Asked on Nov 08, 2015
Smoking odors
+17
Moved into new home, the previous owners were smokers. How do we eliminate the smell? Matt
17 answers
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Put a bowl of white vinegar and water out with a box of open baking soda.
Janet Pizaro
on Nov 08, 2015
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We can get rid of the odor for a short time but it comes back especially when the heat comes back. Vance
Vance Edwrads
on Nov 08, 2015
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Have the HVAC company come out to clean the duct work...bet that the dust inside is a big part of the problem. If you have carpet, kiss it good-by! Then put small bowls of vinegar all over the house...several in each room...GOOD LUCK!
Jim L
on Nov 08, 2015
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Heavy smoke also absorbs into the walls as well as carpet, drapes and blinds. You would be wise to repaint all the walls one room at a time, if you inherited window treatments, they would have to be replaced as well...also you may have to go over your cabinets in the kitchen with some strong cleaner too. Carpet is history as well.
Jan Loehr
on Nov 08, 2015
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Thanks...I've used baking soda for other things, kitty and puppy pee, but never nasty, gross, cigarette stink! (What makes you think that I HATE cigarette smoke??)
Jim L
on Nov 08, 2015
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Oh dear, we must have "miscommunicated"...I did not know that baking soda would take away the smell in carpet...I have used it to get rid of pet odors and "fresh" pet stains. I really like knowing some household tricks using ordinary things that we have on hand. I do "hate" cigarette smoke and the smell that it leaves in a house...
Jim L
on Nov 09, 2015
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Baking soda in each room will take away the cigarette smell. Just put it in a bowl loose and it will absorb all the odours. Clove sticks also take away the smell and vanilla essence in a small cup in each room will also take away the smell. It's a good idea to get in professional bond cleaners, who do bond cleans for rental houses. They go over every suface in your house. Steam clean the walls and ceilings yourself instead of repainting or if you wash the walls with a mixture of detergent, vanilla essence and some metho that should also take away the smell. If you don't own a good steam cleaner, some of the less expensive ones are difficult to use, use a window cleaner tool to clean all the walls. Sponge in a circuar motion then take away the water with a window washer tool. They will come up a different colour. I was going to repaint a whole house until someone lent me a great steam cleaner, the paintwork came up the old colour and I didn't have to repaint. Bond cleaners will go over every surface in your house and are well worth the money. Vacuum the fly screens, clean out the air conditioners and wash every surface - but the easiest way is to hire good bond cleaners.
Lyndal Bruns
on Nov 09, 2015
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I have had great success using borax (20 Mule Team Borax in laundry section). Go to their website for mixing suggestions. I've sprinkled/sprayed it all over a room (fabrics, mattresses, carpet, window shades) and closed the door. No smell and leaves no smell. If the walls are nicotine coated (probably are) try washing with TSP or maybe borax would work too, have not tried the borax in that application yet. Easiest way to wash walls is to use a new sponge mop and just wipe up drips. Keep the mop for just walls until you're done. Good luck!
D
on Nov 09, 2015
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If people chose to smoke that's their business, my concern is the health of my family. Third hand smoke results into off-gassing of toxic particles not good.
Vance Edwrads
on Nov 10, 2015
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I think you should get a bunch of air fresheners and that should take care of the problem.
Grady
on Nov 10, 2015
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Hope 20 Mule Team Borax will work. My uncle had to repaint his ceilings and walls to get rid of the smoke AND had his carpets professionally cleaned. Tough job!
Diana Deiley
on Nov 10, 2015
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i clean for a living and my father just passed away and let me tell you we worked very hard to get rid of it. I washed all the walls with TSP and rinsed it and then all the wood work. Everything. I then re-painted all his walls, and ceilings. I washed all the cabinets, including on top of the cabinets. I washed all windows and washed all the blinds. All the light fixtures. I cleaned off all the light switches anything that needed cleaned I cleaned it. I cleaned all the doors in the house and made sure I rinsed everything and usually cleaned it twice and changed out the water when it looked dirty and it does. Then we had the carpet cleaned and I could smell the smoke like crazy. I had to have it cleaned twice. This house was a brand new home less than 4 years old. then we used a ozone machine to and left it in the house the air for several days to clean the air. We did get rid of the smell. It takes a lot of work but you can do it.
Sherrie
on Nov 13, 2015
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Being a painting contractor, we run into a lot ofhomes, rentals with musty, pet and tobacco smoke odor problems. Painting theinside walls will not remove the odors as they are impregnated in the drywall,carpet, upholstery and drapes making the home harder to sell, or rent looksgood smells badly. If you have to repaint, the inside walls add the Ionic PaintAdditive, one treatment will continue to remain effective for 8-12 years.
Vance Edwrads
on Nov 14, 2015
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Being a painting contractor, we run into a lot ofhomes, rentals with musty, pet and tobacco smoke odor problems. Painting theinside walls will not remove the odors as they are impregnated in the drywall,carpet, upholstery and drapes making the home harder to sell, or rent looksgood smells badly. If you have to repaint, the inside walls add the Ionic PaintAdditive, one treatment will continue to remain effective for 8-12 years.
Vance Edwrads
on Nov 14, 2015
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Try hanging a wet towel in the room. Often times the towel absorbs the odors . Good lick.
Susan lawson
on Nov 14, 2015
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Use an ozone machine, really does the job
Dhappel
on Nov 14, 2015
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Vinegar for cleaning...add plain old' vanilla to your paint ( the cooking kind),and gone smoking odors!
Linda Barrett Dirksen
on Nov 16, 2015
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