How do you rid your home of cigarette smoke?

Question

We recently moved in a house and the lady before us apparently smoked in it. Even with a fresh paint job in every room of the house, it still smells. What's the best way to rid your home of this awful smell?

Answer 1

LOts of cleaning
Then open the windows as much as possible.
If you have central air remove all the fitlers and replace, smoke can be trapped in the filter
Then burn candles when you are home to negate the stink

Answer 2

When you smoke in a house, it is almost impossible to get rid of the smell without cleaning EVERY INCH of the house. Burning vanilla candles will help cover the smell until you have a chance to scrubb everything. Clean all the carpets, mini blinds, walls, ceilings, cabinets, light fixtures, ceiling fans, appliances, replace the A/C filter and keep a good supply of air freshener and/or scented candles on hand, because the smell may come back. Good luck!

Answer 3

If you have carpeting... I used a lot of baking soda and left it on for a few days.. We moved into a house that a few ppl smoked. Then just vacuum,vacuum, vacuum. You'll see the baking soda will turn grey from picking up loose dirt in the carpets.... I would also try and air out the house the best you can as well... That should do it....

Answer 4

Getting Rid of Cigarette Smoke Smell for Non-Smokers

If you are a non-smoker, and have become the owner of a home, car, book, or sofa that once belonged to a smoker, you are likely here because you want to remove that awful cigarette smoke smell. Here are some suggestions:
Cigarette Smoke Smell in Furniture

* The Fabreeze Controversy
When confronted with any odor on furniture, curtains, or bed linens, the natural thing to do is reach for a deodorizer such as Fabreeze. Some argue that this simply masks the odor temporarily and it will return as soon as the spray product evaporates. There have also been reports of breathing problems associated with the use of fabreeze and other deodorizers. Others swear it doesn’t work anyway. It just turns the odor into a disgusting blend of smoke and the great outdoors. If the odor your battling is very weak, it’s worth a try. If it’s strong then don’t even bother.
* Get it Steam Cleaned
Cigarette smoke smell in fabrics emanates from tar ash and oil deposits left in it’s fibers. In order to remove the smell, you need to remove these deposits. Unfortunately, when cigarette smoke condenses onto something, the resulting ‘goo’ is very, very stubborn. If you’ve ever cleaned (scraped) this residue off of glass or painted walls you know exactly how stubborn it can be – imagine that same goo stuck in every fiber of the piece of furniture you wish to clean. The bottom line is that household cleaners just won’t cut it, hire some professionals to come and clean it for you. Make sure they use a van-mounted steam cleaner and tell them exactly what your objective is so they can use the appropriate cleaning solution.
* Low Budget?
Completely cover the piece of furniture you’re cleaning with baking soda and then rub it and pat it into the fabric so it gets as far into it as possible. Let it sit overnight and then vacuum it all back up.
* Get Rid of it
This is not meant to be flip, but sometimes you just have to cut your losses. When cigarette smoke gets deeply enmeshed into the fabric of an ex-smokers favorite couch, there may be nothing that will ever get it out. Unless you enjoy reupholstering furniture, you might just have to throw it away. Better yet, sell it to a smoker.

Removing Cigarette Smoke Smell from Carpets

Carpets aren’t as hard as walls, but they’re still a lot of work.

* Rent a Shampooer
Most home improvement stores have carpet shampooers available for rental. Go pick one up, along with a bottle or so of shampoo, and get to work. A good carpet shampooer can remove the cigarette smell, but it may take several passes through each room to get it all. To make your job easier, sprinkle baking soda liberally over your entire carpet the night before you plan on shampooing, and vacuum it up just before using the carpet shampooer.
* Call in the Professionals
Get the carpets a serious and professional cleaning. Hire a carpet cleaning company that uses van-mount steam cleaners. Tell them exactly what your goal is so they can use the appropriate cleaning agent when they arrive. If you have furniture to de-smokify, make sure they use smaller upholstery attachments and not the huge vacuum-like wand they use on your carpets.
* Low Budget?
Fill a large tub with bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), add a few drops of essential oil and mix well. Lavender smells nice, but the flavor is up to you. Sprinkle the mixture liberally over the carpet, let it sit for at least four hours and then just vacuum it up. Repeat as necessary.

Cleaning Cigarette Smoke Residue from Walls

Cleaning a smoker’s house is a nightmare, brown and yellow stains will be on everything from the windows to that intricate crown molding. Unless you’re willing to hire somebody else for the task, get ready for a lot of work.

* Vinegar
Next to Italian salad dressings, this may be vinegar’s most important job. Even if you are going to paint the walls, you still need to clean them first. In a large bowl or bucket mix one cup of white vinegar for every two cups of warm water, then add a scoop of baking soda – it should fizz. Use a sponge mop or brush to wash down your walls and ceilings with it. This solution will make residue much easier to remove and should be easy on your paint too. Follow this up with a vinegar based window washer for windows (can be found in organic grocery stores), and your basic bubbly vinegar/baking soda mix on the window moldings.
* Paint
If you’re still not happy with the result, you can attempt the last step again, or just repaint your walls.

Answer 5

a whole house ozone machine usually works.you will need to cover with plastic anything leather, vinyl or brass . a professional carpet and upholstery usually offers this service for approx. $100 or so. you can't stay in the house while the machine is on and you need to air it out by opening the windows afterwards. usually takes anywhere from 24 to 48 hours to run the machine and only a couple of hours to air out. also change the furnace filter.

Answer 6

An inexpensive way that I use, as my husband and I both smoke is to buy fabric softener and put it in a spray bottle and spray it on the furniture and carpet.It leaves a fresh smell and won't stain the drapes or the furniture.

Answer 7

One of the best ways is to burn ordinary candles. The carbon in the candle flame absorbs many smells. Very good in the bathroom to.

Answer 8

1 of 2 things or both..... leave bowls of white vinegar in the rooms or soak a towel in white vinegar & swirl it around the room but i figure it must b in the carpet... so y not clean u'r carpet & use vinegar in the solution. It won't harm anything. Matter of fact, it will make things mch cleaner

Answer 9

Wipe everything down with a mixture of water and bleach. (cabinets, floors, etc)
If you have carpets in the house, steam clean them.

Answer 10

i smoke also , it a smell thats in the carpets, on the drapes
etc you need to leave the window open,and burn candles