Don't know if it will work, but the first thing I thought of was Fabreeze (sp?).

I hate the smell of Fabreeze, but I guess it's better than the old smoke.

Ozium is some good stuff..... I generally keep a small spray can in the car.... when the weather is bad, or too cold or hot, I smoke with the windows up.... but a little spritz of the Ozium, and you can't tell I even smoke in the car at all.

I used it for years back when I smoked a lot of Mother Nature too... if it will work on that.......

I just read up on the stuff a minute ago, and apparently it is effective on airborne odors, so I don't know if it will actually remove the embedded smell in those bags...

You can get the stuff for three or four bucks for a small can... might be worth a shot.

Good luck with it !!

Fabreeze and all associated products will only mask the smell, and only for a little while. The smell is tar and nicotine. You already knew that. You can scrub all nonporous surfaces with vinegar, an acid that will help to REMOVE the cause of the smell. If the padded interiors are porous, generously sprinkle baking soda on there and leave it sit for a day. You could probably dump some in there, zip em up and shake the hell out of it to spread it around. Vacuum it out and repeat if necessary. When the old man passed, everything he owned had that smell and that film on it so me and my wife got pretty good at cleaning stuff contaminated from smoking.

Hope this helps.

toodles

drumhack Coffee Break2Violinguitar2;)guitar3

My day job has me dealing with cigarrette smoke and nicotene removal almost on a daily basis.Ammonia,whether plain or scented,is the answer.But the bags will have to be immersed to actually remove the cigarette odor.A large capacity front-loading washer at the laundromat on warm,plenty of ammonia with a VERY SMALL amount of laundry soap to act as a dispersant,and air-dry.That is-if they can be immersed.I have washed drum bags before.That water will be BROWN.

Move along...it might mask, it might lessen, but it will NEVER go away. Smoking in a car is one the worst things one can do if it is ever to be traded in as you will be hit for an extra 500-1500, depending on the vehicle. There is absolutely NO way to be completely rid of it. Washing in a commercial machine is going to do the most, however, it may likely ruin the bags. These drum bags likely have been in this environment for a long time and the scent of the various components is deeply imbedded in the material. I quit 3 years ago today as a matter of fact, and I have some things that still reek of cigarettes....yuk...

Pass....

Bought my Genistas off a heavy smoker. The softcases reeked of smoke, and for weeks the spare room I store them in stunk of it too! It does lessen with time, but no, it doesn't completely go away.

I never smoked (tobacco), but I used to tend bar at a place where they hung customers' personal pewter mugs above the bar. One day it was really slow, so I decided to to give them all a cleaning.

I could only get through three or four at a time before I had to change the water, which was brown from all the smoke residue.

When the two regulars who happened to be there saw that, they both gave up smoking on the spot.

There's a great product call Zorbx that kills odors without creating a perfume smell of its own.

There's another one I like called Blaze Away, but that has a very strong fragrance.

THANKS TO ALL for all the great feedback!

There seems to be two schools of thought on this issue -- The first thinks that it IS in fact possible to remove the smell, while the second seems to believe that it's not worth the effort since, regardless of the method and/or product used, it will remain on the bags regardless.

Since I can probably get the entire set of (4) bags for $30, due solely to the smell, I've got to decide whether it's even worth that much of an investment.