How To Get Cigarette Smell Out Of The House
You know the smell well and you want to be rid of it. Maybe you live with a smoker and maybe you’ve just bought a house that belonged to a smoker. The point is that you want to take measures to get rid of that smell for good.
That smell is actually known as thirdhand smoke. It’s the smoke left behind by smokers and it can linger for years. Especially in small spaces like RVs with little ventilation.
But don’t worry. We’re going to go over everything you need to know to get the cigarette smell out of your house. Even if that house is a stuffy mobile home! Or an innovative school bus turned into a home!
How Is Thirdhand Smoke Harmful?
You may be wondering what thirdhand smoke is by now. Firsthand smoke affects the smoker. Secondhand smoke affects those around the smoker. While thirdhand smoke affects those who are around even when the smoker isn’t.
Although thirdhand smoke isn’t as harmful as secondhand smoke, it can still cause the same health problems. These problems are more common with first or secondhand smoke, but do occur with thirdhand some. Included are the following:
- COPD
- Asthma
- Lung Cancer
- SIDS
- Damaged DNA
Other Signs Of Thirdhand Smoke
If you’re a smoker, you probably don’t even smell the cigarette smoke that has lingered in the air and on furniture. If you want to find out if there is thirdhand smoke in your home, then consider asking someone else to smell for you.
However, there are other ways to check for thirdhand smoke. The most common sign is yellowing furniture, wallpaper, and carpet. Nicotine yellows surfaces, so this is a great way to find out if there is thirdhand smoke in your home.
How To Get Cigarette Smell Out Of Your House
This isn’t as simple as cleaning your house. You need to take a few precautions to ensure that the thirdhand smoke is removed. This will include deep cleaning, and making sure the air is kept clean.
But most importantly, it will include preventing it from happening again. We’ll go over these precautions later. For now, let’s talk about the thirdhand smoke that’s already there and how to get rid of it.
Ventilation
The first thing you want to do is open a few windows. This will allow the smoke to leave the air if there is any hanging around. It will also help when cleaning with chemicals like bleach that is harmful to inhale.
If it’s warm enough outside, you can even open the door for a while. If you have a screen door, even better, as you can safely leave it closed while you clean.
Repaint The Walls
Clean your walls really well. Take warm, soapy water and scrub your walls down. Afterward, dry them well with a clean cloth. Then, repaint them with a primer or paint with odor sealant. This is a huge step that can really help out.
It may seem like a chore to repaint the walls, but it’s really the only for sure way to get rid of thirdhand smoke on your walls.
Rip Up Carpet
Carpet is the worst flooring a smoker can have. If you have carpet in your home, tear it up. Even if you are planning on putting carpet back down, the old carpet needs to go. After years of absorbing smoke, it can’t recover.
Another option would be to get someone to deep clean your carpet, but this isn’t nearly as effective as taking it up.
Varnish Your Floors
If you have wood floors, varnish them. This will seal them and leave you with a fresh, blank slate. Not to mention, the varnish will prevent smoke from being absorbed into the wood. Because of this, you can simply clean your floors normally.
Bleach Your Tile
Bleach is a great odor-eliminator. If you have tile or linoleum, you can bleach it to remove a great portion of any thirdhand smoke. You can even clean your countertops and more. Just make sure that you have more water than bleach in your solution.
If you are set against chemicals in your home, you can always use homemade solutions. Vinegar is a great odor-eliminator and cleaner. These vinegar solutions can tackle any mess or odor.
Clean All Vents And Filters
Replace every filter in your house. This means the air conditioner, the furnace, and even the fish tank. Do this and you may notice an immediate change in the quality of the air. Clean the filters and the house and you will likely eradicate thirdhand smoke for good.
How Do You Get The Smell Of Smoke Out Of Your House Fast?
There are many reasons why you’d want to get rid of the smell of smoke fast. Sometimes, you have company coming over, sometimes you are selling your home, and sometimes, the smell is simply getting too much for you.
There are a few methods you can try to get rid of the smell of smoke but one of the fastest involves a bit of vinegar and some heat. This simple step will probably be the quickest route to get rid of the smoke smell.
Method: Boil Vinegar
Yes, you want to fill a pot half-full of vinegar and cook it on the stovetop. Let it simmer for an hour or two and then remove the pot from the burner. To cover the vinegar smell, open a window and spray some Febreze.
Preventing Thirdhand Smoke
If you do have a smoker in the home, all of your cleaning will be for naught if you don’t prevent future buildup. You can get rid of it for a day, but you’re going to have to do more to get rid of it for life.
Odor Absorbers
There are a few options to absorb odors. Things like charcoal, baking soda, and coffee grounds can absorb and mask bad smells. Set them out in every room and replace them every couple of days to help rid your home of thirdhand smoke.
You can also buy odor absorbers online. They are used in laundry rooms and closets, but can truly be placed in any room.
Fans Blowing Out
You can put fans in windows during the time people are smoking. Leave them there for a while after smoking to make sure that the smoke never settles. If the smoker is considerate, they can smoke by the window.
Get An Air Purifier
This is absolutely necessary for your health. Get an air purifier, replace the filter or water every single day. Put them in the room where the smoker smokes the most. Even if you don’t have a smoker in the house, an air purifier is a great investment.
