Whether it’s you who’s a smoker or your annoying roommate, you may at some point experience the dilemma of a household that reeks of cigarette smoke or a burnt smell. If this is you, have no fea
At The House Shop we are going to break down a handful of quick and efficient ways that you can get rid of the unpleasant burnt smell of cigarette smoke for good!
Whether you’re a landlord, tenant, or staging, and you have the heavy scent soaked deep down in your furniture, curtains, or any other upholstery, you could get rid of the smoky odour using common household items that you probably already have laying around.
A fresh and tidy property is not only easier to sell but will have a higher value (you can get a free valuation here).
1. Keep Smoking Limited Only to Outdoor Areas
Okay, this is more of a preventative strategy but if you don’t want your house to smell like smoke, don’t smoke inside!
That second-hand smoke is not only is it bad for you, but also for your family members, guests and even pets.
If you are going to smoke inside a property, then you should definitely consider installing an air purifier. Figure out what the right filter would be and go after a unit that will efficiently extracts smoke and purifies the air. A quality extractor will help eliminate the majority of toxins floating in the air (the ones that aren’t going straight to your lungs or to those of the smokers you live with, or used to live in the property, that is).
2. Use Vinegar to Remove Smoke Odour
Unfiltered apple cider vinegar, or ACV. It is best for this process and comes with quite a few amasing benefits? It’s also great for cleaning too!
There are a few different ways of utiliсing it to remove the unpleasant odour of smoke.
- You can boil the vinegar within the room itself. Vinegar vapour will help diffuse what nasty smell of smoke floats in the air. Keep in mind though, that this may leave your home smelling a little bit, well, vinegary.
- You can “steam clean” your clothes with boiling vinegar by placing them close to or above the pot. You can also add ACV to your laundry by mixing 1 part vinegar to 8 parts of warm water or use the same solution to scrub down furniture, linens, and household surfaces that have been exposed to rancid cigarette smoke.
3. Try Baking Soda
So you’ve tried vinegar, but it left a distinctly sour smell in your house?
Here comes a funny, elementary school science experiment that you can easily put to practical use! In case you don’t know, sodium bicarbonate is the active ingredient in baking soda that neutralizes the acid nature of vinegar. Besides being a great DIY solution to clear a blocked drain, but baking soda is an incredible absorber!
If you’ve already successfully used apple cider vinegar to absorb odours from cigarette smoke, it’s now time to eliminate the nasty smell of vinegar.
- Rub baking soda (the same kind you can find in the baking aisle) into the furniture or clothing that was previously infected by cigarette smoke.
- Watch as the foam does its work, and then use lukewarm water to remove the concoction and bam! You’ve got yourself a smoke odour free zone.
However, this step isn’t completely necessary.
If the sour smell of vinegar doesn’t bother you too much, it will naturally diminish over time, especially if you can vent the room. If not, it will naturally fade out after a few days.
You can also sparkle baking soda over any affected areas without using vinegar as it has amasing odour absorbing abilities on its own. Wait a few days and then vacuum what baking soda you’ve sprinkled out of carpets and upholstery. If you want to push DIY further, you could pick a carpet shampoo and devote yourself to “scrub, rinse and repeat”.
This method is not recommended for those with pets as consuming baking soda poses health risks for your beloved animals. Here are a handful of quick home cleaning tips for pet owners.
4. Put Out Charcoal
Charcoal acts as a natural air purifying agent and can be found in many commercial-grade air filtration systems. Charcoal is non-toxic, and it’s not at all uncommon for people to use charcoal pills after ingesting something toxic in order to rid it from the body. As it turns out, you can do the same for air in your home.
Simply place bowls of activated charcoal around the household and wait for it to do its magic. It’s that simple! Replace the charcoal over time in order to keep up with the air purifying process.
4. Put Out Coffee Grounds
Who doesn’t love the smell of a cup of joe brewing in the morning?
Some people prefer coffee with their cigarettes, and some people prefer coffee over their cigarettes. Regardless which type you are, coffee grounds won’t merely mask the smell of cigarette odours, but can also absorb.
So before you throw away your used coffee grounds, consider all that health potential from your morning pick-me-up.
5. Use an Essential Oil Diffuser
Essential oils are often used in aromatherapy and are a great way to relax when receiving a healthy massage. But did you know that you can buy a device to diffuse your favourite essential oils into the air?
Doing so can help to mask the smell of old cigarette smoke (or the vinegar used to remove it) and help to create a much more pleasant and relaxing atmosphere.
6. Try Ammonia
Ammonia is a relatively harsh household cleaner that can release its own toxic compounds into the air, so we recommend this method as a last-ditch effort.
According to Jonathan Prichards, CEO of MattressInsider.com, you can mix 1 cup of ammonia with 1 gallon of water and use it to scrub household surfaces and furnishing that have proven resistant to more natural remedies. Ammonia could also help you get rid of vomit stains.
7. Get an Air Purifier with a Carbon Filter
As stated above, we recommend installing an air purifier to help remove the remaining smells and toxins from the cigarette smoke. This step is especially important if you have opted to use ammonia, as it can release additional toxins into the air which can be dangerous when inhaled.
Hopefully, this guide will help you in removing that frustrating cigarette smoke smell! Good luck and happy scrubbing!
8. Consider Hot Water Extraction
If you keep asking yourself “Why do I keep smelling cigarette smoke?” then pressurised hot water extraction is the right solution for your case. PHWE (also HWE) is a method superior to regular steam treatment via your average off-the-shelf steam cleaner.
The technique of pressurised hot water extraction is the best one to fully extract saggy smoke smell from various upholstery, such as mattresses, carpeting, drapery, couches and etc. units upholstered in fabric that supports the method. For the rest, it’s better to use the dry cleaning alternative.
The method uses high-end gear that sucks out up to 99% of dirt nested in the fabric and can successfully help any household to get rid of cigarette smell.
Final Remarks,
To have a stinky and saggy smell of cigarette smoke soaked throughout your entire apartment and house can be absolutely repulsive and to get rid of the scent could be a challenge, especially if you had tobacco smouldering for too long. Follow our handful of tips and tricks and you will surely remove the signs of smoke smell from your house.
POSTED BY 
