The last time I went camping I put my tent a little too close to the campfire. Nothing got burned (thank goodness), but my tent reeked of smoke the next day. It got me thinking on how to get campfire smell out of your tent.
Campfire smell can stick to tents if it’s exposed for a longer period of time. I did some research, and there are natural ways to get rid of the smell such as citrus and vinegar sprays, sunlight, and baths. Read on to see the details of how to save your tent.
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Tent Cleaners
The first and most obvious method is to use a manufactured tent cleaner. These work well and can actually strengthen your tent’s waterproofing and UV resistance.
If you don’t want to use a cleaner, we cover a lot of natural ways to get rid of the smell below.
Nikwax Tent And Gear Cleaning
This cleaner by Nikwax is pretty affordable, and it comes with some nice features. All you need to do to us this is to spray on, let it set, and then wipe off.
Unlike most cleaners, this spray doesn’t strip waterproofing. It also features a foaming spraying to decrease runoff.
Not only this, but it also increases UV protection giving your tent a longer life.
Citric Spray
This method requires very little. All you need is a citrus fruit (like a lemon, lime, or orange) and a spray water bottle.
Zest your citrus fruit into some warm water. Let the water sit for 30 minutes to absorb the citrus elements. Put the water into the spray bottle, and then spray your tent liberally.
Citric acid is a natural deodorizer among many other things. The acid breaks down the molecules creating the smell and releases its own fresh smell as it dries. But citric acid isn’t so harsh that it damages the tent fabric like other chemical cleaners.
Warning! Don’t use Febreeze or other chemical cleaners on your tent. The chemicals can interact poorly with the material (especially in combination with the UV rays from the sun) and permanently damage your tent.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR SPRAY
This method is similar to the citrus, but it’s a little stronger. For this, you need to mix 2 parts apple cider vinegar with 1 part warm water.
This means that if you want 1 cup of cleaner. Measure out ⅔ cup of apple cider vinegar and mix it with ⅓ cup of warm water.
Put the mixture into a spray bottle and spray down the tent until it’s coated with the spray. After that, spread the tent out and let it air dry.
After the sugar in vinegar ferments into alcohol, if the liquid is fermented again it creates acetic acid. This acid is what breaks down stains and smells.
White vinegar and apple cider vinegar both work well. Apple cider vinegar is more natural, but it isn’t as strong. It also smells nicer.
If you want a stronger deodorizer, then opt for white vinegar. It’s produced in factories, but the process is still natural. Plain white vinegar is more acidic than apple cider vinegar, but its sour smell is stronger.
Related Reading: How does vinegar work for cleaning
BAKING SODA PASTE
If you’re family’s like mine, any time we forget something in the back of our fridge and it starts to smell, we go right for the baking soda.
Most “bad” smells, including campfire smell, are acidic by nature. Unlike the last two acid-based methods, baking soda is a base and works to deodorize by neutralizing the acids that are creating the smell.
For a tent, mix 3 parts water to 1 part baking soda. The creates a paste you can rub onto your tent. Make sure to get a thin layer everywhere on the tent.
Let it dry for around an hour or until the paste reverts back to its powdery form. Shake out the tent and vacuum out any leftover powder.
This should be helpful and very gentle on your tent, but it may require repeating this process multiple times.
Pro-tip: This is my favorite method for a getting campfire smell out of your tent. It’s gentle, neutralizes odors, and doesn’t replace the smell with any other smells.
SUNLIGHT METHOD
Bottom line: This is the most natural way to get campfire smell out of your tent. All you need to do for this is to set your tent out on in the sun and let it air dry.
It must be sunny out for this to work properly, and you need to make sure the tent is spread out and in direct contact with the sunlight. Not only does the “airing out” of the tent remove some of the smell, but the UV radiation from the sun can also break down the molecules creating the smell.
Some people swear that this is the most surefire way to completely get rid of a smell in your tent. From my experience, it does work well, but it takes time. If you’re out camping and it’s cloudy or you don’t want to wait to help minimize the smell, you may want to try one of the other methods.
DRYER SHEETS
Take some of your dryer sheets along on your camping trip for multiple uses. They can make useful tinder for starting a fire and rubbing them on yourself is said to repel insects.
Many people also suggest using them to remove smells (like campfire smell) from your tent. Just rub the tent with the dryer sheets, and they’ll absorb the smells quickly.
I haven’t tried this personally, but I imagine that it doesn’t work quite as powerfully as the other methods on our list. But the added benefits of using dryer sheets along with getting rid of smells may make it worth trying:
- Repels insects
- Skunks don’t like it
- Ticks are less likely to cling
- Gentle on material
- Easy to carry
- Really cheap
VINEGAR BATH
This method is similar to the vinegar spray from before. But now you’re back home and the tent campfire smell is just too much.
Fill up a bathtub with 2 parts vinegar to 1 part warm water. Submerge the tent in the bath and scrub at it with a gentle rag or washcloth.
Finally, take it outside and drape it over something like a clothesline. Once it’s dry, it should be completely smell-free. This is probably the best method for removing a hardcore campfire smell especially if you use the stronger plain white vinegar.
CONCLUSION
We hope you enjoyed learning about how to get campfire smell out of your tent. These 6 easy and natural methods can help save you from a headache.
The method I recommend is the baking soda paste and vinegar sprays. Baking soda works well at the end of the trip because it’s thorough but a little messy. The vinegar sprays are effective in a pinch but can leave a smell it’s dried out.
Now get out there and enjoy the fresh air!
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