Anyone have a good method for getting cigarette smoke smell out of a holster? I've tried cleaners, conditioners, and baking soda to no avail. Getting ready to try a vinegar solution, but wanted to see if anyone has already found something that works 100%.

Have you tried deactivated charcoal? Exposure to sunshine?

I would not try soaking it in a vinegar solution. Vinegar is the common name for acetic acid, and you'll never be able to get all the residue off the leather once it soaks in. Even if you try to neutralize it with a basic solution like sodium bicarbonate. And as you know, acid is corrosive and won't take much to chew the finish off the metal on a pistol. This is one of the reasons many people have traditionally stayed away from Mexican leather holsters, since many contained high traces of tannic acid.

I'd try airing it out, and/or putting it in a container with powdered activated charcoal, as suggested above. Do not allow the powdered carbon to come in contact with the leather; it will stain it black.

I've left it airing out for weeks with little reduction in the smell. I'll try the charcoal, then maybe coffee grounds. Thanks folks.

100% fail proof method to remove smoke odors in used cars.
Ozinizer in a sealed environment overnight.
Works every time.

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Dave Ramsey Cultist

Never heard of "Ozinizer" as a product, perhaps poster meant "Ozium", commonly used by hospitals as a deodorizer. When I was "on the job" we used to get Ozium spray from the hospitals. Target shows it for $5.95 for a 3.5 oz. spray can. Probably available at home improvement stores too. It worked well to eliminate the odor of decomposition of dead bodies, should work for tobacco smoke! Put the holster in a large zip-lock bag and spray a bit of Ozium in, leave overnight.

.................. because it's a machine. Ozone generator.

delete double post

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Dave Ramsey Cultist

That won't do it permenantly though, you have to use an ozone machine (ozinizer). You can buy em on Amazon. Smoke odor is an oil that has to be eradicated. The negative ions emitted (ozinizer emits) attack the odors and erase them.

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Dave Ramsey Cultist

Obviously you do not know what Ozium is, it is an ozone spray.

What you recommend is called an Ozonizer or Ozonator (looked it up). You are suggesting OP buy a machine that costs $80 to $500+ to fix a problem on a used holster worth what, $20?, instead of simply buying a $6 can of ozone spray that would do the same thing? That would be pretty stupid, wouldn't it! OP would be better off to just replace the holster with a new one!

Ozone (O3) is ozone whether from an ozone generator or compressed gas in a spray can!

Disappointed this is not about State Highway Patrolman collectibles…

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Uvidíme se později, aligátore.

OP can always use the ozonizer in his new cigar lounge at home to eliminate the cigar odors!
Win/Win in my book

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Dave Ramsey Cultist

Originally Posted by BU1 View Post
.................. because it's a machine. Ozone generator.




You obviously replied to the wrong person.
1. I never made any reference to "Ozium" in my 6 word post quoted above.
2. I never "recommended" anyone buy anything in my 6 word post quoted above.


3. Thank you for informing me that I obviously do not know what Ozium is.

What about striking a match, works for me in the boys room.

Get a small cardboard or plastic box to hold the holster and
cover the holster with dry Arm and Hammer Baking Soda .
Cover the box and give it a few days to draw out the smell ...
Take the holster out each day and mix up the baking soda ...
After 3 days , throw out the old baking soda and replace with fresh ...
Another 3-4 days and the soda should have pulled out the smell .

I find baking soda works just as well as de-activated charcoal and it's easy to get ... local wally mart !
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member

I had Smith plastic blue box with the foam liner that came with a gun i bought locally it smelled of smoke awful. i put several smell good drier sheets in it.then i put the box and several more drier sheet in plastic grocery bag . it took care of it

Update. I washed the holster with hot water and Dawn without immersing it, then rinsed and let dry. Put in bag with coffee grounds for 5 days, then 5 days in a bag with a charcoal odor absorber. End result was it still smells like smoke with a hint of Cafe' Speciale, lol. May try burying it in baking soda for a few days.

Do Try the Baking Soda ...
Both my Mom and My wife keep a open box of Arm & Hammer in their refrigerators & freezers ... both "Swear" the stuff removes the funky odors . I haven't tried it on "smoke" but I have used it on a leather holster that got wet in a flood and became covered in mold/mildew (green stuff) the Arm & Hammer got rid of the funky mildew smell .

At Home Depot ... Arm& Hammer oder absorber ...
14 ounce Box is only $0.98 ... Coffee cost a lot more than that , no sense wasting good coffee ... !!!

Try the Arm & Hammer ... You got nothing to lose ...
... but the smell !
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member

OK, this probably the last update on this. I bought a little ozone generator on Amazon and ran it in a bag with the holster probably for a total of 4 hours with it on and 6 just left in the bag afterward. Accomplished very little with that. Went back to the baking soda for a week, flipping it around a few times a day. Made some progress with that to the point that I can probably deal with the residual. Another week in the BS might make more progress, but I'm giving it a rest for a while. Time to move on to other projects, lol.