How to Eliminate Cigarette Smoke Damage in Your Home

Every cigarette smoked adds to the stains and odor in a house.

Cigarettes create far more problems than one might realize. For example, every cigarette smoked indoors actually damages the house. Many people trying to sell a home will advertise it as having belonged to a "non-smoker" -- another way of saying it is a much cleaner home. The fact that this is a selling point should be of concern to those who smoke in their homes. Anyone -- whether a smoker or not -- can take steps to remove the odor and residue left by smoke.

Instructions

1. Wash walls with an ammonia- or glycol-based cleaner. Either of these should be able to remove odor as well as some of the nicotine stains.

2. If nicotine stains cannot be washed off, the walls will need to be repainted. Use a primer that is formulated to seal the surface so old stains won't bleed through the fresh paint.

3. Sprinkle baking soda on the carpets, furniture and other fabric surfaces. Let it set for a few days, then vacuum it up.

4. Shampoo carpets with a carpet steam cleaner.

5. If the scent of cigarette smoke lingers, even after the walls and floors have been cleaned, rent an ozone machine to remove the odor. Hospitals use ozone machines to clean the air of less than pleasant odors, and a machine can be rented to do the same in your home.

Tips & Warnings

• A vinegar/water solution is a safe and effective cleaner to remove smoke residue from surfaces, such as walls and windows. Also, a bowl of vinegar and water left out in a room will help to remove the smell of smoke from their air.

References

• ASH; Wash. Post: Ridding a New Home of Tobacco Smoke is Time Consuming and Expensive; Cheryl Kenny; 2005
• Get Rid of Things: How to Get Rid of Smoke Smell
• Househunting; Elbow Grease Required to Clean Smokers' Home; 2007

Resources

• Active Rain; Getting Rid of Cigarette Smoke Odors; Rick Bunzel; 2007