How long does it take to get cigarette smoke out of the house?

Question

Mom recently gave up smoking, just wanting to know?

She has smoke for atleast 6-7 years in this house.

Answer 1

If you are vigilant, 7-10 days. You will have to spray all of your upholstered furniture, draperies and carpet with Fabreeze, Lysol fabric spray, Zero Odor, Odors Out, or Oust. If you cannot steam clean or shampoos the carpets, at least sprinkle baking soda or borax on the carpet and vacuum it up almost daily. Get one on those furnace filter scents at the home improvement stores to get the smell out of the duct work. And change the furnace filter while you are at it. If you cannot repaint, wash the walls with vinegar and water. You will be able to see yellowish discolorations on the walls, particularly in rooms that she smoked in by removing something hanging on the wall. Good luck to your mom, she is doing something great for herself and her family.

Answer 2

ricie opens up the pandora box.

Here's the rest of the story:
Smoke molecules will remain embedded in ALL fabric (curtains, carpet, towels, sheets, etc...) unless ALL are washed, steamed or otherwise professionally cleaned.

Painting walls & ceilings are hard work, but that is the best solution to hard, paintable surfaces.
Otherwise, use Pine-Sol or similar liquid cleaning agent and scrub EVERYTHING - windowsiles, floors, door frames, etc....

Be sure to change your heating/air conditioner filter as well.

Lastly, cedar oil placed around the house is a plesant, non-offensive/non-toxic way to help keep the house smelling fresh.

As a former smoker (and I'm glad I quit), it is worth the work to get a clean-smelling house again!

Answer 3

There is no point in using anything that masks the smell - you need to remove it or absorb it.

We just moved back into our house after renting it to someone who smoked in the house for three years. There is no quick or easy solution, but persistence will pay off. Remember that if the odor is still lingering there your furniture and curtains and carpets are re-absorbing it.

Use baking soda on the fabric of furniture and carpets frequently. Sprinkle it on the furniture. Let it sit for a while, or even overnight, and vacuum.

Wash or dry clean fabric curtains frequently. Clean all glass and mirrors frequently with vinegar and rinse.

Let your house air frequently. Don't use things such as incense, candles, etc. That is what our renter did and it actually just masks the odor and makes it more overwhelming and oppressive. You need to focus on absorbing the odor. Use small bowls of vinegar placed in unobtrusive but strategic positions about the house. Vinegar absorbs odors. Charcoal also abosrbs odors as you know. You can buy the boxes of baking soda packaged to use as odor absorber in refrigerators - place some of those around the house in unobtrusive locations.

Hotels, bus companies, taxi companies use a special ozone product to remove smoke odor. Talk to a professional about one of those. Here is one solution I found at the Bob Vila website .....

"Use the Vamoose 1808T Tobacco Odor Fabric Spray. Several Rental Car Agencies and Major Hotels are using it. It works by getting into the fabric and chemically converts the tar and nicotine into a non-volatile gaseous state. It smells strong for about an hour but after that...the odor is permanently gone. This stuff is amazing!! One company that sells it is called Hill Country Distribution in Austin Texas. You can contact them at sales@hillcountrydistribution.... or call them at [phone]. "

You may not be able to totally remove it for a while, but it will disappear -it has disappeared from our house.

These links have many good suggestions. I hope this helps.

Answer 4

It could linger on for weeks or even months. Help disperse the smell by boiling distilled vinegar and let the smell permeates the air for a good 20 minutes. You will be surprise how much it could clear the odor.

Answer 5

You have to wash all your clothes, wipe down all the walls, including the ceilings. If you have carpet you have to shampoo them as well, wood floors, you have to mop them real good. Unfortunately the smoke is in all your furniture, you will have to get rid of your furniture if you want to totally loose the smell.

Answer 6

I remember when I gave it up... depends on how much you clean... wash the curtains... wipe down the walls (yes even the paint can absorb it)... shampoo the carpet... wash all rugs, mats, sheets, blankets, pillows, comforters...

or wait a month or two opening all windows anytime the weather permits....

Answer 7

You need to paint tyhe walls, priming them with a good primer first. Replace the carpet or at least get it professionally cleaned.

Answer 8

how long does it take for you to thoroughly clean your walls and carpet? otherwise you are just hiding it. or paint the walls

Answer 9

air out and wash walls, floors,counters, cabinets, wash curtains, clean drapes...