Check Filters Weekly
You may have to clean the AC and ventilation filters regularly. Check them once or twice a week and keep plenty of filters on hand. This may seem costly, but it’s your health that we’re talking about, which is priceless.
Wash Everything Cloth Weekly
This includes stuffed animals and table cloths. Pick a day and make sure everything that is in your house that can be washed is washed. Most importantly, anything that your children touch or play with.
You can even add laundry disinfectant to your loads for a deep clean. Finish off with dryer sheets for a fresh smell too!
Steam Your Carpet
Steaming your carpet monthly will prevent the absorption of long-term odors. Do it even more often for best results and make sure that they dry out to prevent mold. Hire someone or invest in a steamer yourself for long-term savings.
Mask The Smell
Although it’s not ideal, masking the smell can help you cope with the cigarette smell. Light candles, burn incense and get an essential oil diffuser. All of these can help you deal with cigarette smell when cleaning isn’t enough.
Cleansing Yourself Of The Cigarette Smell
After you finish cleaning your house, you need to clean yourself. Take a shower, of course, but doing more will also help you relax. If you have to choose between doing too much and not enough, do too much.
Removing Cigarette Smell From Your Body
Taking a shower may do the trick, but there are a few things you can add to your routine. If you’re cleaning, make sure you wear long sleeves so that the smoke won’t set in. It’s easier to wash your clothes than your body.
For a quick odor-remover, you can also use hand sanitizer on exposed skin. Just don’t use it on your face. Wash your face with an anti-bacterial soap designed for use on sensitive skin.
Removing Cigarette Smell From Your Hair
Your hair will be the first thing to absorb the smell of cigarettes. First, take a shower and wash your hair twice. After you get out, dry your hair and rub it with a dryer sheet. This will keep it smelling fresh.
It can also help to wear a hair wrap while you’re cleaning to prevent the odor from seeping in.
Removing Cigarette Smell From Your Breath
Pop those breath mints and brush your teeth, but don’t let the preventive measures end there. Even kissing a smoker or sharing a drink with them can give a non-smoker bad breath. Prevent this with good dental hygiene.
Brush, floss, and use mouthwash. Don’t skip any steps. If you want an extra boost, use breath mints or lozenges to go that extra mile.
Air Purifiers That Can Help
One of the cleanest ways to remove the smell and residue that smoke leaves behind is to get an air purifier. There are a few solid options that you can get online. Here are some of the best Amazon air purifiers.
This option is ridiculously affordable. There are multiple options too, with the largest purifying over 700sqft, enough for most large rooms. Add two for open concept larger rooms and you have got it made. But it isn’t the size that makes this one special.
The LEVOIT air purifier actually has Wi-Fi, or at least it is wif-fi compatible. It can hook up to the same wi-fi as your phone and works with Alexa. So you can control it from your phone with ease no matter what room you’re in.
This air purifier is another winner. It is for smaller rooms, covering about 170 sqft. The purifier features four air cleaning levels with one-touch LED controls and an automatic filter replacement indicator.
So you don’t have to continuously check your filter because the purifier will let you know when it needs to be replaced. Since it comes with a HEPA filter, you can rest easy knowing it removes over 99% of particles.
The RabbitAir purifier is for those looking for the best of the best. You can customize your RabbitAir unit by choosing a model out of five visual models and a specialty between four specialties. Check them out.
There is the model for toxins, the model for pets, the model for odors, and the model for germs. They all cost the same so you don’t have to worry about paying more for your lifestyle, everyone is treated the same.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)FAQ
What Kills The Smell Of Smoke?
There are a few things that kill the smell of smoke. Something strong and acidic like vinegar does a wonderful job. Certain candles can too if the smoke smell is weak. Then there are cleaners like bleach that can do good work.
Will Smoke Smell In House Eventually Go Away?
Sadly, the smoke smell doesn’t usually go away on its own. You will need to get your hands dirty or hire a professional if you want to get rid of the smoke smell in your house. Try the methods we mentioned earlier.
What Spray Gets Rid Of Smoke Smell?
It truly depends on the type of smoke. Vinegar spray can do a great job but you can also buy specialty sprays that work against fire smoke and cigarette smoke. Use them according to the directions on the container.
What Absorbs The Smell Of Smoke?
Almost anything can absorb the smell of smoke but carpet, clothing, and furniture absorb in the most. As do curtains. So you can find something else to purposely absorb it, like charcoal to counteract this absorption.
How Do I Get Rid Of Cigarette Smoke In My Apartment Hallway?
This one is tough because it isn’t your domain. To get rid of cigarette smoke in the hallway you will need to contact your landlord or else face the consequences from neighbors. Check with the landlord first and foremost.
Can Cigarette Smoke Smell Be Removed From A House?
Absolutely. Although cigarette smell can be stubborn, it doesn’t take long to remove it. Again, vinegar is one of your best and easiest-to-find combatants. So get some quickly to begin the process of removing the smell for good.
Conclusions
Living in the home of a smoker isn’t easy, even if you are that smoker. But there are some things you can do to make it easier on yourself and your loved ones. Keep your house filtered, clean, and sanitized.
And remember, always keep yourself informed of the dangers of smoke. Firsthand, secondhand, and often-ignored thirdhand smoke.