Removing Smoke Smell From Wood Furniture

Removing smoke smell from wood furniture can be challenging, but I have discovered that it is not impossible to remove most, if not all, of the odor. When I bought these Campaign dressers that reeked of smoke, I wasn't sure if it was possible, so I scoured the internet and found that some people had successfully removed the smell left from cigarettes. I was hopeful. What I found was that a combination of what others had recommended was what was needed to remove almost 20 years of smoke and nicotine odor. What I am sharing is what worked for me. It's what worked for wood that had a finish. I have not tried this on unfinished wood or plastic and I most definitely would not think of doing what I did to upholstery. 

By the time I was finished with my smoke removal regime, I could not smell any traces of smoke. I even had friends and family conduct a sniff test to make sure. They all agreed that the smell was gone. 

My Smoke Smell Removal Regime

I love vinegar! Is there nothing it can't do?

1. Throw baking soda in all the drawers and let that sit overnight. 

2. Dump out all baking soda and repeat step 1.

3. Wipe down the outside of the dressers with a mixture of 2 parts water to 1 part vinegar. This removed much of the nicotine residue.

4.Repeat step 3.

5. Mix 3 parts water to 1 part Murphy's Soap in a spray bottle and spray the outside and inside of the furniture.

6. Let this sit a couple hours and then wipe off. (I wore gloves. Murphy's Soap can really irritate the skin. Also, I couldn't wipe the Murphy's Soap off the inside but that was ok.)

7. Repeat step 6 if necessary.

8. Sniff - Hopefully all smoke smell has disappeared.

This is what I used.

Disclaimer: This was my very first experience at cigarette smoke removal. This worked for me, and hopefully it works for you, but I can not guarantee it. Nor can I guarantee that the vinegar and Murphy's Soap won't damage the wood, so proceed at your own risk. (I just had to add that.)