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I just bought some plastic raincoats on e-bay (Primark jackets from England) but the bloody prick of a seller (may the fleas from one thusand camels infest their armpits & other unmentionables!) never bothered mention the horrible smoky smell; it's really bad *sigh*

Anyway, does anybody have any idea how I can wash it out or get rid of it any other way?

mason wrote:I just bought some plastic raincoats on e-bay (Primark jackets from England) but the bloody prick of a seller (may the fleas from one thusand camels infest their armpits & other unmentionables!) never bothered mention the horrible smoky smell; it's really bad *sigh*

Anyway, does anybody have any idea how I can wash it out or get rid of it any other way?

Hi Mason,

There is no way of getting rid of the smell of smoke from plastic/pvc as it taints the plastic and is impossible to remove.

Regards

Ben

all you can do is keep washing it, maybe soapy water and the smell of the soap will counteract the smell of the smoke.

I guess those Primark jackets are rather new so maybe just washing and airing them for a couple a days could remove it. I have had a few nylon/pvc coated items I cleaned that way. I didn't even use soap as I didn't want those items to smell of soap either, just water and a lot of airing.

It might be impossible to get rid of the smoky smell completely, but it can be reduced. Washing, especially with soap, is not so good, as it degrades the pvc. Instead, hang the clothes in your bathroom while taking hot showers or baths, or drape them over a not too hot radiator for a few days. Both, warm and humid air take away a lot of the smell. I am having trouble with pvc clothes that I enjoy in my home-office, where I smoke a lot, and the above methods do help.

I tried the following : Take a bathtub full of water (40 degrees celsius), put a very mild baby shampoo in it, then let the raincoats in the warm water for 24 hours, then take them out and put them in clear water again.