Removing "odor" from cards

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 06 Nov 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Michelle	06 Nov 2004
I recently read at a large birthday party - ever since then my cards smell of smoke. Any thoughts on how to get the odor out of them ? Thank you ! Love,Light,Blessings, Michelle

Shalott	06 Nov 2004
Hmm...maybe putting them in a box with a sachet (sp?) of something? Or dryer sheets (my fave smell ever...) or soap flakes, or smoking them with good smelling incense?

Ace	06 Nov 2004
Sprinkle them with Baking Soda. The BS obsorbs the odor. then wipe them off, and the odor will leave with the Baking soda!

VGimlet	06 Nov 2004
You might also try putting them outside in the sun for a day. Of course, depending on your location, sun might be a little difficult to find these days.

Keslynn	06 Nov 2004
Be careful about putting your deck in direct sunlight. The heat and light can sometimes fade or warp your deck. I recommend just leaving them in the air but baking soda or incense would probably also work well. Good luck! :) Kes

blue_fusion	07 Nov 2004
i swear that soap thing works. i put a deck in my mom's used decorative box for spanish soap for a few days, then i decided to use another box for it. and the smell hasn't worn off ever since. or, maybe you could place them in a closed environment together with some charcoal for a couple of days. i just figured that if a piece of charcoal can help remove odors from the ref, then why not try it on some other things as well.

Michelle	07 Nov 2004
Thank you all so very much for your suggestions !! I LOVE this place !! I will be putting your great ideas to work tomorrow and see if I get my deck smelling good again. Love,Light,Blessings, Michelle p.s A friend recommended placing the cards in their wooden box with a small piece of sage- is this a good idea ? Thank you :)

ambermoon	07 Nov 2004
Clean cat litter works, especially the posh kind with baking soda and odor absorption. I've done some collaborative projects with artists who smoke, and have had to remove the smoke odor from paper. Make sure that each card comes in contact with the litter on both sides. I use a cardboard box and make alternating layers. Seal it all in a plastic bag for a week, then wipe off the cards with a duster. ambermoon

Rhiannon	08 Nov 2004
I had a deck that had a horrible smell of smoke on it and I tried baking soda, potpourri, washing them down with soap and water, just about everything! :( Then I finally put them in a little laundry bag that you use for your "delicates" and I put in a dryer sheet and ran them through the dryer on low heat. They came out smelling fresh, FINALLY! Good luck and I hope you don't have to resort to my extreme method! :)

seaofclouds	08 Nov 2004
Hmm... I happen to enjoy the smell of cigarette smoke. Reminds me of Grandma, for some reason. Also, I read at bars, and it comes with the territory... :) I do not like the *new deck smell* though. It's very chemical and makes me nervous. Do you think I could take a cloth sprinkled with some essential oils and wrap my decks in it? I'm afraid of grease spots... any ideas? Regards, Sea

Vilyariel	08 Nov 2004
when i got a deck before, it smelled really nice.. it was kind of an inscence scent although i don't know how you get away with inscence scent minus the faint smoky smell? I havent tried it, but i wouldn't recommend putting an oil soaked [lol, probably not that excessively!] cloth around your cards.. even though they are probably plastic coated, the oil could still sink in through the edges of the cards. it'd also make them a little greasy and hard to handle. I like Rhiannon's idea, even though it was a little extreme!

Keslynn	08 Nov 2004
seaofclouds wrote: Do you think I could take a cloth sprinkled with some essential oils and wrap my decks in it? I'm afraid of grease spots... any ideas? Regards, Sea Hi Sea, A true essential oil shouldn't leave any grease at all. They only will if they've been mixed in with a carrier oil. If you have pure essential oils, then it shouldn't be a problem. However, if you're nervous, you could mix the EO in with some baking soda or cornstarch and put that in with your deck. It's funny how we baby our decks. I don't think non-tarot people would ever understand. :) Kes

Shining_Moon	09 Nov 2004
Hi You could try putting the tarot near incense sticks (unlit ones!). They have to be good quality though- Nag Champa seems to scent everything it is near! Vix

Michelle	09 Nov 2004
Hi Everyone, I'm amazed at all of the great ideas for deodorizing my cards. Thank you !! Hopefully, I will get a chance do it tomorrow. Recently, I've been focused on battling in court for child support - so my cards and everything else has taken a back seat. I'm looking forward to getting back to my cards . This too shall pass.... ( I hope). Love,Light,Blessings, Michelle

Michelle	14 Nov 2004
I tried using incense to remove the smoke odor - and so far it seems to have worked. I lit an incense and ran the cards through the smoke . For now, they smell good. I just wonder if the smoke smell will come back once the incense smell is shuffled away. The smoke definitely seems to be a strong odor. Thank you all ~ Love,Light,Blessings, Michelle

Scion	15 Nov 2004
Especially effective for removing the new-deck-chemical reek: Put a palmful of White Sage & good Lavender in an oldfashioned jelly jar with the deck. Screw on the lid and leave it for three days in a warm (but not hot) place: roll the jar once a day to mix things up. They'll come out smelling as beautiful as they look. If you have a particularly resistant smoky stench, try doing a day with with baking soda first then the 3 days of herbs...

The Removing "odor" from cards thread was originally posted on 06 Nov 2004 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.