How do I remove cigarette odor from home and laundry?
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Cigarette smell is essentially impossible to remove; there is no way to successfully remove the smell from breath, body, clothes etc. The real problem is much bigger-not just smoke but also second and third hand smoking residuals.
The three (that we know of) disabling and deadly disease causing cigarette smoking residuals:
1-Cigarette Smoke in the air-Breathed in by other people, pets etc.
2-Cigarette Smoke Particulate Matter-Smoke particles in the air that drop from the smoke to the body, clothes and all surfaces in the car, house, work etc. From direct smoke but also from smokers and non-smokers breathing your smoke particles in and out of their lungs.
The question was not what are the effects of smoking. Stick the the topic people came to this article to read. I don't smoke and don't need education on how harmful it is.
You can use a product called Nok-Out. It is available on Amazon.
activated charcoal satchets, spraying with vinegar water, putting bowls of coffee grounds everywhere, and wiping down all surfaces very well with bleachy or vinegary water will help combat the smell
Calling myself a "closet smoker" is a joke, with a touch of denial. I only smoke at home, but I don't bother to step outside; consequently, cigarette smoke pervades the air, causing my clothes and hair to wreak of nicotine stench. That fact causes me no end of torment in time and money, as I attempt to camouflage and cover up, and rid myself of that dead give away. It's REALLY, REALLY magnified when I enter places where NO ONE SMOKES, EVER, NEVER, and that's at church. The very, most effective minimizer of cigarette smell in my clothès, and at short notice, is a RUBBING ALCOHOL SPRITZ.
We had serious problems trying to get rid of the odor in my grandparents house. So here is my list of t-do's I can offer.
Of course it depends on how awful the cigarette odor in you house, though I'm afraid there's no simple solution.
Carpeting: tear it out, remove pads too. We used the hardwood floors underneath, but you could also re-carpet. You cannot save it, you will never get the smell out.
Walls/ceilings: Remove wallpaper if any. If it is painted, the best option is to remove the drywall or plaster if that is practical and you can afford it.
Hardwood floors. Screen and re-coat.
Porcelain. Scrub scrub scrub with a good ammonia base cleaner and a soft sponge.
Wood moldings. Heat strip and refinish (paint of stain and poly). LIght fixtures - clean with a strong ammonia based cleaner.
If you have chandeliers, you need to remove every crystal, soak and scrub them and then put them back up.
Windows: 2-3 scrubbing with Windex usually removes the film. You need to scrub, not just spray and squeegee.
Mattress. Just throw it away and buy a new one. The smell will not come out.
Cloth, bedding, etc. Wash with tide and borax use liquid fabric softener. If you have hard water, take it somewhere that does not.
Curtains. Throw them out.
Leather. This is really tough. Leather really absorbs tar and goo from smoking. It is hard to clean and expensive to replace. We cleaned it a lot and just lived with it being a little bit stinky.
Ceiling tiles. Anything soft is almost impossible to get smell out of. We just removed them.
So... good luck. I can only add, that these guys have some nice tips for saving your clothes: www.laundrycare.biz/
Also don't forget about the proper airing: houseweather.org/
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