I got a vest from a friend of mine that he hasn't worn for about two years, anyway the vest smells like smoke does anyone know how to get the smoke smell out of the my vest?  

Wash the g-d d-amn thing.[;)]

Fabreeze.

I'd rather smell smoke than B.O.

Already tried that!

I usally dry them the dryer. Is that bad?  

How long does it take to air dry them?

I wash my turn-out gear and spray it with Fabreeze. Sit it outside for a few days. Be careful not to let the sun fade it.

Another vote for Febreeze. My bullet resistant vest starts to smell like **** after a few days of wearing it in the hot S. TX sun. A little Febreeze after taking it off and it smells better for the next shift.

Karl

Try putting it inside a plastic box with a lid and putting a box of baking soda in the box with it, just like you would do to kill odors in a refrigerator.

After that, let it air out for a while.

Actually you can wash the panels.  It won't hurt them or reduce their effectiveness.  I read a study somewhere where they did a test to see if washing it would hurt the rating and it didn't.  Mine gets as wet from sweat as from washing it.  

Another vote for Fabreeze here.

I usally dry them the dryer. Is that bad?  

How long does it take to air dry them?[/quote]


The manufacturers generally advise against machine drying the carriers. Supposedly the heat melts the little hooks & loops on the velcro fasteners and causes the velcro to lose its holding power. At least that's what we have been told.

As for washing the panels, you will probably void any warranty on your vest, since the instructions usually say to wipe them down with a damp cloth & not to wash them. I think the problem is mostly with the repeated wetting & drying of the Kevlar/Aramid/whatever panels. Some NIJ tests showed that the ballistic protection degraded faster the more often the panels were soaked.

It may not be a real issue for the reliability of the vest, but I try not to take any more chances than I have to. Wiping the panels down with a cloth dampened with water & baking soda has always worked for me. Spraying the panels & the carrier with Febreze (Sp ?) & air drying them has been enough to keep them odor-free (at least at the beginning of a shift).

You are on fire!  Call 911!

Got a gore tex vest now. When I had the other one and it stunk I would soak it in vinegar and water (1 to 4). Leave it as long as possible. Air dry then wash again in soap and water then air dry.

It is probably one of those new smoking vests.

Well, thanks guys I can always count on my fellow law enforcement friends to help me out. I am washing the vest in the washer again. I hope it works this time.  

Can't he just skip the box and stick the vest in the refrigerator?

He probably could, but I didn't want to ruin the taste of the food.

Put it in a plastic bag with lots and lots of yellow cornmeal. Let it set for a day or two, brush off corn meal before using again. (Or make hush puppies![snoopy])

As far as I know, on Second Chance panels are bendable.  I definitely know for a fact that the Point Blank panels will lose effectiveness and will cause weak spots if you keep bending them in the same spot.  That being said, I wouldn't wash the panels.

My first vest was an old Safariland. I wore it everyday for 9 yrs in Arizona, and I don't care what they say about it being a dry heat, and it was soaking wet everyday. The instructions said not to use washer or dryer for cleaning. Soak in cool water with Woolite and air dry. Washed it on days off and let it hang in carport to dry. Never had a problem with odor in the vest.