6 Ways To Remove Cigarette Odor From A Home

Cigarette odor is infamous for being difficult to get out of a home. It permeates the whole house and is definitely something buyers do not want to deal with in a new home. For this reason, if your house has “smoker’s smell”, you’ll want to remove it completely before doing any showings. Here are 6 ways to do just that!

The odor from cigarettes gets in everything, including your HVAC system. You’ll need to clean the air ducts, evaporator coil, filter, and every other part of the system to remove the smell and prevent it from circulating throughout your house again.

Smoking causes the hard surfaces of the walls and ceiling to get covered with stinky grime, so use vinegar and water in a 3:1 ratio and a Swiffer in order to clean some of the harder to reach areas. To truly remove the nicotine stain and odor, you will likely need to repaint. 

Smoke-infused dust latches onto light bulbs when they get hot. Replace your bulbs with new ones that aren’t covered in smoke.

For carpet, you can use baking soda to deodorize, or make the carpet as good as new with a steam cleaning. Alternatively, if your carpet is old, consider replacing it.

For hard surfaces, vacuum up dust and then clean surface as recommended for the flooring.

Many curtains can simply be machine washed as any other cloth would. Some, however, have special washing instructions, so make sure to wash your curtains how they are meant to be washed.

While you’re at it, wash or replace any other textiles in the home such as bedding, throw pillows and blankets. Fabrics around the house tend to hold odors, so thoroughly washing or steam cleaning them will help significantly.

An indoor air purifier with a HEPA filter can work wonders to remove the smell for good. In addition, a dehumidifier can help remove cigarette smell, among others, during warm and humid weather.

After you have deep cleaned your home to remove nicotine grime and odors, make sure no one is smoking in the house, especially if you’re planning to sell your home.

Once you’re ready to sell your home, make sure to reach out to the Rita Boswell Group! Call us at (614) 547-3229 or email rita@ritaboswellgroup.com.