How to Clean a Room of Cigar Smoke

After an extended poker session with the boys, you woke up and realized the stale flavor of cigar wasn't limited to your taste buds---it filled the entire room. Cigars are one of the quickest, most potent ways of stinking up your home. Clearing the cigar smell from your life isn't always easy, but it is possible.

Things You'll Need

• Odor eliminator
• Cleaning products

Instructions

How to Clean a Room of Cigar Smoke

1. Open up all windows and doors in the affected area. The first step is to release the stale air and get some fresh air inside, helping to eliminate odor.

2. For a quick fix, spray absorbent materials in the room (upholstery, curtains, carpets, lampshades, fabrics, etc.) with an odor eliminator such as Febreze. Odor eliminators designed specifically for cigarette and cigar smoke are also available. Be sure to find a spray solution that neutralizes or eliminates odors rather than just covers them with perfumes. Spray generously throughout the room.

3. Use baking soda. Another quick, easy solution is to sprinkle baking soda on absorbent items in the room, including the carpet and upholstered furniture. Let it sit for three or four hours (or as long as you have) and then use a vacuum to remove it.

4. Thoroughly wash absorbent materials. If the odor eliminator doesn't quite hack the job, or if you have time for a deeper clean, wash all absorbent surfaces in the room. Use upholstery cleaner to clean up the couch and furniture, and use carpet shampoo or powder cleaner to clean up the carpet. Take any loose fabrics such as curtains and pillow cases out of the room and wash them according to care instructions.

5. Wash all surfaces. For deep, ingrained odors from repetitive cigar smoking, set aside an entire morning or afternoon and thoroughly clean the room from top to bottom---contaminants from the smoke can even be visible on your walls. Use glass cleaner to clean windows and other glass surfaces, wood cleaner to clean wood floors and furniture, and a mixture of soap and water with a sponge to clean walls. Go over every surface in the room to get the smell out, and then allow the room to air out for several hours.

6. Use vinegar. One other solution for eliminating stubborn odor is vinegar. Place small bowls filled with a few ounces of white vinegar around the most-affected parts of the room. Close the doors and windows, and let the vinegar sit inside the room overnight. Return the next morning, remove the vinegar and open the windows to air out the room.

Tips & Warnings

• Use an air purifier in the room in which you smoke to help pull in and cleanse the smoky air.

• Keep the windows open when smoking.