ShekinahMoon
I say just lay them out and air out. They will loose the smell of smoke over time. Wouldn't keeping them a plastic bag trap the smoke smell?
Getting the smell of smoke off a deck?
Samarah
Hi,
After reading of your predicament the immediate poss solution which came to mind was tumble dryer sheets. Half them and place every so many card through the deck.. plastic bag them, leave for a couple of days and voila.. yummy tumbly freshness. They can be cleanly removed afterwards so no soda or herbie bits all over and no staining.
Love & light
Samarah
After reading of your predicament the immediate poss solution which came to mind was tumble dryer sheets. Half them and place every so many card through the deck.. plastic bag them, leave for a couple of days and voila.. yummy tumbly freshness. They can be cleanly removed afterwards so no soda or herbie bits all over and no staining.
Love & light
Samarah
G6
BAKING SODA!
Baking Soda works! Open a box or can of baking soda and place in a sealed ziplock bag with the deck. Wait a week or two and the smoke smell will be gone!
Baking Soda works! Open a box or can of baking soda and place in a sealed ziplock bag with the deck. Wait a week or two and the smoke smell will be gone!
2orangetabbies
May take lots of tries!
Ugh -- got a lovely deck in a swap last year and it simply reeked of cigarette smoke. I did everything suggested over several weeks: dryer sheets, baking soda, kitty litter, airing them out, saging. And still they reeked! One thing to keep in mind is that if they were in a smoker's care for any length of time, they have that smoky film that items in a smoking household get. I finally wiped every single card, front and back, with a damp cloth, which really helped. And once they were dry, I tried the baking soda thing again. Months later, they are bearable. I will never bring home a used deck again without first getting confirmation that they are not from a smoking household. It's just not worth the effort, IMO. Good luck!!
Ugh -- got a lovely deck in a swap last year and it simply reeked of cigarette smoke. I did everything suggested over several weeks: dryer sheets, baking soda, kitty litter, airing them out, saging. And still they reeked! One thing to keep in mind is that if they were in a smoker's care for any length of time, they have that smoky film that items in a smoking household get. I finally wiped every single card, front and back, with a damp cloth, which really helped. And once they were dry, I tried the baking soda thing again. Months later, they are bearable. I will never bring home a used deck again without first getting confirmation that they are not from a smoking household. It's just not worth the effort, IMO. Good luck!!
magicjack
Try sprinkling them with a lavender or scented powder. I do that with old decks that get dirty to make them slippery and to smell good.
Mythtaken
About fifteen years ago, I bought a used cookbook online, and it had a really intense smoke reek. Bleah.
Without really thinking about it, I put the book in a ziploc bag with some moth balls and left it in the garage.
After a while, I checked on it, and yeah, it reeked of moth balls. Guess they crowded out the smoke smell? Eventually the mothball smell went away, so I brought it inside, and I've been using the cookbook very happily ever since.
Without really thinking about it, I put the book in a ziploc bag with some moth balls and left it in the garage.
After a while, I checked on it, and yeah, it reeked of moth balls. Guess they crowded out the smoke smell? Eventually the mothball smell went away, so I brought it inside, and I've been using the cookbook very happily ever since.
Nemia
I had the same problem with some decks I bought second hand. The only thing that really helped was TIME. I tried it all, baking soda, the freezer, lavender, I wiped the borders with alcohol... but the smell only went away when I put them one a high shelf, spread out nicely, and let them air out for several weeks. Now the smell is completely gone.
DDwarks
Ive been trying that one too for a heavily perfumed deck but it still pongs to high heavens.
Its been 2 months now !
Starri Knytes
I cut the deck in 3 stacks. Then wrapped 2 stacks with a lavender scented fabric sheets, then put the deck back together with the unwrapped stack between the 2 wrapped. Then place the deck inside of a bag for a couple of days.
I wouldn't leave the deck this way indefinitely just a day or two. It should smell much better when you take it out of the bag.
I've done this with 2 very smokey decks with great results.
Good luck with yours
I wouldn't leave the deck this way indefinitely just a day or two. It should smell much better when you take it out of the bag.
I've done this with 2 very smokey decks with great results.
Good luck with yours
_R_
There have been some very good suggestions in this thread, from physically cleaning the deck (perhaps using talc), sunning and airing, freezing in a ziploc bag, and use of scents (that order seems about right).
I would like to draw readers' attention to a French type of scented paper, "Papier d'Arménie", a now-traditional remedy to unpleasant odours made from strips of paper dipped in benzoin resin.
Burn a strip of the paper to purify the atmosphere - it really does cleanse the air instead of simply masking the smells. Benzoin incense is also used in Eastern religions for purification of a less physical kind, and it is commonly used for this purpose by French Tarot readers too.
Also, a few strips placed between the pages of old books can help remove musty smells. I keep a strip or two at the bottom of Tarot boxes to keep the decks fresh.
This paper is now available worldwide through online sellers, for example, Amazon.
I would like to draw readers' attention to a French type of scented paper, "Papier d'Arménie", a now-traditional remedy to unpleasant odours made from strips of paper dipped in benzoin resin.
Burn a strip of the paper to purify the atmosphere - it really does cleanse the air instead of simply masking the smells. Benzoin incense is also used in Eastern religions for purification of a less physical kind, and it is commonly used for this purpose by French Tarot readers too.
Also, a few strips placed between the pages of old books can help remove musty smells. I keep a strip or two at the bottom of Tarot boxes to keep the decks fresh.
This paper is now available worldwide through online sellers, for example, Amazon.
