How to Clean Cigarette Smoke Smell From Your Home

Cigarette smoke has a way of lingering in the area for a long time. The smell is offensive, especially to those who don't smoke. Smoking indoors traps the smell in and can't always just be aired out, as it can cling to walls and furniture, and air fresheners can only cover it up for so long. If you need to get the smell of cigarette smoke out of your home, there are some easy ways to eliminate it.

Things You'll Need

• Baking soda
• Ammonia
• Sponge
• Vinegar
• Onion

Instructions

Several Simple Suggestions

1. Sprinkle baking soda all over any fabrics. This includes carpets and furniture. Leave the baking soda on it for 2 to 3 hours, then vacuum it all away. The baking soda will help to absorb the odors that have found their way deep into the fibers.

2. Wash the walls with a solution made of ¼ cup of ammonia and warm water. Scrub the walls thoroughly with a sponge and dry them with a soft, clean, dry cloth.

3. Wash anything that can go into the washing machine. Slip covers and bedding that may have trapped in the odor need to be washed. It helps to add a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle. Not only will this kill the odor, but it softens fabrics as well.

4. Air out the house as best as you can. Open doors and windows all through the house to create a circulation of clean air throughout your home.

5. Cut up an onion and place it in a bowl of water. You may need several of these depending on how many rooms are affected. If the entire house has the odor, make a bowl like this for each room. Place the bowl in the center of each room and leave it overnight. The onion will absorb any lingering odors in the air.

Tips & Warnings

• After you have used the baking soda to draw the odor out of upholstered items, spraying it with Febreze will help to give it an extra clean smell. While vinegar and baking soda are both great for eliminating odors, never use them together; they react with each other causing a bubbly mess and neutralize each other in the process rendering them both useless.