How to Remove the Smell of Smoke From Your Home

The smell of smoke is not only unpleasant, but it also poses a danger to your health and lingers for weeks at a time in the home.

Whether you’ve recently stopped smoking or you’ve spent an evening surrounded by smokers, you’ll be looking for the best way to remove cigarette smell from your home and clothes.

We’ve compiled a list of the best ways to get rid of that pesky smell, leaving your home smelling fresh and clean!

Don’t smoke inside

This one may seem like a no-brainer, but smoking inside means the smoke has time to soak into the room’s furniture, carpets, curtains, making it harder to remove the smell from the house.

If its raining or you just can’t bring yourself to go outside the house, open a window whilst you smoke and for a few hours afterwards to prevent the smoke from settling into your home.

Regularly clean out any ashtrays you may have in the home with strong detergent to completely get rid of the smell. 

Use an air purifier

If you smoke indoors regularly, investing in an air purifier might help prevent the constant smell of smoke in your home.

Air purifiers work by using a system of internal fans that pull air through the contraption, remove smoke particles and then release clean air back into the surrounding atmosphere.

Replace the filters as often as is recommended and place the purifier in whichever room smells the strongest. 

Baking soda

Sprinkle baking soda directly onto the carpet and let it rest for at least an hour.

Vacuum the baking soda up and you’ll be rewarded with a fresh smelling carpet. Most shops even sell products specifically made for freshening up carpets, coming in a variety of scents.

Although they leave your carpet smelling fresh, it may not have a long-lasting effect as these products are designed to mask the smell, not get rid of the cause. 

Charcoal

Charcoal is known for its excellent odour-absorbing properties, making it a natural and effective solution for removing smoke smell from your home. 

Place bowls filled with activated charcoal in areas where smoke odour is causing a problem, such as near ashtrays or in rooms where smoking happens. The charcoal will then absorb the odours over time, leaving your home smelling fresher. 

Remember to replace the charcoal regularly for continued effectiveness!

Clean soft furnishings

Soft furnishings like sofas, cushions and curtains can trap smoke odours, making it important to clean them thoroughly to properly get rid of the smell. 

Use a fabric cleaner or upholstery shampoo specifically designed to beat odours. For curtains, remove them from the rods and wash them in line with the manufacturer’s instructions, adding a cup of vinegar to the load to help completely neutralise odours. Make sure you allow the furnishings to air dry completely before returning them to the room!

Clean glass and mirrors

Smoke residue can build up on glass surfaces and mirrors, leaving behind streaks and an unpleasant smell.

To clean glass and mirrors effectively, mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle and spray the solution onto the surfaces. Wipe the glass clean with a lint-free cloth or newspaper, making sure you remove all traces of smoke residue. 

For stubborn stains, use a mixture of baking soda and water to create a paste, then apply it to the affected areas and scrub gently with a soft cloth before rinsing thoroughly. This should make your glass sparkling clean and smell-free!

Keep your clothes separate

Storing and drying your clothes in a separate room to where you smoke will help prevent your newly-laundered clothes from becoming embedded with cigarette smoke.

Washing your clothes after each wear will prevent you from putting smelling clothes back into your closet, where you’re bound to contaminate all our other clothes with the smell. 

Ozone treatments

Ozone treatments are one of the best ways of removing the smell of smoke from your home, working by destroying odours instead of masking them.

An ozone generator creates ozone gas which is very reactive, so when released into the atmosphere, it changes the chemical composition of substances in the air – such as cigarette smoke particles.

This makes it a highly effective way of removing smoke smell from homes that have been smoked in for long periods of time. 

Professional cleaning

If you can’t seem to get rid of the smell, we highly recommend hiring a professional cleaning service to remove the smell from the carpet fibres and curtain material. Cigarette smoke especially lingers in these materials, as the fibres hold the smoke particles better than others. 

Here at John Frederick, we pride ourselves on our comprehensive cleaning services. Offering both carpet and curtain cleaning, our specialists take time ensuring your possessions are cleaned thoroughly.

For more information on our products and services, please get in touch with a member of our team today. 

John Frederick is based in Hendon, but provides cleaning services throughout the Greater London area, including Harpenden, Radlett & Hampstead. John Frederick’s are expert carpet, upholstery, curtain & blind cleaners. They also supply a wide range of curtains & blinds and carpet & flooring options to customers throughout London.