Hi,
As I mentioned in another thread, I recently acquired a collection of france and son made chairs and tables.
The downside of this acquisition (and it definitely gave me pause) was that this furniture came out of the home of a heavy smoker...and in her last years the arne vodder lounger was her favourite seat...I picture her arm down near the rest with endless trails of smoke billowing around the room as she did the heavy lifting between ashtray and lips (the cords of the lamps that came with the furniture were brown all the way up to the egress hole where a tiny peek of pure white tells the story better than words....)
The upside is that the upholstery on all the chairs was loose cushions...I can take the covers off and start over but the grete jalk cushions have a sprung frame and the muslim covered cushion may still carry that odor in the end...the arne vodder lounge chair seems to have replacement cushions without the springs so that is moot.
so, I have searched the forum for discussions of removal of the smell of smoke and the collection of nicotine and have found references to murphys soap, lemon oil/ sunshine and white vinegar etc. including the recent suggestions in the thread Grendel the Cat just put thru with the mulhauser style chair.
All of the furniture I got in this collection is the very same colour. I cannot tell if someone put a finish on top of the wood ( polyurethane, etc...) or if it is just nicotine. I want to get rid of the odor but I am not sure I should start removing the patina on these pieces...I am afraid of making everything a sticky mess...
Looking for advice since I know there is no magic or miracle..I am either in or out but want to do the least invasive thing to neutralize the smell as much as possible without changing the patina on an entire set of furniture...
how does the least to most invasive method list look? is vinegar the first effort? or murphys...murphys will strip the wood eventually even if it makes it sticky while in process right? after using murphys do you then restore the surface with teak oil?
any comment is appreciated and any other successful strategies in neutralizing smoke odor on wood would be much appreciated
thanks for looking 
<img class="wpforo-default-image-attachment w
The solution is simple. Just start smoking. Perhaps with a light cig at first, then eventually start sparking the big red's. Patina come with smell.
Best,
Aunt Mark
ps Those are some lovely pieces!
..I picture her arm down near the rest with endless trails of smoke billowing around the room as she did the heavy lifting between ashtray and lips. I love this! my god.
Protocol for basic cleaning of wooden furniture: Give all surfaces a good rub down with either mineral spirits or naphtha on a clean cotton rag. This won't hurt any finish but will remove most if not all grime and/or wax build up. I like white rags for this as they show the color of whatever comes off. Work in a well ventilated space or outdoors and, um, don't smoke while doing this. Let the rags air-dry before disposal. They are not a spontaneous combustion threat. Afterward, the surfaces can be assessed for condition and re-oiled and/or waxed to even out sheen. This should take care of residual tobacco smoke odor. As for fabrics, others may have good ideas about how to treat them.
Murphy's Oil Soap will remove all nicotine/tar residue but it will also break down the oil finish on the wood---at least if you use it undiluted. I think that it just makes a sticky mess when diluted with water...? I think I tried it that way once and then just went to full strength.
You can restore the patina with oil, it just may take a few more coats than usual. At least the stuff I've redone has always come out fine with just oiling. If you do end up using Murphy's, just be sure to rinse it ALL off before oiling!! Any film of soap could cause the oil to cloud up.
I don't remember anything of mine smelling like cigs once I was done with it. Wood stuff, i mean. Vinyl is another story.
As for the cushion covers, start by getting them dry cleaned. Hopefully that will do it. A lot of upholstery fabric isn't washable---it will shrink, possibly a LOT, or it will get puckered from some of the threads shrinking more than others.
tktoo,
thank you again for helping me start somewhere with confidence...invaluable...
spanky,
personal experience relayed with kindness on the blog...again invaluable...it is why I visit
and Auntie...
I have been considering revisiting some of my old vices but nicotine will likely not be one of them...but perhaps I can mask the smell with oblivion...I am truly flattered that you enjoyed my prose...made my day actually...
I hope we both come again soon
xx
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