First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Ventilate the room and wear gloves and an N95 dust mask while you handle sooty clothes.
- Don't touch or wipe the soot during your first look; it moves from item to item.
- Shake or brush loose soot off dry before any water touches it.
- Wash any ash off your skin promptly.
Smoke residue on clothes is a dry, oily soot, and it gets harder to lift once it's wet and rubbed in. Shake off the loose particles first, because rubbing or running water too early can push soot deeper into the fibers. Fresh marks lift much more readily than old ones, and washable fabric can need several washes before the smell is gone.
Sort the pieces by fabric and color before anything goes near a washer. Creosote stains on clothes do best with a pretreater before they go in the wash. Smoke smell out of fabric may need an odor eliminator on top of the wash, so don't stop after one cycle.
Before you start
What clothes can take
Safe to use3
- Water
- Soaking
- Enzyme cleaners
Use with care6
- Hot water
- Chlorine bleach
- Oxygen bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
Avoid1
- Heat, once the stain is out
7 items
What you'll need
Tap an item to get it on Amazon, or tick what you already have.
- Soft clothes brushLifts dry soot without spreading it into the weave. (opens Amazon)
- GlovesKeeps fine ash and soot off your skin and out of your lungs. (opens Amazon)
- An N95 dust mask (opens Amazon)
- Liquid stain-release treatmentThe base of the cold soak.
- Laundry detergentCleans the garment in the wash; use the correct dose for your machine. (opens Amazon)
- Clean white towelWeights the garment so it stays under the soak. (opens Amazon)
- Enzyme presoakFor old or dried marks that did not clear after one wash. (opens Amazon)
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7 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 7
Shake off the loose soot
Take the garment outdoors or over a sink, and shake or brush off as much dry soot as you can before any water touches it. Brush gently and keep the item away from the rest of the laundry so the dust doesn't spread. Dry-clean-only garments get this shake, then go straight to a professional.
Step 2 of 7
Rinse under cold running water
Hold the stained area under cold running water with a steady stream, letting the water run through from the back so the soot washes out instead of going deeper. Higher water pressure makes removal easier, so a steady stream works better than a trickle.
Step 3 of 7
Soak in cold stain-release solution
Mix 1 ounce, or 1 ½ tablespoons, of liquid stain-release treatment into each gallon of cold water. Lower the garment in and weight it with a white towel so it stays fully underwater for up to 5 minutes.
Tip. Use a container that holds at least a gallon so the garment can sit fully under the solution.
Careful. Bright or fluorescent items should not sit longer than 5 minutes, since unstable dyes can change color or fade.
Step 4 of 7
Add detergent and load the washer
Fill the cap with the correct dose of detergent, then pour it into the dispenser on an HE machine or straight into the drum before loading on a non-HE machine. Move the garment into the washer with other items without rinsing off the detergent.
Step 5 of 7
Wash at the hottest allowed setting
Choose your usual cycle and the hottest wash temperature the care label indicates. If the label doesn't list a temperature, wash cold rather than guessing.
Careful. Hot water can set protein stains such as milk, egg or blood, so if food or blood is also on the item, wash it cold.
Step 6 of 7
Unload and check right away
When the cycle finishes, take the garment out immediately so it doesn't sit in the drum. Look at the spot in daylight before deciding what comes next.
Step 7 of 7
Repeat if the mark remains
If the soot is still visible, run the cold rinse, the soak and the wash again. Only once the mark is gone should it be hung up to air-dry.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for smoke on clothes
For the soak, use a liquid stain-release treatment, and keep an enzyme presoak on hand for the set-in step.
OdoBan Odor Eliminator & Disinfectant Concentrate
Shout Triple-Acting Laundry Stain Remover
Clorox 2 Laundry Stain Remover and Color Booster Powder, 49.2 Ounces
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on clothes, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light before using any heat. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
See what to do for what you're seeing →If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
Soot should lift out as dark, gritty water runs from the fabric during the rinse, and the spot should look lighter once the soak is done. If the mark still looks dull or smudged after washing, it isn't gone yet, so repeat the earlier steps before anything goes near heat.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your clothes
Clothes from a house fire
Fire-damaged clothes usually carry more soot and a stronger smell than everyday smoke marks, so follow the steps exactly and expect to repeat them. Repeat the laundering 3 to 5 times without drying in between.
If the smell is still there after that, take the items to a dry cleaner that offers an ozone deodorizing service and tell them the clothes came from a fire. Bulky or delicate pieces should go straight to a cleaner rather than the washer.
White clothes and shirts
White cotton shirts can take the full method, including the hottest wash the care label allows. Chlorine bleach is the one step that goes last, only after everything is fully rinsed out, and only on colorfast whites whose label allows it.
If a white still looks dingy after one wash, repeat the earlier steps before reaching for the bleach, so you aren't bleaching a stain that is still full of soot. Run a bleachability test on a hidden seam first.
Colored smoke from smoke bombs or dye
Colored smoke can dye fabric rather than just dust it, so the stain may not come out the way soot does. Test a hidden seam first by dabbing it with the cold soak and pressing a white cloth to it to see whether color bleeds.
