What can I do to get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke in my house?

Question

I quit smoking a while ago and my place still smells like an ashtray.

Answer 1

Clean everything, from the floor to the ceiling, redecorate and keep the windows open for a week or three :)

Answer 2

Congratulations on quitting. That is a big accomplishment. In order to completely remove the stale smell left in your house you are going to need to clean everything, you can clean and/or steam clean all of your furniture, drapes and carpets.

You can try cleaning your walls with warm water and a product called Dirtex which you can find in Home Depot and hardware stores. If you ask the store employees they can help you find the best product for cleaning the walls.

If you are still noticing the "ashtray" smell you may need to repaint the walls or steam off of the wallpaper and start over. Airing out your house with an open window in each room will also help. If you set up box fans in the windows to pull the stale air out of the rooms that will help.

This was something that my Dad had to deal with decades ago, when he owned rental property and people smoked in the house. I can even remember helping him strip and sand the hardwood floors because the smoke smell was into the finish of the floors.

I am so blessed that I never smoked. The cost to your heath and wallet is just not worth it. I had friends years ago that smoked and I would babysit their kids and practically obsessively clean all the ashtrays and every other thing possible, I couldn't stand that lingering smoke smell. Good luck and have a good night.

Answer 3

Steam clean all the furniture, shampoo the carpets, clean counter tops, use Pine Sol on tile and linoleum floors, clean wood floors trim and furniture with Murphy's Oil Soap, wash curtains and drapes, take down mini blinds and soak in a baking soda solution in the tub then wipe with a soft cloth, clean windows, and for the walls only painting will completely get rid of the smell.

I know it's a lot of work. Just do a little at a time. When you are done you will be glad to be living in a smoke free house.

Congratulations and keep it up. I know how hard it is. I've been there. You never even notice the smell until you quit and then it makes you want to vomit. I am a horrible ex-smoker.

Answer 4

try this first , take half an onion and add a small amount of ammonia. this will absorb the smell. there also is a air freshener called OUST , it´s by Johnson wax, A family company, I am a smoker I give one spray and the smell has gone . I use it all over the house bathroom kitchen, it´s unlike the other sprays you spray and it all falls to the ground . this one gets rid of the smell straight away. they say it even rids the smell of skunk. that I could not tell you as I don´t own one .LOOK it up for yourself. OUST

Answer 5

keep the windows and doors open to air and shampoo the floor and clean everything including the couch its ganna be a lot of hard work so maybe you shouldn't have smoked inside the house

Answer 6

i heard these but havent acutally tried them.
*use mouthwash to disinfect everything. it cleans and smells good.
*bakingsoda in closets and places like that
*heat a lemon in the microwave(in a bowl) the smell goes throughout the rooms then use the warm lemon juice mixed with 50% water and use that to clean surfaces as well

Answer 7

air the rooms out, let the sun shine in, wipe down all the walls with white vinegar and lemon juice (obviously with water), wash curtains (if you have any), wash the doors/windows too, mop the floor with vinegar - basically wash and wipe everything down where the smoke smell is situated with vinegar - its the best - and congratulations on quittin - I wish I could! let me know if it works - its an old wives tale and home remedy - vinegar has many uses .....

Answer 8

Tear it down and start over. Put a Lenai [smoking room] or a porch big enough for people to smoke. [If you throw parties]. Once you start smoking in a house or any place, it will stay. Or you can try to put air filters in your house that say they help block cigarette odors.

Answer 9

hire a cleaning lady or 2 and get them to clean everything from top to bottom. then paint the place. also congrats on the quitting smoking!

Answer 10

Clean the carpet and drapes. That and time are the only things you can rely on. Congratulations on quitting, keep it up!