Easy Ways to Get Campfire Smell Out of Clothes

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A family by the campfire after reading up on how to get campfire smell out of clothes before lighting a fire

A campfire can be the perfect spot to gather and reflect at the end of a day of camping. However, while many people love making s’mores and bonding around the fire, they don’t enjoy smelling like it. Smoke has a way of making you and your clothes smell like a campfire.

Are you tired of smelling like a campfire? Today we’ll learn how to get the campfire smell out of clothes.

What Does a Campfire Smell Like?

The smell of a campfire will depend on the type of wood you burn. Wood from a cherry tree will have a very sweet smell, while a red oak will have a more unappealing smell. However, most of the time, the scent people love from a campfire is the warm, earthy smell from the smoke created while the wood burns.

The smoke will waft through the campsite and campground as the wind carries it away from the fire. The closer you sit to a fire, the more likely you’ll end up smelling like a campfire at the end of the night. However, changes in wind direction and how the fire burns typically mean everyone ends up smelling like a campfire.

A family by the campfire after reading up on how to get campfire smell out of clothes before lighting a fire

Can You Wash Fire Smoke Smell Out of Clothes?

While you may enjoy the smell of a smokey campfire, you likely don’t want it in your clothes forever. Luckily, you can try several things while washing clothes to eliminate the smoke smell. Let’s learn more.

Pre-Soak in Vinegar

A bottle of distilled white vinegar is like the Swiss army knife of cleaning products. It’s incredibly versatile and can clean just about anything. Soaking your clothes in a solution of vinegar and warm water can help remove the most stubborn campfire smells. 

Simply mix one cup of vinegar per gallon of water. Ensure you have enough solution so that all of your clothes get submerged in the solution.

Allow your clothes to sit in the mixture for 30 to 60 minutes. If you can still smell smoke after soaking them in vinegar, you should dump the old solution and repeat the process. Let your clothes soak for 30 to 60 minutes until the smell dissipates. You can then wash and dry your clothes without fear of them wreaking like smoke forever.

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Use an Odor Eliminator

Using an odor eliminator in your wash can help remove campfire smells and other foul scents from your clothes. Your items may smell funky at the end of a camping trip, especially one full of adventures. Using a laundry detergent from a brand like Febreze can keep your clothes smelling fresh.

For the best results, allow your clothes to soak in a mixture of odor-eliminating detergent and water. For the most stubborn smells, you’ll want to use two capfuls of detergent for every gallon of water. This is a great item to have on hand to help ensure none of your clothes develop unpleasant odors.

Keep in Mind: Did you know you could change the color of your fire? Click the link to find out 5 ways to change your fire color!

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Wash With Lemon Juice

The citric acid found in lemons can be powerful against odors. You can either purchase lemon juice or squeeze two or three lemons into your washing machine before starting a load of laundry. Smokey odors will undergo a chemical reaction between the smoke chemicals and the citric acid, which neutralizes odors. You’ll have fresh-smelling clothes with a mild lemony scent as a result.

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Wash With Vodka

You don’t have to drown your sorrows because your favorite clothes smell like smoke. You can use vodka or clear alcohol to eliminate smoke odors. Add half a cup of vodka to your wash and let your washing machine do the rest. Smell your clothes before putting them in to ensure the smoke and vodka get washed away during the cycle.

If you want a more thorough approach, you can soak your clothes in the vodka mixture. Use half a cup of alcohol per one gallon of water for this mixture. Let the clothes sit for 30 to 60 minutes, then toss them in the wash like normal. 

Wash With Detergent

Some powerful detergents will work with your washing machine to do all the hard work for you. Products like Persil ProClean Odor Fighter can get some of the strongest smoke smells out of your clothes. Whether you just returned from camping or you discover clothes that somehow never got washed weeks or months ago, detergents can do the job.

In addition to using these items, you can combine them with other ingredients to beef up their muscles. Adding lemon juice or alcohol to laundry detergents can help you have fresh-smelling clothes.

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How Do You Get Campfire Smell Out of Clothes Without Washing Them? 

But how do you get campfire smell out of your clothes without washing them? You don’t always have a chance to wash your clothes when camping. However, just because you don’t have a washing machine nearby doesn’t mean you must tolerate stinky clothes. Here are a few tricks to eliminate campfire smells without washing your clothes.

Air Them Out

Don’t underestimate letting your clothes air out. Find a place to hang them up. As the wind blows through your clothes, the odors will blow away with them. This isn’t going to 100% eliminate the campfire smells, but it can drastically reduce them and make the scent of your clothes more tolerable. Letting your clothes air out can buy you some time until you can get to a place where you can wash them more thoroughly.

Clothes hanging outside to air dry which is a method on how to get campfire smell out of clothes

Use an Odor Eliminating Spray

Odor-eliminating sprays can neutralize the smells caused by a campfire. If you want to keep your clothes and other camping gear from smelling like smoke, consider having a bottle of spray in your equipment. Simply coat the fabrics that have absorbed smoke and let these sprays do the rest.

Keep in Mind: Another pesky smell to get out of your clothes is Diesel. To learn how to get Diesel smell out of your clothes, read this article!

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The Baking Soda Method

Baking soda does a fantastic job of getting campfire smells out of clothes. First, find a large bag to hold the items. Place them in the bag and add half a cup of baking soda, then seal it shut. Give the bag a few good shakes and let it sit overnight. While you’re sleeping, the baking soda will absorb the smoke odors. Remove the garments from the bag and shake loose any excess baking soda. 

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Does Febreze Get Rid of Smoke Smell on Clothes?

Many popular sprays, like Febreze, simply mask the smells in clothes and other fabrics. As the Febreze dries, the odors will return, and you’ll need to reapply the spray to reduce odors. However, they can be very effective at helping your clothes no longer smell until you can wash them. 

A woman soaking her clothes in odor spray after reading up on how to get campfire smell out of clothes
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Are You Prepared to Get Campfire Smell Out of Clothes? 

While we enjoy the sounds of a crackling fire at the end of the day, we don’t enjoy smelling like one. It’s one of the main reasons we rarely have a campfire while on adventures. We, like many travelers, have embraced a propane fire that provides the same glow but is smoke-free and won’t leave us smelling like a campfire. 

However, going home with a bag full of clothes smelling like a campfire is part of the camping experience for many people. If that’s you, make sure you plan for how you’ll rid your clothes of smoke smells at the end of your adventures.

Do you have any other tips for how to get campfire smell out of clothes?

Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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