Removing smoke from gift items

MaridethWentz · October 2013

My Shower was last weekend and I got lots of great gifts from friends and family, only problem is my Mother-In-Law smoked (she recently quite knowing I would limit the time DD would be around her). However over the months she had acquired many items, clothing, and these really cute bath toys all of which were given to me in a Rubbermaid tub that I can use for storage in her room. I cleaned the tub and all the clothes and got the smoke smell out of them however I can not get it out of the rubber ducks. I have soaked them in bleach, pine-sol, I have tried washing them with hand soap, laundry ect and they still stink!! At this point I just want to trash them and play dumb when she asks about them but DH won't let me, any recommendations??

esf60 · October 2013

Yikes. After all that, they still smell? In the trash they go.

jy725 · October 2013

Have you tired to put them in the dishwasher?

caseybeth1213 · October 2013

If it is just rubber ducks I would trash them and replace them before she even could ask what happened to them. That way your happy, she is happy, and and LO is safe.

mamashan12 · October 2013

caseybeth1213 said:

If it is just rubber ducks I would trash them and replace them before she even could ask what happened to them. That way your happy, she is happy, and and LO is safe.

This. Rubber ducks are cheap enough.

MaridethWentz · October 2013

I don't have a dishwasher, we rent and the house did not come with one.

I have been looking for them, but have yet to find where she got them from. I would have to replace them with the same ones, so she did not notice, I could ask and just say I wanna get more...

frantastic12 · October 2013

Maybe soak them in a water/vinegar solution? The vinegar smell will eventually go away. Or OxiClean, if you haven't tried that already.

mightymousy · October 2013

MaridethWentz said:

I don't have a dishwasher, we rent and the house did not come with one.
I have been looking for them, but have yet to find where she got them from. I would have to replace them with the same ones, so she did not notice, I could ask and just say I wanna get more...

Have you tried Amazon?

PinkinProvence · October 2013

Garbage. If she asks tell her why - this will help her understand why quitting was so important.

74dragonfly · October 2013

Id throw them out and get new ones. I wouldnt even tell your DH. My husband would not be able to tell the difference between them and I bet your DH wouldn't either.

Bottom line rubber ducks are cheap plastic toys, I would not get too stressed about them.

Ktrue85 · October 2013

Not sure why rubber duckies are the clincher between your happiness and your MIL. I'd say, "sorry but they smelled like smoke," and toss them. If your husband or her stay angry over that, then you have bigger issues than rubber ducks.

MaridethWentz · October 2013

Husbands not the issue, its his mom, and it is easier to keep the peace than to deal with her.

Thanks Ill try vinegar and water, something I already have in my pantry. If that doesn't work Ill try Amazon, Oxi-Clean and keep looking. Thanks for the recommendations ladies, that is what I was wanting.

grannyweatherwax · October 2013

I'd throw them out too. Plus, LO won't be able to play with bath toys for several months. By then no one will remember what the ducks looked like.

MEP923 · October 2013

I would trash them. My son loved putting the rubber duckies in his mouth. I wouldn't be comfortable with putting tons of chemicals on them to just get rid of a smell.

Exhibit A:

esf60 · October 2013

@MEP923 said:
I would trash them. My son loved putting the rubber duckies in his mouth. I wouldn't be comfortable with putting tons of chemicals on them to just get rid of a smell.
Exhibit A:

CUTEST. EVER.

lifesaverz · October 2013

I agree with MEP...I would not feel comfortable letting my LO put that in their mouth after using all kinds of chemicals. Just not worth it. If that's the only thing she gave you that you have to toss then that's not too bad. IF she asks about them I'd just be honest. I know you want to keep the peace, but some things are more important.

Ktrue85 · October 2013

OP wasn't looking for rational advice, guise, just what she could do to keep the ducks! Gooosh.

Want a personalized experience?

Removing smoke from gift items

Re: Removing smoke from gift items

Choose Another Board

Search Boards