There are many reasons for cigarette smoke odor in the home, whether you or your guests are smokers or a renter, and it’s from the previous tenant. While the smoky smell alone is displeasing, the smoke particles attach to surfaces, leaving a lingering scent challenging to eliminate. Discover how to get cigarette smell out of the house quickly and effectively with a few simple techniques.
Cigarette smoke permeates everything from hard, porous surfaces to fabrics and carpets, leaving a room with an unpleasant odor. Therefore, the first step in removing the smoke smell is to open windows, circulate fresh air through the home, and improve the air quality.
However, these surface areas become saturated with smoke residue over time, filling the air with a constant stale smoke smell. This odor results from secondhand smoke drifting through the air and smoke molecules settling on materials. The best way to eradicate the smoke odor is to remove this thirdhand smoke residue.
- Ways to Get Cigarette Smoke Odor Out of the House
- Getting Rid of Cigarette Smoke Smell in the House Fast
- How to Remove Cigarette Smell from the House with Charcoal
- How to Get Cigarette Smell Out of the House with Lemons
- Use Baking Soda to Absorb Cigarette Smoke Smell
- Using Vinegar and Baking Soda to Remove Cigarette Smoke Smell
- Cleaning the Walls to Get Rid of Cigarette Smoke Odors
- Eliminating Cigarette Smoke Odor in the Upholstery
- Getting Rid of Cigarette Smoke Smells by Cleaning the Windows and Glass
- Steam Cleaning the Carpets to Remove Cigarette Smoke Odor
- Getting Rid of Cigarette Smoke Odor by Mopping
- Making Homemade Cigarette Smell Odor Absorbers
- Ways to Prevent Cigarette Smoke Smells in the House
Ways to Get Cigarette Smoke Odor Out of the House
A home that smells like tobacco smoke is nasty, especially if you’re not a smoker. Fortunately, there are several ways to remove cigarette smell, whether from an occasional cigarette or long-term smoke damage to the walls and floors.
Getting Rid of Cigarette Smoke Smell in the House Fast
If your home is not saturated with the smells of cigarettes, there are several methods for getting cigarette smell off leather furniture and out of the house fast. Follow these tips for getting rid of a smoky odor quickly.
The simplest way to get rid of cigarette smoke odor is to use an air freshener, and there are many freshening scents on the market, from floral to fruity. However, we find that an air freshener with the freshest scent works best.
Scented candles and oil diffusers are other great tools for eliminating tobacco smells. While the scent of the candle or essential oil doesn’t completely get rid of the smoky smell, it helps mask it quickly.
How to Remove Cigarette Smell from the House with Charcoal
Activated charcoal contains millions of micro pockets and pores, allowing it to absorb and lock odors, including the strong odor of smoke. Learn how to remove cigarette smell from the house with charcoal.
Place activated charcoal in a bowl or container and set it in areas of your home where you notice cigarette odors. The charcoal catches the smoke smell and locks it in place. It’s also helpful to keep it in the smoking room if you have a smoker.
How to Get Cigarette Smell Out of the House with Lemons
For a natural way of removing cigarette smoke smell from the house, consider using the power of vinegar and lemons. Discover how to neutralize cigarette smells in the air by combining these two ingredients.
Pour the desired amount of water and white vinegar or apple cider vinegar into a small pot and add leftover lemon peels. Orange or grapefruit peels are effective if you don’t have any lemons. Simmer for 20 minutes or more to fill the air with a potpourri-like scent.
Use Baking Soda to Absorb Cigarette Smoke Smell
You may be aware that placing a box of baking soda in the fridge absorbs leftover food smells, but did you know it’s just as useful for getting rid of tobacco smoke smells? Use this multi-purpose powder to get rid of cigarette odors.
Shake a box of baking soda around the home, spreading a fine layer of the powder over carpets and floors. Let it sit overnight to absorb tobacco smells and vacuum the remains in the morning.
This easy solution can also be used for getting mothball odor out of the house or other stale smells.
Using Vinegar and Baking Soda to Remove Cigarette Smoke Smell
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.
