For twenty-four hours I left these five vintage cigar boxes sit with detoxing agents (baking soda, coffee grinds, dryer sheets, vinegar and Febreze) inside them to see which worked best to remove the tobacco/storage odors that came with them. I then removed the agents and did a sniff test. Before we get into the results, a reminder: none of what I do is ever meant to be expert advice, as I am certainly not an expert at anything. Follow my methods at your own risk, and please first consult an actual antique expert conservator or restorer to detox items that have value for you.
Okay, let's see how my experiment worked.
Baking soda (left) did nothing to remove the odors. I think if I let it sit for a longer period of time it might have done something, but for a 24-hour test it was a complete fail.
Coffee grinds (right) removed 100% of the odors, and left behind definite coffee scent. I like that and think it goes very well with wood, but if you don't like the smell of coffee this is not one for you.
Dryer sheets removed all the odors from this box and left behind a nice, faint scent.
Febreze (left) removed about 90% of the odors and (like the drier sheets) left behind a nice, faint scent. The problem with this agent is that it's liquid and may damage the cardboard box if repeatedly used. I do think if I throw in a couple of dryer sheets and let it sit for another day that should eliminate the lingering odor traces.
Vinegar (right) removed about 75% of the odors and (weirdly) left no vinegar smell. I was surprised as vinegar has always been my go-to for odor elimination. Like Febreze it's a liquid, and repeated use is not a good idea. I think I'll try again with a different agent once I remove the old, stained paper linings.
For me the clear winner was coffee grounds, with dryer sheets being the runner up.
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