How do I remove a chemical odor from jeans?

Nancy Smith
by Nancy Smith

I have a pair of black jeans with a strong chemical odor; I have washed them in vinegar, borax and soda. The jeans are going to be worn out before I can stand to wear them. Any suggestions?

  4 answers
  • Fiddledd224 Fiddledd224 on Sep 19, 2018

    Place them in a large plastic bin and cover with scoopable kitty litter (clean litter - haha).... kitty litter is designed to remove odors. Leave the jeans in the bin for at least one day. Shake all litter off and launder using liquid fabric softener to remove any trace of litter. Should work really well.

  • Ebbjdl Ebbjdl on Sep 19, 2018

    Nancy,. Wash in hot water, with Lestoil, about 1/4 cup in about 4 quarts of water in the washer. Spin out, smell it see if most of the smell is gone, then wash with your regular laundry liquid. Repeat. Don't use fabric softener. Don't dry in dryer, let it hang dry. This should work, I got cat urine out of clothes, and that really smells. Aloha!


    • Nancy Smith Nancy Smith on Sep 19, 2018

      Thank you, if the cat litter doesn't work, I will try your idea. My only problem, I didn't want the jeans to shrink in length.

  • Ebbjdl Ebbjdl on Sep 20, 2018

    They shouldn't shrink unless you dry them. Iron them. Aloha!

  • Joy30150932 Joy30150932 on Sep 20, 2018

    Wash them again in the vinegar and warm water and lay out in the sun to dry.