Domestic Cat Rescue

How to Eliminate Cigarette Smoke Odor

Cigarette smoke is one of the strongest and most hard to get rid of odors. The smoke clings to clothes, hair, and just about everything else that gets in its path. There are some ways you can eliminate the odor so that it doesnt offend those around you.

Photo by Sebastian Fissore
Reasons to Eliminate Cigarette Smoke Odor

If you have friends or family coming to your house for a visit or holiday dinner, you will want to get rid of the smoke odor. This is especially true if those guests dont smoke. A non-smoker can smell smoke instantly when they enter a room. When they leave your get together they will have tainted memories because of the constant cigarette smoke they have been subjected to.

You may also want to eliminate the cigarette smoke from your body if you are going out for a nice evening. The last thing you want to do is go out on a date and have the date only smell cigarette smoke on you. If that is the first time you have spent time together, it may end up being the last.

If you work with children or the elderly, you will want to make sure you dont smell like smoke. You dont want to make a bad impression on the little kids. Elderly individuals may also be sensitive to the cigarette smell.

You have three options when it comes to eliminating the cigarette smoke odor: home made remedies, all natural remedies, and store bought remedies.

Home Made Remedies

Home made remedies are great because they use any product that you can normally find in your home. They may not be all natural, but they will be common and easy to use.

Clothing. Wash clothing in hot water in your washing machine. Use an Arm & Hammer laundry detergent. Arm & Hammer uses baking soda which is an excellent odor absorber. Then dry your clothes on high heat in the dryer with a fabric softener.

Ashtray. If you are using ashtrays, try filling them with Arm & Hammer odor absorbing cat litter. This will help to keep odors from remaining in the area where the smoking is occurring.

Carpets. Open a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide and dump a small amount out. Pour in some Listerine mouthwash and close the lid. Shake the container and then dispense it on the carpet. Use a carpet shampooer to suck the liquid back up after you have allowed the mixture to sit on the carpet for at least half an hour.

Furniture. Use a pine based cleaning solution on all the wooden furniture in the rooms where you smoke. PineSol is the best to use, but any real pine scented cleaner will do.

Breath. Brush your teeth with an Arm & Hammer baking soda toothpaste. Then use Listerine whitening mouthwash. The whitening agents will help with the tar that stains your teeth.

Windows. Wash windows with Windex that contains ammonia. Your windows will smell fresh and they wont have any streaks.

All Natural Remedies

All natural remedies are preferred by pet owners and parents of small children. This is because the all natural methods are safe and good for the environment.

Clothing. Wash clothing in hot water in your washing machine. Make a soap by grating 1/3 of a bar of Ivory soap and adding it to cup of washing soda and cup of borax. Add two tablespoons of this home made soap to your washing machine. It will remove all of the odor.

Ashtray. Open a container of baking soda and set it by the ashtray. It will absorb the odor that lingers near the area you smoke.

Air. Open your windows and air out the room the best that you can. After you have aired out the room for a few hours, you will want to get a squirt bottle and fill it with vinegar. Squirt the vinegar throughout the room. Vinegar is a great natural product that eliminates odors.

Carpets. Once again, baking soda can come to the rescue. Sprinkle it all over your carpet and let it sit there for a few hours. Use your vacuum to get the baking soda up when you are all done. The best idea is to do this the night before you expect your company.

Breath. Brush your teeth with baking soda and then rinse your mouth out with Hydrogen Peroxide.

Windows and glass surfaces. Use an ammonia-water mixture to wipe down windows and glass surfaces. Ammonia is great at eliminating odors.

Store Bought Remedies

Store bought remedies are great because they give you a chance to buy products that are made just for smoke odors. These products are much stronger than anything you can concoct from nature.

Clothing. Find a laundry detergent that has a fresh mountain air scent. Follow the directions on the box and add it to the washing machine. Make sure you wash the clothes with hot water and then dry them on high heat.

Ashtray. Buy a smokeless ashtray. These ashtrays trap the smoke inside so that it doesnt get out and stick to your clothes, carpets, and upholstery. These smokeless ashtrays can be purchased for $12-$40 depending on how fancy you want them. The $12 version works just as well as the $40 version.

Air. Buy an air purifier and run it for an hour after each cigarette. If you keep your smoking to one area (or room), then you dont need a big air purifier.

Carpets and Upholstery. You can buy Febreze to spray directly on carpets, couches, chairs, and love seats. Febreze is better at removing smoke odor than any other store bought spray. You should also buy a product called The Bad Air Sponge. This container should be left open in the smoking room. The sponge draws the cigarette odor in to it to keep it from sticking to your furniture in the first place.

Breath: You will need to purchase a product called Targon Smokers Mouthwash. Regular mouthwashes will only mask the smoke odor for a short time. Targon actually helps eliminate the odor all together and also comes in a fresh minty flavor.


by Michal Zacharzewski
Tips:
* Grab a large bowl and fill it with cedar chips. Set it in the closet or in the four corners of a room you are trying to free of cigarette smoke odor.

* The best way to eliminate smoke odor is to quit smoking.

Warning:
*Cigarette smoke odor can be quite stubborn. You may have to use more than one of these methods at a time.


Resources:
How to Get Rid of Cigarette Odor

Eliminate Cigarette Odor

Written by Alicia Bodine

Next page: Pet Care Rx

Bookmark/Share This Page:

Domestic Cat Rescue News