How to Get Rid of Cigarette and Smoke Smell in an Apartment

Table Of Content

• Steam Cleaning the Carpets to Remove Cigarette Smoke Odor
• 11 Things You Didn’t Know Your Steam Cleaner Could Sanitize
• Tried-and-True Tips for Smoke Smell Removal
• The Ultimate House Cleaning Schedule: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and Yearly To-Dos All Homeowners Should Know
• Try an Ozone Generator for Stubborn Smoke Odors

Place box fans in windows and allow them to run for several hours to increase circulation. Letting exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathrooms run is a good idea, as well. It can be very hard to get rid of because thirdhand smoke contains toxic particles and gasses which can permeate both hard and soft surfaces.

Steam Cleaning the Carpets to Remove Cigarette Smoke Odor

Allow the baking soda to remain on the fabric for four to eight hours to absorb the smoke smells. Many sprays merely mask foul odors with other scents, but some can actually help minimize smoke odors. Unless you’re after a smoky lavender or pine forest fire aroma in your home or car, you’ll need to use a spray that can neutralize the odor. It’s bad enough when you’re in a public space and have to breathe in someone’s secondhand smoke. If you’re a non-smoker and you move into a house previously occupied by a smoker, you’ll know immediately.

11 Things You Didn’t Know Your Steam Cleaner Could Sanitize

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If your furniture has removable cushion covers, remove them, clean them in the washer with the gentle wash cycle, and hang them to air dry. To clean the rest of the upholstery, sprinkle baking soda over the fabric and let it sit for a couple of hours. Use the hose on your vacuum cleaner to suck up the odor-absorbed powder. Tobacco smoke clings to more surfaces in the home than you may realize, including curtains and carpeting. Explore how to remove cigarette smell from the house fabrics with baking soda and vinegar. Baking soda has natural odor-absorbing properties that will soak up the smell of cigarettes.

Tried-and-True Tips for Smoke Smell Removal

Whether it’s from a fire in the home or a wildfire nearby, put that scary memory behind you with these effective tricks for removing the odor of smoke. It can continue to permeate homes for months or longer, after that last cigarette has been smoked. Freshen the carpet or rug by sprinkling liberally with baking soda. Allow it to sit for at least eight hours before vacuuming the baking soda away. Use the upholstery brush and crevice tool to vacuum away the baking soda. These handy units use an electric discharge to produce ozone and remove strong odors from the room in less than 24 hours.

Of course, the best way to eliminate thirdhand smoke smell completely is to remove cigarettes from your life. Unlike sprays that just cover up the bad smells, these products capture the odor molecules and remove them from the air or upholstery. Zep Commercial Smoke Odor Eliminator is effective at removing smoke smells from the air, while Zero Odor takes the smoke smell off upholstery, drapes, carpeting, and walls.

The Ultimate House Cleaning Schedule: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and Yearly To-Dos All Homeowners Should Know

If someone’s been smoking in your house for years or even just months, the very air can smell like cigarettes. This typically happens when the residue from cigarette smoke builds up in your ventilation and its smell is distributed around your house. If you’re trying to get rid of the smell of cigarettes from a previous occupant, someone you live with, or if you’ve just quit smoking yourself, then this is the article for you. Use a natural vinegar spray before moving up in terms of aggressive chemical steps, and always wear protective gloves and a face mask when scrubbing nicotine stains. Consider an ozone generator for large-scale projects, and don’t be afraid to inquire about professional carpet cleaning. Our DIY air freshener spray provides a crisp punch, ideal for stale rooms and musty furniture.

Clean or Replace Curtains, Rugs, and Other Soft Items

The lingering odors are caused by the small particles of ash, nicotine, or cooking grease that settle on surfaces. If you have an extensive kitchen or house fire, consult a professional cleaning service to tackle the smoky odors. For campfire or cigarette smoke, try these tips to remove the lingering smoke smell in your home.

Using Vinegar and Baking Soda to Remove Cigarette Smoke Smell

The skin can absorb thirdhand smoke from clothes at a similar rate to inhaling secondhand smoke, according to a 2017 study. Therefore, keeping clothes smelling smoke-free could remove a potential health risk. A person can consider gargling with mouthwash and using a tongue cleaner after each cigarette to remove the odor. Mints, lozenges, cough drops, and gum might also overpower the smell of smoke. This article explains how to remove the smell of cigarette smoke from items, materials, skin, homes, cars, and other places.

Try an Ozone Generator for Stubborn Smoke Odors

Discover how to get smoke smell out of walls and other household surfaces with our smoke-busting suggestions. Deep clean carpets and upholstery using steam cleaning or professional services. Alternatively, sprinkle baking soda on carpets, leave overnight, and vacuum thoroughly the next day to remove embedded odors. While air fresheners can mask the odors temporarily, it's best to learn how to get the smoke smell out of your house for good. Smoke has microscopic particles that easily penetrate fabrics, including the porous upholstery on furniture, and this makes eliminating smoke smells from furniture difficult. The smoke removal strategies that follow use a variety of approaches and include several all-natural solutions for your stinky stuff.

Use a second clean sponge to rinse the wall with clear water to remove any soapy residue. Wring the sponge until damp to prevent drips on your freshly cleaned wall. Whether from a campfire, fireplace, or cigarettes, here's how to rid your home of that stubborn smoke smell.

While this will remove the residue and smell from the parts you clean, you probably won’t be able to reach your entire vent. Put your safety equipment on, open the windows, and seal kids and pets out of the room. Fill a 1-gallon bucket with warm water, and add a tablespoon of trisodium phosphate. Use the sponge to work across the walls until the smoke residue and unpleasant odor are gone.

This residue gives off toxic chemicals from tobacco that have demonstrated a risk to health in animal studies, including DNA damage. Thirdhand smoke can leave a lingering odor on carpets, cars, clothes, skin, and hair after a cigarette. The best way to remove this odor is to quit smoking, but a person can also help improve or remove the smell. Wipe down all surfaces with a mixture of warm water and mild detergent to remove nicotine residue.

Don’t forget clothes in dressers and closets as smoke can easily work its way into those areas. The absorption of nicotine, both into the lungs and through the skin, also affects the sweat glands. Nicotine makes you sweat more, and taints the way your sweat smells. If you sweat profusely, your skin will start to smell like rancid smoke. Spritz the carpet with a fabric refreshing spray to trap the odor-causing molecules. Toss any washable accessories like pillows, curtains, or bedding in the washing machine.

Ask This Old House home technology expert Ross Trethewey and painter Mauro Henrique discuss how to remove a cigarette smell from a home and why it is important to do so. Be sure to rinse the mop often to keep the solution as clean as possible. You can reduce thirdhand smoke cosmetically, but the best way to eliminate it completely is by not smoking. Cigarette smoke coats the inside of your mouth, gums, teeth, and tongue.

Work in a grid so that you cover the entire wall as you move the ladder. Before you wash walls for any reason, use a microfiber duster to remove cobwebs and dust. Many home improvement centers rent steam cleaners, typically for about $25 per hour, or you can purchase one. Prices range from about $80 to $150, with machines at the higher end offering greater water tank capacity, more features, and a wider variety of accessories. An option worth considering is the Pure Enrichment PureClean Steam Cleaner, rated Best Overall in our guide to the best steam cleaners.