I know this reply may be like kicking a dead horse, but as a newby, I just wanted to say thank you for all the good ideas. I recently got a Playmobil lot through Ebay and was so disappointed to find that it smelled of cigarette smoke.
I followed two of the techniques described, running them through the dishwasher in a nylon stocking and then putting them on the deck to air in the sun. It worked! Thanks so much.
Joe