How to Eliminate Cigarette Smell

Smoke smell can penetrate books and fabrics

If you are selling items in a garage sale or online, but some items have a distinct cigarette smell to them, you can be losing a lot of money. Or, if you’ve found a bargain, buying a rare book online or at a garage sale, but it’s full of cigarette smell, remove the smell without resorting to chemical cleaners. Getting rid of a strong cigarette smell is possible, but will take days so have patience.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Zip top plastic bag
• Kitty litter
• Baking soda
• Fabric softener sheets
• Portable air cleaner

1. Fill a zip top bag with kitty litter or baking soda. Both are effective though kitty litter may leave more dust particles behind.

2. Seal the book or smoky smelling item in the bag with the litter or baking soda for at least three days. This will allow the kitty litter or baking soda to absorb the cigarette smoke smell.

3. Remove the item from the bag. If it is a book or something that has multiple layers, open it up to air out for few hours.

4. Freshen a smoke-scented object that you do not want to expose to baking soda or kitty litter by sealing it in a bag with a couple of dryer sheets for several days.

5. Consider a portable air cleaner for tough to remove cigarette smells. Portable air filters use electronic attraction or filters to clean the particles that cause the odor from the air. They clean air in small spaces rather than the whole house, making them ideal for removing smells from furniture or a collection of smaller items. Look at the unit’s clean air delivery rate (CADR) that tells you how many cubic feet of air delivered per minute, when making your choice.

6. Place the smoky item or furniture in a small room or area with a portable air cleaner for several days. Portable air cleaners do not work instantly and need time to refresh the air.

Tips & Warnings

• When choosing an air cleaner look also at specifications for removing dust, pollen and smoke.

References

• University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension; Odors: What’s That Smell?; Linda R. Adler; January 1997
• North Carolina A&T Cooperative Extension; Air Filters and Cleaners; Sandra A. Zaslow; December 1994