Any great solutions that remove the stink of cigarette smoke?

Question

I smoke and being winter here, the windows don't get opened much. My apartment completely stinks! Any ideas about what to use to remove the smell? I want to clean the walls and was wondering what's a product would work best?

Warm water and what?

Answer 1

You need to stop smoking indoors if you want to keep it from accumulating. Of course you know this.

On warmest possible days I would throw open a couple windows and put a fan blowing out next to one, and a fan blowing in next to the other. Then turn down the heat so it doesn't just waste, and do this as long as you can stand it. Close everything back up, then crank the heat to warm back up. Don't forget to turn it back down after you are comfortable again.

A good deep clean is a good idea. Mix vinegar in everything, at least 2 cups per gallon of cleaning solution.

You also want to give your closet and dresser drawers a good Febrezing, to get the smoke smell out of your clothes.

You can boil vinegar water on the stove to freshen the air, very strong solution. It smells like pickles for a while but it does neutralize the odor and the pickle smell goes away easy enough.

It's those porous surfaces that you have to worry about absorbing the smoke, the stain, and the stink. Tile, fabrics, sheetrock/walls, brick, and wood...and the air itself. The glass, metal, plastic, etc surfaces may have some buildup ON them but you can wipe those down easily to get rid of the smell.

For walls, use Murphy Oil Soap mixed for walls as directed. You don't want to repaint until spring due to ventilation issues, even if it is non-toxic, it just stinks. Plus painting without cleaning just buries the smell to come back later. Give walls a good wipedown, maybe a couple times. Get ceilings if you can reach, smoke does travel UP. If it is wallpaper, use a well wrung sponge/rag, this works for wood furniture and panelling too. Painted walls can get a little wetter. Murphy smells like lemon, and the vinegar will dissipate. I wonder if lavender essential oil (a natural deodorizer with a lingering scent) or sandalwood would go well with the lemony smell? Check into the oils that are nature's deodorants and see if you can find one you like to blend with the Murphy scent...use it liberally in your cleaning water and boiling air freshener vinegar water.

Carpets can be steam cleaned with any special product for this. Add Febreze or vinegar to each batch of cleaning water...again, at least 2 cups. You can hit your upholstery with this while you have the machine.

Not preaching, just saying, if you are interested in quitting, there are lots of reasons to do so. I just quit, a month now "sober" and I feel so much better. I had a lot of reasons, my health, the cost, and I lost my mom to smoking related problems this past December...at some point you want to kick the habit because this is a NASTY way to go. It's a LOT easier with help from nicotine therapy...I use both the gum and the lozenges, the patch gives me nightmares! All the quitting products are available cheap these days, it is considered the New Years Revolution season, you know. Even if you didn't quit altogether, but used these to reduce smoking, you would eliminate some of the problem in the house. Cigarette companies also make smoke free tobacco products, they are mints (candies) that do NOT taste like chew or snuff, they are a cigarette substitute for smokers who cannot smoke, such as on a plane, etc. They deliver the same nic as a cigarette so they are not cessation product.

Best to ya!

Answer 2

yes its true that it would be very difficult to remove the smell completely.. but you could do these...
1. most importantly try smoking some place else, or in one place only.
2. hang heavy curtains, or wet towel in the place that you smoke while smoking - a wet towel will absorb the smoke and smell.
3. while laundering add a cup of vinegar in the last rinse
4. buy one of those natural deodorizer devices.. which heat a crucible of water with a few drops of lavender(or whatever you like.. essential oil), and use it often
5. try quitting!!

Answer 3

When you go to bed in the evening, leave a bowl of white vinegar ,where you smell the smoke this will remove the odor. Also when you are smoking why don't you light a candle.

Answer 4

Buy an air purifier with a filter at Walmart- $30. Place it where you smoke the most. Wash curtains and slipcovers. And the next time you run into an elementary student selling candles buy a few of the apple pie. They work great!

Answer 5

We smoke too, same here. I swear by Febrezz ~on the furniture & drapes~~and the Glade oil scented candles. (Orchid Oasis is great) If you have an air cleaner/purifier, they help alot too...we keep ours on all the time. Or if you have a exhaust fan over your stove, that would help abit.
As for scrubbing the walls, I would just use some Dawn dishsoap and warm water. (( Isn't it crazy/scary how yellowed the walls & everything else gets!!))
Good Luck!!

Answer 6

TSP should get the smell and the stains out. Do this in the spring when you can ventilate your apt better. Then repaint the walls.

In the interim, Clorox Freshcare or Febreze help a little. Change your air filter in your heating unit.

You can also put cups of white vinegar in hidden places, it helps to absorb some of the odor.

Answer 7

You can try vinegar. After the vinegar smell goes away it takes the smoke smell with it.

Use Febreeze daily on your carpets and upholstery.

Buy a air purifier and run it constantly (make sure to replace the filters often).

Open the windows every once in a while to air it out.

Answer 8

i use a oil burner and i buy my oils at the body shop cause they smell so good. Since i have been doing this people are shocked to find out i smoke in my house cause my house always smells so good. as for washing the walls i would use a sponge and a chemical like t.s.p.

Answer 9

you can forget it...you may be able to cover the smell and make it less noticable..but unless you strip it of all the cloth that is in it now and carpet that smell is gonna be there..you can scrub the glass to get the nicotine off with special cleaner you can get at a car parts store...put carpet fresh in there and let it sit and vaccuum it out..and febreze..but the thing is its never going to go totally away...

Answer 10

no product will remove the smell -- it might mask it. be wary of anything that is supposed to remove odors -- there is no such thing.