How to Clean Smoke Odor
Getting the smell of smoke out of surfaces can be challenging when it saturates your home or car. The smell of smoke is often strong and overwhelming, and it clings to furniture, clothing and walls. A few easy cleaning techniques may not completely remove the odor but can lessen it. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Washing machine
- Scented laundry detergent
- White vinegar
- Water
- Bucket
- Mop
- Steam carpet cleaner
- Trisodium phosphate (TSP)
- Sponge or clean rags
- Baking soda
- Glass cleaner
- Vanilla extract
- Orange peels
Instructions
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1
Air out the house or car. This is one of the best things your can do to clean the smell of smoke out of a space. Open the windows and let Mother Nature do the rest.
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2
Launder any fabric that is machine washable. This includes clothing, towels, curtains, pillow covers and anything else that may hold smoke odor. One good washing with a fresh-scented detergent can do wonders to remove the odor.
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3
Mix 2 or 3 Tbsp. of white vinegar with a gallon of water in a bucket. Use this to wash floors and countertops. Smoke clings to surfaces, but vinegar will remove the film. You can also use this solution on car dashboards and vinyl seats.
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4
Steam clean carpeting and upholstered furniture with a rented commercial steam machine to clean and deodorize the fabric. Steam machines can usually be rented from supermarkets.
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5
Wash painted walls with a solution consisting of 1 Tbsp. trisodium phosphate (TSP) to 1 gallon of warm water. Fill a second bucket with water to rinse the walls after wiping with the TSP solution. Make sure you wear gloves; TSP can irritate your skin.
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6
Dust your wood furniture with baking soda, leave on for a few days, then vacuum it up to get rid of smoke odor. You can also sprinkle baking soda on car seats and floor areas, leaving it on as long as you can before vacuuming.
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7
Wash your windows with a glass cleaner. This will remove the film left by the nicotine or smoke.
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8
Apply a small very amount of vanilla extract to light bulbs as a natural air freshener.
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A few inconspicuously placed orange peels will absorb smoke odor and give your house or car a fresh, citrus smell. Make sure to change the peels every few days.
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