over using a clothes dryer. This occurs as the residual odor gets sweep off as the breeze removes remaining moisture.
Utilizing borax to remove odor requires a box or trash bag large enough to contain the clothing you are trying to treat. Place the clothing in the enclosure and sprinkle borax throughout to ensure that the items are covered within this chemical compound. Closure the box or trash bag and let the clothing sit for a week. After 5-7 days, you can remove the odor-free clothing and shake off the borax.
Using activated charcoal requires similar principles, but a different application. Place activated charcoal within two old lengths of nylon leggings. Place nylons and clothing within enclosed box or trash bag for 5-7 days. After a week, remove freshened clothing.