Get Rid of Smoke Smell in a Room

A smoky smell in a room can be off-putting for guests and isn't a pleasant environment to live in, especially for young children. It can be difficult to get rid of, especially if the smoker has lived in the room for a long time. This article will show you how to get rid of that smell.

Steps

Using Simple Solutions

  1. Take any ashtrays and smoking materials out of the room. If you have not already done so, find and remove any ashtrays and other smoking material from the room. These are the main source of the smoke smell, apart from the smoker him/herself. If you want to get rid of the smoke smell, you'll have to get rid of the source.
  2. Open the windows. This won't be enough to get rid of strong or old smells, but it may help get rid of less obvious odors. If you can, place a fan inside the window, with the fan turned inwards. This will help bring a "breeze" into the room.
  3. Use an odor eliminating spray. There are many sprays that make your room smell nice. These sprays can be effective, as long as they are the right type. Not all of these sprays have odor busting abilities. When buying a room spray, look for something that says "eliminates odors," "odor eliminating." These sprays will your room smell nice and get rid of the smoke smell.[1]
  4. Set out a bowl of white vinegar. Vinegar may not smell great, but it absorbs odors, including smoke smells. You should notice a difference by the end of the day. After a couple of hours, pour the vinegar out. Unlike smoke smells, vinegar smells do not linger.[2]
    • You can also use baking soda, cat litter, or pieces of activated charcoal as well.[3][1] All of these absorb smells. Keep in mind that you will need to replace them every few days.
  5. Air out the furniture. If the smells lingers after you have aired out the room, the smell might have sank into your furniture. Move your furniture outside for a day or two. The UV rays from the sun will kill the odor causing bacteria, and neutralize the smoke smell.[4]
  6. Sprinkle baking soda onto carpets and upholstered furniture.[2] Leave it on there for up to 72 hours, then vacuum it up. Baking soda is great at absorbing smells.[4]
    • You can also spray white vinegar onto furniture, and then wipe it off.
    • This may not be effective on very strong smells.

Deep Cleaning Everything

  1. Wipe down the walls and ceilings with an ammonia based cleaner. Smoke settles on everything. You may not be able to see the smoke, but it is still there. This "film" is often responsible for that smoke smell, long after the smoker has left.[4]
    • In more drastic cases, you may have to repaint the walls and ceilings. The fresh paint will cover up the old paint, which has absorbed the smoke smell. Use a sealing primer first, behind the new paint. It will keep the bad smells in.[5]
    • If you can't repaint the walls, use a matte, polyurethane sealer instead. It will seal the smell in without changing the color of your walls.[3]
    • If your walls have wallpaper on them, wipe them down with vinegar first. If the smell lingers, you'll have to remove the old wallpaper, and install a new one.
  2. Wipe down all hard surfaces. This includes window sills, mantles, furniture, and floors. It also includes cabinets, closets, drawers, and dressers, both inside and out. For this, you can use an ammonia-based cleaner, or white vinegar. Don't worry about the vinegar smell; it does not linger and eventually goes away.
  3. Steam clean the carpets. You can do this yourself by renting or buying a steam cleaning machine for carpets. You can also hire a professional carpet cleaner. In extreme cases, you may have to replace the carpet. Carpets are very difficult to get smells out of.
    • If you do replace the carpets, make sure that you scrub the floor beneath them to get rid of all traces of the smoke odor.[3]
  4. Clean your clothes, upholstery, pillows, and blankets. For machine-washable items, add 1 cup (240 milliliters) of white vinegar into the wash cycle. The vinegar will help get rid of the smells. For all other items, take them to a dry cleaner. Keep in mind that you may need to clean these items a few times to get rid of the smell.[6]
    • In some cases, you may need to replace the pillows and blankets. You may also need to reupholster your furniture.[1]
  5. Clean the curtains, drapes, and blinds. Take down all window coverings. If the curtains and drapes can be safely laundered, do so. If not, take them to a professional dry cleaner. You can clean the blinds in the bathtub using white vinegar.
  6. Don't forget the windows and mirrors. Smoke leaves behind a thin residue on everything, including windows and mirrors. You can't always see this film, but it is there. On very hot days, this film heats up, and makes the smell come back. So fill a spray bottle with some white vinegar, get out a paper towel, and start wiping the windows and mirrors down.[3] You can also use a regular, household glass cleaner instead.[1]
    • It might be a good idea to get the light bulbs in your room as well, since those heat up as well. You can also just replace the light bulbs with new ones.[4]

Filtering the Air

  1. Get an air purifier. Air purifiers actually pull the odor causing bacteria and chemicals out of the air itself. They leave the air smelling fresh and clean.[5]
    • Air purifiers also get rid of other allergens in the air, making them suitable for those with allergies and asthma.
  2. Replace the filters in heaters and air conditioners. These tend to trap odors. If the smell in your room is very strong, and keeps returning no matter how much you clean, there is a good chance that it might be trapped in the filters.[3]
  3. Try an ozone generator. Ozone generators produce O3, which oxidizes organic molecules (a common cause of smells). Many people find this an effective way of getting rid of smoke smells. Place the generator inside the room and set the timer. Make sure that all of windows in the room are closed. Vacate the room and close the door behind you. This will allow the ozone to fill the room. After the generator shuts off, wait at least one hour before going back into the room.
    • Ozone generators may irritate the throat. They are not recommended for those with asthma. They can actually make things worse.[7]
    • Turn on the fan in the air conditioner in the room, if possible. This helps to circulate the air as well as clean out the air conditioner.[8]
    • The stronger the smell, the longer you will have to set the timer. For example, if the smoker used the room for a few days, you'll need to run the generator for a few hours. If the smoker lived there for several years, you'll need to run the generator for a few days.
    • Ozone generators can only remove the smoke smell to some extent. If the smell has sank into the walls, floors, curtains, and furniture, you may not get the smell out all the way.[6]

Tips

  • Look around for air fresheners that remove odors rather than ones that simply add nice smells.
  • Place candles in your room. Some people find that candles not only make things smell nice, but that they also absorb odors.
  • Don't smoke inside. If it is too cold or rainy for you to step outside, smoke near an open window.
  • Air out your room after you are done smoking. Open up a window and place a fan in front of it. This bring fresh air back into your room.[1]
  • Don't keep ashtrays or smoking material in the room. Even if you do smoke outside, avoid keeping anything related to smoking in your room. This also includes things like coats and jackets.
  • Always test cleaners on an inconspicuous area first, in case they stain or damage the surface.

Warnings

  • Keep a window open when working with household cleaning products, especially if they are ammonia-based.
  • Don't use room sprays around pets, especially birds.
  • Do not use an ozone generator if you have asthma.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 https://www.cleanipedia.com/gb/odour-stain-removal/how-to-get-rid-of-the-smell-of-smoke
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/q-and-a/a2377/remove-cigarette-odor-oct01/
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 http://www.zillow.com/blog/get-rid-of-smoke-smells-in-home-150569/
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 http://momsownwords.com/22683/tips-and-tricks-for-getting-rid-of-that-nasty-cigarette-smell/
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 http://www.servicemasterofcharleston.com/blog/how-to-get-rid-of-cigarette-smell-in-a-house/
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://texashelp.tamu.edu/004-natural/pdfs/how-to-remove-smoke-smell-from-a-home.pdf
  7. ↑ http://newscenter.lbl.gov/2010/08/16/ozone-and-nicotine-a-bad-combination-for-asthma/
  8. ↑ http://www.odorfreemachines.com/smoke-odor-removal/
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