Ammonia is a strong chemical cleaner commonly used in homemade cleaning solutions. Ammonia is an alkaline solution that will remove acidic stains such as lemon juice or vinegar stains. It will also work to remove smells from the air. This method is preferable to using air fresheners because air fresheners mask bad odors while ammonia will neutralize them and remove them from the air.
Ability to Remove Cigarette Smoke Smell
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Ammonia is capable of removing cigarette smoke smells from a room where someone has recently smoked. Ammonia may even be able to remove smoke smells from a room that was smoked in for a long time but that was well-ventilated. In these cases the odors may not have penetrated deep into walls and carpets.
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Using Ammonia
To use ammonia to freshen the air and remove odors, fill a bowl with ammonia and place it in the center of the room that smells like smoke. The ammonia will eventually evaporate to cleanse the air and remove smoke smells. Place several bowls in each room if the home is very large.
Alternatives
If ammonia does not work to remove smoke smells, and if the smells don't dissipate on their own, hire a professional to come and remove the odors. Professionals will seal the home and use commercial odor removers that will cleanse the air and remove any odor. You will have to vacate your home during this process.
Safety Issues
Ammonia is a strong cleaning solution that can be toxic if it is mixed with the wrong cleaning solutions. Never mix ammonia with bleach as it can create a toxic gas. Before mixing it with any product, make sure that product does not contain any bleach agents. Don't place ammonia in an area where it might come into contact with old or new bleach fumes.