How can I cover up the scent of strong cigarette smoke?

Question

I live with my grandparents, and they smoke a lot -- everywhere. My entire house, all my clothing, and my hair (etc), and my bookbag/books smell like cigarette smoke!

They refuse to quit, as well.

Every morning I put my clothes in the drier with a scentered softener sheet, which I think helps, and I use deodorant and body spray... but I my nose is desensitized to the smell, so I can't tell whether or not I still smell like cigarette smoke. I can always smell it when I open my book bag, though.

I put body spray in my hair, as well, because I don't have time to shower in the mornings, so I'm sure it smells disgusting.

Please help! What can I do?

I have to finish my junior and senior year of high school before I can more out. :[
I plan on moving out after my senior year, when I start college.

I haven't seen my dad since I was nine, and my mom is in prison so moving in with them is not an option.

There is no way to get the smoke out.
My grandmother has lived in this house since she was 16, and has been smoking in it since then, too.

There is no way to get the smoke out.
My grandmother has lived in this house since she was 16, and has been smoking in it since then, too.

Answer 1

Are you old enough to move out?

Answer 2

Febreze, febreze, febreze. Trust me, I was a smoker for a long time. You can spray down your clothes,your room and your entire house with it and keep your closet and bedroom door closed as much as possible. You can also spray your clothes with Febreze and pop them in the dryer for a few minutes and your clothes will be super fresh by the time they are done. It works much better than using a dryer sheet which just covers up the smell instead of eliminating it. Febreze is also safe for your bookbag and other fabric items that really absorb that smoke smell. When I smoked I religiously sprayed EVERYTHING I could with it and even nonsmokers who came to my home NEVER smelled the smoke. It's great stuff and they even have a few different scents out now. Just about any kind of freshener in a citrus scent works extremely well on eliminating cigarette smoke smells. And like the poster above said-take your showers in
the morning. You definitely dont want to use body sprays in your hair because of the high alcohol content. I hope this info helps and GOOD LUCK!

Answer 3

It would be difficult to get rid of the smell once the entire house smells like cigarette. If they cannot limit the space for smoking, you cannot help it. If they cannot quit, ask them to make a smoking room for your own health. Or you have to move out, if this is the option.

Answer 4

This may sound strange, but it does work......put out small bowls of vininger around the house, esp. where they tend to smoke. The vininger will absorb the smell. Also, keep your bedroom door and your closet door closed. You can spray your bookbag with a solution of vininger and water, and that should help with the settled in smell. Good luck.....

Answer 5

Hmmm, you could try getting an air filter for your room. It might not completely take away the smell, but it might help. Make sure they arent smoking in your room too. Another thing you could try, getting air tight bags to keep your stuff in. They keep odors out. So your clothing and books and such wont smell. Sorry if thats not much help, Good Luck!!

=D

Answer 6

there is something you're able to do ... it incredibly is observed as the fabric softener filter out a million. come across a rest room paper tube or a paper-towel tube 2. Stuff the tube with fabric softener 3. important - wash your palms - fabric softener has chemical compounds on it - do no longer touch your self 4. verify the fabric softener can no longer touch your lips! 5. Now once you smoke blow the smoke interior the path of the tube 6. human beings will say "what's this - air freshener?"

Answer 7

First thing...definitely shower in the mornings. Make the time. That is a good idea with the drier sheets. I'd shower and bring body spray with you. You can spray yourself as soon as you leave the house so it won't be smokey.

Answer 8

P.A.M. is right. You can't get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke. If your grandparents quit smoking, their home will still stink because of furniture, carpet, bedspreads, curtains..all of that gets to have the smell of smoke about it. If they have special steam cleaners come in to clean the carpets and upholstery and if you take your fabrics that are cleanable to a dry cleaner to be laundered, then you'll be more likely to get rid of the smell.

Answer 9

Change the carpet, if you have any. They trap smells. Try using Fabreeze? Or leave plates of baking soda around the house, that can clean up the air. But get them to stop smoking...

Answer 10

That sucks. Parents (and in your case grandparents) that force children to live in that horrible smoky environment should be considered child abusers.

Smokers are some of the rudest people on the planet - they have absolutely no concern for other people who have to smell and breathe their nasty garbage that they are willingly sucking into their lungs. They litter all over the place with potentially dangerous cigarette butts - which after the paper dissolves leave filters that DO NOT biodegrade.

I would start by figuring out a way to ventilate your room properly - possibly with a small window fan, and spend as little time as possible in the rest of the house. When you wash and dry your clothes use some fabric softener - that always helps, maybe double up on dryer sheets. When you get them out of the dryer, immediately carry them to your room.

Smoke smell stays in your hair especially too - anytime you are going to take a shower, get all of your stuff ready first so that after you shower and get dressed, you can immediately leave the house.

Start spending as little time at the house as possible, and when you come home, immediately go to your room, shut the door, and turn on the fan. At mealtime, get your food, and take it to your room, if they object, tell them that you can't eat because the smell of smoke is making you nauseous.

I would start messing with your grandparents too - hide (or just throw away) their cigarettes, 'accidentally' knock ashtrays over to cause messes. Make comments regarding your difficulty breathing whenever you are in the house, make sure to cough a lot (which may not require you to fake it), and anytime they set a cig down and leave it burning in the ash tray, reach over and put it out (make sure to stub it out so that it is mangled and broken so they can't just relight it). Or take the burning cig and use it to burn small holes in tablecloths, their clothes, couch, etc. - careful not to start a fire, but they will get thoroughly annoyed.

If they accuse you of anything, tell them 'what? - you are the ones that smoke all the time!'

I was at a restaurant once and some old guy lit up a cigarette - the entire restaurant was non-smoking, and so I asked the guy nicely if he could 'please extinguish his smoking material'. He looked at me, and in a smart-azzed voice said 'talk to a manager'. I stood up, walked over, and told him that he could put it out himself, or I could put it out in his f'ing eye.

Needless to say, he put it out.

Answer 11

ok..first off, never ever put body spray in your hair..it will dry it out..use a leave in conditioner or some other product for hair that you can spray in when its dry. but for your clothes...leave them in your room with the door shut...or hang them up outside overnight...if you pick out your outfit the night before. and keep your book bag in a closet or soemthing with an air freshiner.