My aunt made this ceramic church. They were heavy smokers. It was in my attic for over 15 years. What can I use to safely remove the smell of the cigarette smoke?
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There is a product called Nok-Out, available on Amazon. It is safe and removes the smell completely. It is highly rated.
Have you thought about sealing it in a ziplock bag with baking soda for a period of time? I did this once with a vintage wooden item and it worked.
Your piece looks like it was sealed/glazed so you may be able to clean the outside but if you check the inside it may not be sealed (rough unsealed?) and if so it will be difficult to remove the odor from there as the oily smoke gets into the open pores.
You may want to start with something mild such as white vinegar. Maybe turn it upside down and spray white vinegar all inside the church. Give it a good coating and wait 30 minutes, rinse and let dry. You can also spray the outside and see if you can see the yellow scum looking stuff run off.
You'll probably need a very soft toothbrush to get in the tiny grooves. If vinegar doesn't do the trick then you'll have to go to something else.
Some people use a few drops of ammonia mixed in a cup of Hydrogen Peroxide and spray this on the item but you have to be very careful when using ammonia but it will remove tobacco stains/odors.
If you get your church looking clean but still has an odor you can try leaving it outside for a few days or place it in a black bag, an open container of clay cat litter or unused fresh coffee grounds seal it tightly and leave it sit for a week. many times this will work.
Or - take a Tupperware tub; add a rack to hold church off floor; place cat litter or fresh unused coffee grounds on bottom; set church on rack, close container and leave closed for a week or so.
Many people use baking soda either as a paste or make a paste with white vinegar or Hydrogen Peroxide and gently rub this paste all over item; using a soft toothbrush to get the tiny crevices.
Just be very careful and if you see even a speck of color coming off that is the time to stop and rethink everything.
If the outside is glazed, a gentle washing with baby shampoo or Dawn dish soap should work wonders on cleaning and eliminating odors. Then for the inside, if also glazed, repeat outside cleaning method. If inside is not glazed, put ceramic piece into a plastic bag big enough to seal with a twist tie or a tote with a tight lid, and put several socks filled with dry baking soda inside the church, as well as extras around the church. Seal it up and leave to sit at least two weeks. Check after the first week to see if the baking soda is absorbing the odor, and needs replacing. If it works at least somewhat, repeat as many more times as needed.
I had been given a ceramic Nativity set my Grandmother had made. In one of my homes, it had to be stored off-season in a basement, that smelled musty. When I took it out to use the next Christmas, the Nativity set smelled like the basement, so I washed it gently with dish soap...inside and out, and when dry it still smelled a little. So I sprayed the insides of all the figures with a solution of half lemon juice and half water, and let them dry. It worked great. Good luck and let us know what worked for you.
You can first try airing the piece out, outside. There are some that say 409 cleaner will work. Here is a link to a product that is a smoke eliminator - www.ebay.com/
Yikes. I am shocked that it still smells after 15 years in your attic. That is worrisome and concerning about getting the smell out.
Is the bottom hollow? If so, fill an old white sock with aquarium charcoal and put the sock in the church and let it sit in the sun for a day or two. If you see it is working, you may need to do this for several days to get rid of the smell completely.
Post back how it all works for you!
What a clever woman your aunt was.
Marg from England.
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