Pour the vinegar, baking soda, and water in a plastic spray bottle and add several drops of your favorite essential oil. Shake the container well to dissolve the baking soda and mist it lightly over the home’s drapes, carpets, and other fabrics.
Cleaning the Walls to Get Rid of Cigarette Smoke Odors
Getting rid of cigarette smoke smell in the house fast is one thing, but sometimes the odor molecule accumulates on walls; it’s vital to take extra cleaning steps to freshen your home. Clean the walls to remove tobacco residue.
Fill a bucket or container with a gallon of hot water and add white vinegar. Dunk the sponge into the cleaning liquid, wring it out to ensure it is damp and not drenched, and wipe the entire wall surface. Reapply the cleaner to the sponge while cleaning and let the walls air dry.
Eliminating Cigarette Smoke Odor in the Upholstery
Curtains and rugs aren’t the only places cigarette smoke settles. Your furniture is another surface area that absorbs the smell of smoke. Deodorizing furniture that smells like cigarette smoke works best by cleaning upholstery to keep your couch and chairs smelling fresh.
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.
Getting Rid of Cigarette Smoke Smells by Cleaning the Windows and Glass
Glass and mirrors are other areas that accumulate smoke residue, often leaving a yellow tint and foul odor on the surface. Clean these surfaces using vinegar and warm water.
Combine ten parts warm water with one part distilled vinegar in a spray bottle and shake it gently to mix. Spray a light coat of the liquid on the window or mirror and let it sit for 30 seconds as it loosens the smoke residue. Wipe away the dirt with a lint-free cloth and repeat if necessary until the glass is shiny.
Steam Cleaning the Carpets to Remove Cigarette Smoke Odor
Dirt, dust, and debris are not the only things that cling to carpets. The rugs in your home are a magnet for smoky smells, and it’s essential to use a steam cleaner to remove cigarette odors.
Follow the instructions for your cleaner and add the appropriate amount of hot water and cleaning solution. Move as much furniture off the carpeting as possible and clean the rug by working in straight overlapping lines from one end to the other. Allow the carpet to air dry before moving the furniture back into place.
Getting Rid of Cigarette Smoke Odor by Mopping
Since smoke rises, it’s easy to think that most of the smell is in the upper section of the house. However, this is a misconception since smoke particles end up in all areas of your home, including the floors. Mop hard floors to remove cigarette residue.
Pour a quarter cup of distilled vinegar into a bucket for each quart of water and add several drops of citrus essential oil. Dunk the mop in the cleaner, wring it out, and mop the floors by beginning at one end of the floor and working your way to the other. If it’s a linoleum floor, allow it to air dry. Otherwise, use a soft towel to dry it thoroughly.
Making Homemade Cigarette Smell Odor Absorbers
You may still notice a lingering smell of tobacco smoke even after cleaning the house since this odor type clings to everything. Use everyday household items to make homemade odor absorbers.
Kitty litter and baking soda absorb foul smells like cigarette smoke, while coffee grounds are great at filling the air with an aromatic scent. Fill containers with these ingredients and set them in stinky areas of your home to eliminate the odors.
Ways to Prevent Cigarette Smoke Smells in the House
The quickest and easiest way of getting cigarette smoke out of the bed and the house is to take steps to prevent the smoke from settling on surfaces in the first place. Here are some easy ways to purify and freshen your home’s air to keep the tobacco smell from accumulating.
The first step in removing smoke smells is to open the windows and turn on the fans. An open window allows fresh air in, and the fan helps circulate it around the room. Additionally, an air purifier filters the air of cigarette smoke, and air-purifying plants clean the air of pollutants.
Consider investing in an ozone generator. These handy units use an electric discharge to produce ozone and remove strong odors from the room in less than 24 hours.
A cigarette smoke smell clings to walls, floors, and furniture, which is particularly annoying if you’re not a smoker. Fortunately, there are many easy ways to get rid of cigarette odor by cleaning the surfaces and using an air filter to prevent it from returning.
We hope that knowing how to get cigarette smell out of the house keeps your home smelling fresh, and we’d love it if you’d share our cigarette odor removal solutions with your family and friends on Pinterest and Facebook.