Cigarette smoke is one of the most unpleasant household odors.  Not only that, but it's also notoriously long-lasting.  While the smoke itself clears out relatively quickly, the ingredients in the smoke absorb into the materials in our home, like our carpets and furniture, and can last for a long, long time.

If you or someone in your household has smoked indoors, you’re likely more than eager to figure out a way to get rid of the smell.  Fortunately, there are proven methods that will allow your home to return to its fresh, odor-free state in no time.

How Long Will the Cigarette Smell Last in a Room?

First things first: let’s talk about how long that smell will last to begin with.  Again, smoke itself dissipates quickly – otherwise we’d see it in the air long after a cigarette was put out.  Cigarette smoke can last in a room for up to several hours before it dissipates.  Then, it’s the odor-causing ingredients in the smoke that soak into fabrics and other materials.  The tar in cigarette smoke, which is extremely thick, also coats surfaces, causing a yellowing of walls, tables, etc., all while trapping in that classic stale cigarette odor.

Exactly how long that odor will last really depends.  Here are some factors that determine how long you might be smelling old cigarette smoke:

• Room Size.
• Whether or not the room gets aired out/filtered.
• Amount of fabric in the room (couches, rugs, etc., all of which attract odor).
• How many cigarettes were smoked in that room.
• The last time a cigarette was smoked in that room.

How to Quickly Get Rid of Smoke Odor in a Room

There are really two approaches to getting rid of cigarette smoke – one that’s for quickly getting rid of the smell left behind after a cigarette was recently put out, and the other is doing a more thorough odor-removing process for older, stronger, and more stubborn cigarette smell.

If, say, someone in your house just smoked a cigarette that day, and you want to clear out the smell before having company over, then you may not need to work very hard at all.  It’s just a matter of using the right kind of odor-neutralizing air freshener, which both neutralizes bad odors, and masks the smell with fragrance – preferably natural fragrance, which tends to be stronger and longer-lasting.  We recommend  GG Room & Fabric Freshener, which uses natural, eco-friendly ingredients to remove odors and apply a beautiful scent to any room.  It can also be used on fabrics, which are known to attract the smell of cigarette smoke.

Because this product uses essential oils, the scent is long-lasting, as oil-soluble fragrance molecules linger for longer than water-soluble molecules.  Spray as many times as you like, until you’re satisfied with the results.

Of course, it also helps to air out the room as soon as the person is done smoking, so that a good deal of the smoke goes out the window.

Removing the Smoke Smell for the Long Run

Now, let’s say that you’re in a space where people have smoked indoors repeatedly for a long time – to the point that the smell is long-embedded into fabrics, and maybe even to the point that there’s a yellowing of tar on the walls and surfaces.  In this case, you’re going to need to do a far more thorough job of tackling that odor.  Once the smoke absorbs into these materials, it’s no longer smoke that’s actually the problem, but the tar and other ingredients that have separated from the smoke itself.

Here are some steps you can use for getting rid of a longer-term cigarette smoke odor.

Step #1: Air it Out

First, open those windows.  Let the fresh air in, which naturally helps neutralize odors.  As you begin a deep clean, you’ll be releasing a lot of that odor into the air, so allowing fresh, outdoor air to make its way through the room will help out a lot.

Step #2: Scrub Surfaces

Get scrubbing.  Look around the room for any signs of yellowing due to tar, checking walls, floors, tabletops, counters, and so on.  If prior cigarette use was constant in that area of the home, you may need to accept the fact that a top-to-bottom cleaning is required.  The good news is that lifting tar from surfaces is extremely easy.  Because it’s so greasy, it comes right off, even with a mild cleaner like hand soap and a cloth.

Step #3: Wash All Fabrics

Next, you’ll want to wash every fabric to the best of your ability.  Anything that can be laundered should be laundered, according to its care label, as this is the best method for removing odors by far.  But, what about fabrics that can’t go into the wash, like rugs and upholstery?  We recommend getting a rug/furniture vacuum or a steam-cleaner, as both of these appliances can remove odors very easily.

Step #4: Refresh

Finally, freshen up the space with some air freshener, and enjoy the new, clean scent that’s working hard behind the scenes at neutralizing any lingering odors from your cleanup process.

Why Choosing Eco-Friendly and Natural-Based Products is the Way to Go?

At the end of the day, you always want to stick to natural and eco-friendly products when eliminating any household odors.  Please look for products that are free of phthalates, which are harmful to both the environment and to our health.  Products made with essential oils are ideal, because they’re highly effective, and aren’t associated with dangerous harm to us or the environment.

Say Goodbye to the Odor of Cigarette Smoke Once and for All

Cigarette odors are notoriously tough, but the good news is that you can get rid of them completely with some thorough but ultimately simple cleaning methods.  The key is cleaning every surface and fabric to remove the tar that stays behind, long after the last cigarette has been put out. 

Grab Green Home carries plenty of cleaning and air-freshening products that do a lot of the hard work for you, while being eco-friendly, gentle, and of course, effective.