My house burned down Thanksgiving nite (last year). I know that everything was destroyed by soot or smoke damage so I didnt even go back to the house until yesterday. I just didn't want to see it.

As I figured, nothing was salvagable as I had been told by friends and family who joined together to help. I finally decided, what the heck, I am going to go find something, anything, for I had lived in this house the majority of my life.

I found my sister's two Paramedic jackets that were given to me by the county when she passed away 6 years ago. They had been in my attic for 5 years previous to the fire. I took that back to my new home to see what I could do.

I washed one at the time. I washed the first jacket 12 times in baking soda, then vinegar, all the things they say takes out smoke and soot damage. I then hung them out on the line for two days during the brisk cool weather, still no change.

At this point I was frustrated and angry at myself for not getting things a month earlier. I started looking around my cabinets and laundry room to find some stain remover. I picked up a red bottle which is what I thought was stain remover. I sprayed it all over the jacket and put it in the washing machine all night to sit and soak in "stain remover", The next day, I washed them with hot water, and washed them again in Woolite. (the only detergent I had not used )

As it turns out, the stain remover was not a stain remover, but a $1.00 bottle of spray oven cleaner from the one the the Dollar General stores.

There were no stains, no smell, the jacket looked perfect. The oven cleaner took out the stains and the woolite removed the smell. I cried for joy! I never knew that was possible. The house is scheduled to be burned down as a training process with the fire Department next week and I will be there with a truck to retrive anything that is worth trying to save, it worked even a month and1/2 later!!

Hopefully you will never have to use this, but if you do, it works.