One of my favorite parts of camp is getting to sit around the campfire with my family and friends.
We share stories, sing songs, roast meals over the fire sitting in an outdoor chair and laugh at jokes. However, I have noticed that after the fun and merriments my clothes have a funny campfire smell.
I’m sure that most other people experience the same thing. This is why I’d like to share some tips on how to get the campfire smell out of clothes easily.
How to Remove Campfire Scents
I’ve personally tried out different methods to remove that smoky smell from my clothes, especially when I felt too lazy to wash them.
Here are some simple methods you can try at home:
1. Spray Alcohol Solution
Spraying some alcohol-based solution on your clothes can quickly get that campfire smell out.
The theory behind this solution is that alcohol has high volatility. It will evaporate when exposed to air. The nature of alcohol is useful because it evaporates other absorbed odors from the fabric.
Hence, if perfume or other alcohol-based solutions are sprayed on your clothes, the smoky smell would be evaporated rapidly.
You wouldn’t want to waste your fine perfumes, so spray just a fair amount to get the odor out.
2. Wash with Hot Water
Hot water is useful for a lot of things; washing is one of them. Get your clothes cleaned and rid of campfire smells by using a hot water wash.
Toss the dirty clothes in your machine and set the temperature to the recommended limit.
3. Dry in the Sun
A touch of natural sunlight can also do the trick. After the campfire fun, get your clothes into a bucket of clean water and rinse. Take the rinsed clothes out into the sun and spread till they’re dry.
Apart from removing smoky smells, this method also works for other sweaty odors. Just try to sun dry your camping gear and equipment for some minutes or hours after using them.
4. Try Lemon Spray
I also know how to get the campfire smell out of clothes with lemon spray. It would be nice if you can lay your hands on some while at camp.
The acid content of lemons is good and effective for combating odors. If you think about it, there are several cleaning solutions with a lemon theme.
Apply some lemon spray to your smoky clothes and watch the solution do its magic.
5. Wash with Baking Soda
To get the smell out of clothes, wash them with baking soda.
The natural constituents of baking soda make it a reliable solution for combating odors. Just add it to the washing machine mix.
6. Wash with Vinegar Bath
Another mixture you can use is vinegar and a hot water mix. Prepare the solution in your bathtub and leave your clothes to soak for some hours.
7. Soak in Enzyme Cleaner
To remove that campfire smell, prepare a mixture of enzyme cleaner and hot water. Leave your clothes soaked in the solution for some hours and then toss in the washer after.
8. Dry Outdoors
If you don’t want to waste your perfume on removing a smoky smell, you can opt for the natural solution. Get the clothes wet and spread them out in the sun to dry.
A natural breeze blows on the clothes and helps to reduce the unwanted campfire odor. The smell might not be gone totally, but there’ll be a significant reduction.
Final Thoughts
All these methods to get the campfire smell out of clothes are simple and straightforward. You can use any of them based on the solution available at hand.
For instance, you may not have vinegar or lemon spray at camp; you’ll have to opt for a more natural removal technique like sun drying.
I personally prefer the perfume spray. This is neat and doesn’t require washing or drying; just allow the perfume to evaporate a smoky odor and leave behind a sweet smell.
Whatever your preferred method is, make sure you have some of the discussed items with you next time you’re going to camp so you can enjoy a cup of coffee near the campfire. When you’re prepared, there’s no need to worry about the campfire’s smoky emissions.