If color transfers, stop and take the item to a dry cleaner. Colored items should skip the bleach steps and the oxygen bleach option, since they can change color.
Jeans, polyester and baby clothes
Jeans can take the full method, including the hottest wash the care label allows. For polyester, read the care label before washing and use the temperature it lists; if no temperature is listed, wash cold.
Baby clothes are the one place to stay cautious: wash cold, and skip the bleach steps and the set-in options unless the label clearly allows them. Keep a close eye on the spot after each wash before moving on.
Campfire, fireplace and exhaust soot
Campfire, fireplace, candle and exhaust soot all follow the same order: shake off the dry residue outdoors, then rinse and soak before the wash. Because soot is oily, exhaust marks often need a second wash, so repeat the steps before anything goes near heat.
If the smell lingers, repeat the laundering several times without drying in between, as for any smoke odor. Brush off ash outdoors so the dust doesn't spread through the house, and give the spot a second full round before you give up on it.
Old, dried or set-in stains
An old soot stain that has sat for days is harder to lift, so give the cold rinse and soak a full go before anything stronger. Then add an enzyme presoak in cold water, overnight if needed.
Dried soot follows the same logic: brush or scrape off the dry crust first, because wetting it too early spreads it. For colorfast fabric, an all-fabric oxygen bleach is the gentler choice, but test a hidden spot first and keep it away from wool, silk and leather.
If the garment has already been through the dryer, heat has probably set some of the stain, so expect more rounds. Repeat the soak and wash, and use chlorine bleach only as the last step on colorfast whites whose label allows it, after everything is rinsed out. If it's still there after two or three rounds, take it to a professional dry cleaner rather than trying harsher products.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on smoke on clothes?
Most household remedies people reach for on smoke marks aren't worth the risk on clothes. Some are unsafe on fabric and others don't suit soot, so stick to a cold rinse and a stain-release soak.
Skip5Avoid1
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't rub or wipe the soot first
Rubbing or wetting it first can push soot deeper into the fabric, where it can leave a permanent mark. Brush it off dry and let the rinse do the lifting.
Don't dry or iron a stained garment
Heat sets the stain, and it can become impossible to remove. Keep it out of the dryer until the mark is gone, even if it looks almost clean.
Don't use fabric softener or fragranced products
Fabric softener should stay off smoke-damaged clothes until the odor is gone. Fragranced cleaners only mask the smell, so they don't fix the problem.
Don't use acetone on acetate
Acetone and nail polish remover dissolve acetate, triacetate and modacrylic. If you have one of these fabrics, take it to a dry cleaner and point out the soot.
Don't use bleach at full strength or mix it with ammonia
Undiluted bleach can weaken the fabric so it tears sooner, and mixing it with ammonia creates toxic fumes. Rinse thoroughly between any two stain removers.
Don't use chlorine bleach on wool or silk
Chlorine bleach is not safe on wool, silk, mohair, leather or spandex. Check the care label before you reach for it on any other fabric.
Don't rub bar soap onto a fresh stain
Bar soap sets many stains when rubbed in. Skip it entirely for soot and use the soak instead.
Troubleshooting
If the stain is still there
Pick what you're seeing:
A gray shadow remains after washing
Repeat the rinse, soak and wash before drying. Use the hottest temperature the care label allows.
Soot spread to other clothes in the wash
Rewash the affected items with the same soak and wash. Next time, shake sooty items well and keep them separate before laundering.
The garment went through the dryer with soot on it
Try the full soak and wash anyway. Heat-set stains may not come out completely, so consider a dry cleaner.
When to call a professional
Take dry-clean-only garments to a professional cleaner as soon as possible, and tell them the fiber content and that the stain is soot from smoke. Take washable items there too if the stain covers a large area, the item is bulky or the fabric is fragile. Suede, leather and fur trim go to a cleaner who specializes in that material.
Questions
Does ash or soot stain clothes?
Yes, and it can become permanent if you handle it wrong. Soot is oily, so rubbing or wetting it first can drive it into the fabric; shake it off dry, then follow the steps.
Can you get smoke smell out of clothes?
Usually yes, but it can take several rounds. Expect three to five full laundering rounds with no drying between them. If the smell persists, a dry cleaner with an ozone deodorizing service is the next step.
Will airing clothes out remove the smoke without washing?
No. Airing out won't remove it, because the odor lives in unburned chemicals stuck in the fabric. Those need to be washed out, so start with the cold soak and the wash.
What if the clothes already went through the dryer?
The stain is harder to remove but not always lost. Heat sets it, so start again with the cold soak and the wash. If it's still there after a few rounds, take the item to a professional.
Can I use vinegar on smoke stains?
No. No, vinegar can weaken cotton and rayon and change color. Stick with the cold soak and the wash for smoke marks.
Can I use bleach on white shirts with smoke marks?
Yes, but only on colorfast whites whose care label allows chlorine bleach. It goes last, after everything is fully rinsed out, and you should test a hidden seam first.
Do I need a dry cleaner for smoke-damaged clothes?
Dry-clean-only garments always go to a professional. Washable items should go too if the stain covers a large area, the item is bulky or the fabric is fragile.
Odor guides
Still smells?
Smoke on other materials
Other stains on clothes
Start from the bigger picture
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.