Dear Tidyish: Removing cigarette smoke from old photos?featured
Dear Tidyish,
Random question: I have old photos that smell bad. (Dad smoked and there’s just that “old smell.”) What do you think? Do you have any ideas for my dilemma? -Jill S.
Dear Jill,
First off- I’ve wanted to be an advice columnist since I read my very first Dear Abby in the mid-80s. (So, uh, thank you.) And hoo boy, do I definitely have ideas for you! There are so many great products on the market for removing cigarette smoke and other bad odors (my recent write-up of the fantastic Hello Freshies comes to mind), but if you’re feeling a li’l DIYish, try these on for size:
Baking Soda. (What doesn’t baking soda do?) Place an open box of baking soda inside a large plastic bag alongside the photos laid flat- a sealable gallon bag works well, but so does a garbage bag knotted up if you’ve got a bunch of photos to work with. Give it a couple of days to remove any bad smells- longer if necessary!
Dryer sheets. Same plastic bag deal, but sub in any unscented dryer sheets (although scented would definitely get the job done faster!), and layer in the photos. I like this method for removing cigarette smoke a ton because of its foolproof/spillproof nature, and you’ve got nothing to lose by leaving them in a day or two more if needed.
Charcoal briquettes. Charcoal is a powerhouse odor-eater, and I highly recommend this for bigger photo/paper/book de-smoking. Get yourself a plastic bin with a tightly fitting lid, toss in a few charcoal briquettes, and layer the photos with a few newspaper pages. A bigger job like this might take the better part of a week, but charcoal definitely eats smoke (and burgers) for breakfast.
Kitty litter. Depending on your level of squeamish, (totally unused) kitty litter works in a pinch. Think about it: Those things were literally invented to absorb odor! Place a thin amount of the stuff in a sealable box and layer the photos, picture-side up. Seal that box and instruct any resident cats to go elsewhere, you guys.
Good luck, Jill, and many sweet-smelling photos to you!
