Cigarette Smoke in quilts

[Primitive1]

Maybe an air purifier in the quilt room?

Vicki

[ffq-lar]

Hanging finished tops outside works wonders. It is hard to do in the winter, though. I say, if your customers know about the smoker and still bring you tops, maybe there isn't a big problem. If it ain't broke.....

[busybee]

Usually washing & fabric softener will get out of the quilts will get out the stinky smell. I know how you feel. I am a ex-smoker and I have a keen sense of smell and yes now I know how offensive it is to non-smokers. Try a dryer sheet in the bag. You can get a smoke & air purifier. If you put one next to where he smokes mostly it will draw to the purifier. Go luck.

[ramona-quilter]

I got the opportunity to work in the Holding Room at MQS last year. Smelly quilts were put in a plastic bag with a bar of Ivory soap. It did help.

[lee]

I bought a Nascar Jacket from a customer that smoke,, it smell terrible,, I brought it home and put it in a plastic bag and put a bar of Irish Spring soap and tied the bag shut for a few days,,, the smell was gone, Hope this helps it sure did for me

Wilma

[RitaR]

If you get an air purifier machine, as Nita stated, put it near where the smokers usually fire up. If you put it in the sewing/quilting room

it will pull the smoke right to it.

Good Luck, and thanks for caring!

RitaR

[belquilt]

Barbara,

Use the soap method, it works. Febreeze - hummm - some people are sensative to that. The Air purifier will work. I am an ex-smoker and quit before my husband did. The air purifier worked for us, one in living room, one in the bedroom and one in the sewing/long arm room.

BTW, a local quilter in my area looses business because she smokes and people talk about the fact that when they get their quilts back they smell, also the quilts she has done for the LQS's have smelled and they have all said the same thing to where once they waited a week to hang one up. I wish they would tell her because she is a really good quilter.

[mrsbishwit]

My DH smokes, but he smokes outside on the back patio. He started smoking outside nearly 19 years ago when I was pregnant, the smoke made me really sick and the pregnancy made me more sensitive to it. This works for us.

I do have 1 customer that is a heavy smoker and she brings me 3-4 quilts once per year (they smell awful! and I gag everytime I work on them) but she is a nice lady so I just keep her quilts seperate from the others and that works.

Advice if it bothers you that much, mention to your DH if he would either contain smoking to 1 room only of the house or go outside. But if your customers know about it already and they don't mind why worry yourself over it.

[AnnHenry]

I bought an expensive air purifier here (it even has a light which kills germs) because I was fighting a mold problem. I am very happy with it.

allergybuyersclub.com

I can't get link to work, just cut and paste.

I also bought an Oreck little table top model (about $300 or so) that I am also very happy with. (I keep it by the litter box). It would work in just one room. I think Oreck products are good, and will be at least as long as the old man is in charge. Once he dies and succeeding generations take over, it'll go downhill like everything else does when the founder dies.

I have walked out of more than one store where the owner was puffing up a storm and every item in the store smelled of smoke.

[sewhappy]

Barbara-

It is nice that you are worried about the quilts but I feel as tho you have not thought the most important thing-YOU! We've all heard about the dangers 2nd hand smoke...Why are you allowing this in the house? I used to smoke but NEVER around the kids..DH still smokes but ONLY in his garage and in his truck. NOT in the house!! EVER!!! Now I know what works for one person may not work for someone else and it is entirely your call. Just thought I would put in my 2 cents, Remember that you are much more important than any thing! now I will step off of my soapbox.

[sewhappy]

Oh- the best thing about DH smoking outside is that in our very cold and very LONG Montana winters is that he smokes ALOT LESS!!!

[Susanri]

You also have to be worried about what they are calling Third Hand Smoke which is the residue left behind and it contains over 4000 chemicals that can cause issues for people! google third hand smoke it will make you cringe!

Just make him quit for his sake and yours. Its so hard... but one day at a time! Think of the money you can save in health costs you might not realize all those headaches respatory colds, allergies and so much more and I am not even talking about the cost of the cigarettes. Thousands of Dollars and your time being sick or the eventual deseases. I am sure you are loosing business no matter how careful you are

I am still angry at my mother for smoking she died angaizing death from smoking and as a child of a smoker my first year lving alone was my first year I spent healthy,

Any swap I participate in if the blocks come to me smokey I throw them away I hate second hand smoke that much. Nothing is worse or grose than a quilt that has smoke and then has been freebreezed.

Good luck

Susan

[kennan100]

Barbara,

I asked a similar question several years ago when I was new here. There was some good advice given in how to handle this situation so you might check it out. It began with this topic and then morphed into something else that was just hilarious which is not unusual here but perfectly fine with me! Here's the link:

http://www.apqs.com/quiltboard/viewthread.php?tid=4627&page=1#pid37207

[victoriasews]

I have a similar problem with perfune. I have a customer that reeks of perfume. I can barely breathe. When I opened the she had her quilt in, ready to start quilting, it, too, reeked of perfume. I almost couldn't quilt it. I have been thinking of telling her (a prolific quilter - brought in 5 this month) but I'm terrible at confrontation, even gentle ones. Airing outside usually works but when it's snowing and 0 degrees, I just can't do that.

[JustSewSimple]

No one at my home or even in my family smokes. That solves the smoke issue here. We don't have cats although I love them so that solves that issue for me as well. I am as far from the kitchen as the house allows but even better, since getting Lenni I have given up cooking. That is the BEST issue I have solved. Now, if I could get someone to clean for me..........perfection!:P:P

[Gator]

I agree with the perfume issue. I have COPD and I've quit going to the mall and a lot of events due to the "perfume". A couple weeks ago I actually had to ask my doctor's nurse if I could sit in a back room due to a ladies perfume. I couldn't catch my breath.