How to Get Rid of Smoke Smell in Your House

Whether you’re a smoker and you’re trying to sell your house, or you’ve just purchased a place that reeks of cigarettes or marijuana, there are steps you can take to get rid of the smell.

For starters, understand that spraying room fresheners or burning scented candles will only mask the odor temporarily. Opening windows to provide some ventilation will help dilute the smell, but it won’t remove it permanently.

To truly de-stink your house or apartment, you must remove the source of the problem. That’s easier said than done because smoke particles can be smaller than one-thousandth the width of a human hair, which means they can penetrate almost any surface in any room in your house.

You didn’t smoke in your bedroom? Chances are smoke got in there anyway. Tobacco smoke can easily circulate through your home’s ventilation system. If you live in an apartment building or condo, it’s possible tobacco smells from other tenants’ units can travel through central ventilation systems, pipe shafts or cracks in the walls until — bam — your place smells like smoke.

Getting rid of the stench isn’t easy, but if you’re trying to sell, it’s imperative.

“House hunters are never really sure if they’ll be able to get the smoke smell out of a property, so it’s a huge turnoff for potential buyers,” said Tiffany Kjellander, owner and operations manager of Augusta, NJ-based EXIT Towne & Country Realty. “It takes some work, but the best thing you can do is eliminate the smell before you put your house on the market.”

It’s likely you’ll need a multi-prong approach to tackle the problem. These odor-ridding tips come from the National Association of Home Inspectors, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service.

How to get rid of smoke smell in the house:

Open windows and turn on fans

Ventilation is the first step in eliminating or diluting any household odor, especially smoke. If your windows do not provide sufficient ventilation, prop open exterior doors with fans that face outward to pull out the stale air.

Wash all interior walls and hard surfaces

Use a mild soap or other appropriate cleaning solutions or products, and rinse thoroughly. Don’t forget to clean inside cabinets, drawers and closets.

Use a dry chemical sponge on other surfaces

Also known as a dry cleaning sponge or soot sponge, dry chemical sponges can be used to remove smoke residue from ceiling tiles, lampshades and other materials that can’t get wet.

Steam-clean upholstery

Special deodorizing shampoos works to remove smoke and other odors rather than simply making them with another scent.

Set small bowls of vinegar around the house

Similarly, set bowls filled with kitty litter or baking soda throughout the home to help absorb odors like cigarette smoke. You can also dampen a dish towel with vinegar and wave it around the room for a minute or two.

Repaint surfaces to trap odor

Keep in mind that it’s possible for odors to gradually seep through paint barriers. A matte finish polyurethane sealant will provide good odor protection without altering the sheen of the newly repainted wall.

Remove carpeting

It is nearly impossible to remove cigarette smoke particles from carpeting. Thoroughly scrub the flooring beneath before installing new carpet. If the carpet cannot be replaced, have it professionally cleaned.

Replace curtains or have them professionally cleaned

You can also soak blinds in a bathtub full of all-purpose cleanser, scrub thoroughly and hang to dry.

Clean or change light bulbs

In the same way that some scent diffusers rely on heat from light bulbs to disperse the aroma of the scented oil, the oily residue from nicotine and other cigarette byproducts can be dispersed throughout your living space.

Wash windows

The heat that comes from sunshine can warm smoke-covered windows and disperse the smell throughout your house.

Replace heating and air filters

Filters tend to harbor cigarette odors and other irritants. Changing these more frequently than usual can help improve air quality of a smelly home.