How to Cover Cigarette Smoke Odor

Post a sign in your house informing to people to smoke outdoors.

The smoke created by cigarettes will seep into almost any porous surface, from walls and furniture to clothing and carpets. At the very least, the odor is a nuisance that will cause irritation and embarrassment. For some, the smell of cigarette smoke will irritate sensitive sinuses and cause nausea. Getting rid of the smell of cigarette smoke in your home is accomplished with the right cleaning products and by stopping smoking in the house.

Things You'll Need

• Baking soda
• Vacuum
• Vinegar
• Water
• Plastic bucket
• Kitchen sponge
• Pot
• 1 lemon
• 1 orange
• Bowls of activated charcoal
• All-purpose cleaner
• Paper towels

Instructions

1. Open as many windows as possible throughout the home. This will circulate clean air throughout the house and remove much of the stale cigarette odor from the air.

2. Sprinkle baking soda over upholstered furniture, carpets and rugs. Allow the baking soda to remain undisturbed for eight hours or overnight before vacuuming it up. The baking soda will help absorb the cigarette odors.

3. Create a mixture of one part white vinegar and one part warm water inside a plastic bucket. Soak a kitchen sponge in the mixture and use it to clean any painted walls affected by the cigarette smell. Do not rinse away the mixture. If the vinegar and water do not remove the cigarette odor, consider repainting the walls.

4. Simmer a pot filled with one gallon water and the wedges of one lemon and one orange over low heat for 12 hours. The pleasant citrus odor will travel throughout the home eliminating the odor of cigarette smoke.

5. Set out bowls or containers filled with activated charcoal. The activated charcoal will absorb the cigarette odor from the air.

6. Remove and wipe down all of the light bulbs in the affected area. Nicotine and tar will create a residue on these surfaces that is dispersed into the air when the light is turned on.

7. Wipe down any mini-blinds with an all-purpose cleaner and paper towels to remove any lingering odor and smoke residue.

8. Launder or dry clean any curtains according to the label's directions. Replace any curtains that are heavily stained or have a stubborn odor that is not covered or removed through washing.

References

• Mrs. Clean: Mrs. Clean's House Cleaning & Maid Services
• Good Housekeeping: How to Remove Cigarette Smoke Odor; Heloise