Kilts and cigarette smoke

[Geoff Withnell]

Barb, while the woman probably won't appreciate the comment or critique of the garments she is producing are smelly, it would be doing her a disservice to her and her future clients if it wasn't gently commented on. I know for example, that I have asthma and just being in a space that is recently smoked in or sitting close to a person who is a heavy smoker can set my asthma off.

And I know that if I buy a fabric article that I expect said article to not smell of an individuals addiction ( I loathe the term habit ) . My concern about using a chemical like Febreeze is while Febreeze is fortunately not something that sets me off) that someone else may have an allergy to it and that the kilt may have to go to a professional dry clearner to deodorize.

Febreeze is just barely a chemical. It is actually a spray starch, so formulated to have a very high surface tension. The starch forms very small droplets, surrounds the small particles that create odor, and when dry, since the droplets are almost microscopic, just become a small amount of dust particles, with odorless starch on the outside. Since this particular starch is non-sticky when dry, the dust just floats away to be dusted or vacuumed with the rest of the household dust.

Geoff Withnell

[meinfs]

Febreeze is just barely a chemical. It is actually a spray starch, so formulated to have a very high surface tension. The starch forms very small droplets, surrounds the small particles that create odor, and when dry, since the droplets are almost microscopic, just become a small amount of dust particles, with odorless starch on the outside. Since this particular starch is non-sticky when dry, the dust just floats away to be dusted or vacuumed with the rest of the household dust.

Geoff Withnell

Sorry about the late entry into the discussion.

Fascinating information about Febreeze. Thanks.

It is very much like soap/detergent action where micelles form around dirt particles (encapsulates them) and makes them soluble in water. Mechanical removal with rinsing takes care of the dirt.

And not unlike smoke, which is a colloidal suspension of solid-in-gas.

Sorry to hear about your place getting smoked out, Barb. I'm glad that DC has and some MD counties are smoke-free. Oh and in VA too! We never thought that could ever happen! Sweet! I get flummoxed with all the smoke in my kilts when I go bowling in Alexandria!

[meinfs]

Perhaps acquire one of those ionic air purifiers, that attract dirt, smoke, bacteria in dust. I feel that they work. I have one and it's always on! It should help purify the air.

[Declan Rowan]

Also getting into the convo late, but just two non-kilt related and one kilt related bits:

When I worked for the family business of renovation and home repair, we would rehab entire apartments. One was a woman who was described as a moderate smoker. We had to wash the walls 10+ times, because the water would turn yellow as it ran down the wall. It's incredibly sticky.

Part the second - Occasionally our mail/packages that are delivered to the house smell like smoke. I know it's not our Mail Carrier, so its either someone driving the mail from place to place smoking while driving or someone who has enough residue on his or her hands processing the mail. Either way, I've had to throw out holiday cards as soon as I receive them due to the smell. Contacted the post office, still waiting to see what happens.

Part the third - I have one wool kilt that I bought second hand. I have a few Poly-Vs as well. If I know there is smoking going on at a place we're heading, I make sure I take the most likely to be retired kilt out of the closet, and, like others have said, put it in solitary confinement for a few days in the basement. If I know that I will be in a group with someone who smokes, I will often times skip the kilt entirely. My future father-in-law smokes pretty heavily, and I just don't wear my kilt up to their house because it's easier, though far less comfortable.