Now a non smoker how do I get rid of smoke smell?

Dot10569539
by Dot10569539
I have smoked in my house for about 15 yrs.

  7 answers
  • 2dogal 2dogal on Oct 23, 2017

    Are you asking how to get rid of the odor or how to clean walls, etc?

  • Janet Panos Janet Panos on Oct 23, 2017

    Hello! Sorry to say, but your question was cut off. We would like to help, but you will have to repost your question. Thanks!

  • DebM DebM on Oct 23, 2017

    I would clean all appliances, walls, for knick knacks and everything you can with vinegar. Then use a carpet/upholstery cleaner on all upholstery and carpets after sprinkling baking soda on them and allowing it to sit for a day or two. Replace hvac filters and mist febreeze over the new filters a couple times per day while it is running. Then febreeze anything and everything every couple of days. Repeat weekly as necessary.

    If the smell won't come off the walls, be sure to use kills before repainting them! Ozone generators are known to help, but they're a bit pricey.

    Good luck!

  • Chubby58 Chubby58 on Oct 23, 2017

    A whole house clean needs to be done. All air vents and everything. You can wash the walls with Mr.Clean pad. Use a small amount of bleach if you decide to use something like dawn and water. Make sure to wash all the clothes in your closet, because believe it or not smoke gets into everything, purses, shoes anything that is out in the open. Febreeze and other fresheners just encapsulate the smell and it will come back. Just clean and air out everything.

  • Jess Jess on Oct 23, 2017

    After visiting the houses/apartments of friends who freely smoke throughout the entire place, I've been utterly disgusted by the way I smell even if I didn't have a cigarette while I was there.


    As a smoker, I only do so by my kitchen window, which has a fan in it to suck out the smoke (or go out on the fire escape).


    I totally agree with @Chubby58 - WHOLE house cleaning.

    Cigarette smoke penetrates EVERYTHING - clothing, shoes, jewelry, bags, wallets, bedding, furniture, pillows, rugs, curtains, carpets, vents, paintings, photos, wall hangings, books, knick knacks, lamps, fans, overhead lights, electronics, every drawer, cabinet and everything in them.


    Stock up on: Spray bottles & gallons of white vinegar from a dollar store, Magic Erasers and Simple Green, if you can find it (Walmart - auto department). It's "non-toxic", pretty cheap for a big container of concentrate which you cut with water in spray bottles at varying strengths for different jobs. In my experience, it gets off almost everything bc it's a degreaser - just be careful using it on anything silver, stainless steel or chrome. I go to town with it in my kitchen; even with the fan, I notice smoke residue on the fridge, cabinets, window sill & doors. But I also have an all white kitchen.


    For carpets, rent a steam cleaner. And do it a few times. There's padding underneath that carpet. And smokes in there.


    If you have light colored walls, I would be VERY careful how you decide to tackle this cleaning job. You will end up seeing more dirt on them after you've cleaned them, then when you started. But it must be done, because smoke on walls will still seep through new paint.


    Bowls of vinegar left in every room, closet and cabinet suck up the smoke scent. I'd change it daily, and leave it there until the whole house has been cleaned.


    After cleaning absolutely everything, if you're now a non-smoker (congrats!), when you walk into a room or closet, you'll immediately smell where residue still lingers.


    Good luck! It will take massive time & elbow grease!

  • V Smith V Smith on Oct 23, 2017

    Congratulations. I know how hard it is to quit cigarettes. You do need to clean everything, but take your time it is a big job. The soft things seem to hold the smell the most, so start there and wash or dry clean what you can. When you can, think about painting the walls and cielings. Depending on your paint choices you may need to prime with an oil based primer because the smoke residue is oily and can bleed through paint. Case goods can really hold on to odor too so I suggest you get some activated charcoal (from aquarium supply) and place it in bowls inside drawers and behind doors. Good luck and again, congratulations on quitting.