How To Get Rid Of Cigarette Smoke Smell In Your Apartment

Figuring out how to get rid of smoke smell in your apartment should be a priority if you move into a unit that smells like cigarettes. Residual smoke can cause all kinds of health problems because these materials contain nasty toxins like ammonia, arsenic, formaldehyde and acetone. The American Cancer Society reveals that there are thousands of chemicals in tobacco smoke. Of those, more than 70 are carcinogenic and linked to cancer. Several chemicals are radioactive, and others contribute to heart disease, respiratory problems and stroke!

Even if you physically aren’t in the room with a smoker, the scent and toxins can linger for hours. The exhaled chemicals create a sticky residue, which combines with other indoor pollutants, clings to surfaces and infiltrates carpets and ducts. The chemicals can even contaminate dust!

Chemicals that linger on surfaces and are absorbed into objects are known as thirdhand smoke. Unfortunately, you can’t eliminate the thirdhand smoke odor with a couple of open windows or air fresheners. Unless you scrub or replace every single surface area in your home or seal thirdhand smoke in under a new coat of paint, it poses a lingering threat to your health.

Get rid of the cigarette smell before you even move in

Obviously, the best time to get rid of the smoke smell in your apartment is before you move in. A thorough check-in is your right as a rental unit tenant. So, if your soon-to-be new home has a smoke odor during the walkthrough, insist that your landlord or property manager resolve the issue right away. Address this issue immediately with property managers when touring rental properties, if needed. They like to make prospective tenants as happy as possible, but make sure to get any cleaning-related promises in writing. If you’re extra sensitive, let it be known during the tenant screening process.

If the stink is definitely emanating from your apartment (and not drifting in from neighbors who smoke) the property might enlist the help of an odor removal service, or go with multiple contractors to like a professional carpet cleaner or other experts to do a serious deep clean, scrub the walls and so on. If the smell is very strong, replacing the carpet and repainting the walls may also be required to remove smoke smells. Bonus points if they use odor-blocking paint! However, regular paint will probably do the trick. Definitely insist on new carpeting if cigarette burns are present. You’re also well within your rights to request air purifiers to fully purge the unit of cigarette odor.

Once cigarette odor has infiltrated an apartment it’s very difficult to get rid of the smoke. So, resist the urge to live with the smell or hope it goes away on its own. It won’t, and there’s no reason for you to pay the price for these smoke odors if you’re new to the property.

How to get rid of the cigarette smell in your apartment

If the smoke issue is minor upon move-in, or if you’re cleaning up an apartment you already live in, there are several ways of removing the smoke smell. However, it isn’t enough to simply mask the smoke odor. You have to deep clean every single surface, absorb and neutralize the smell and purify your home atmosphere to really eliminate cigarette odor.

Here’s how to get rid of the smoke smell in your apartment.

1. Throw away the source of the smell

To get rid of the cigarette odor in your apartment, first, toss out all the smoking materials. Then, clean out everything they’ve touched and anything you don’t want to keep.

1. Put the contents of ashtrays into a garbage bag. Make sure you wet the remnants down first to eliminate fire risk.
2. Tie up the garbage bag and remove it from the apartment.
3. Throw away unsmoked cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco. If you just kicked the habit, you don’t need any additional temptation. Plus, keeping extras on hand will just encourage guests to smoke, so you’ll have to clean all over again.
4. Toss out anything that’s too damaged by secondhand smoke to salvage, or that you don’t want to commit time to clean. Such items include cloth furniture from a smoking area, ashtrays or porous items like magazines, newspapers and cardboard boxes that really absorb and retain the smell.
5. Set aside garbage cans for cleaning.

Once the materials are trashed, the rental unit is one step closer to being delightfully smoke-free.

2. Increase airflow

Air circulation is so critical to eliminate smoke smells. So, get the air in your rental property moving to eliminate that nasty stale air once and for all!

1. First, open all the windows to help the airflow all around the rental unit. This encourages cross ventilation. Leave doors open, as well!
2. Next, place portable box fans in the windows of the smokiest rooms. Make sure the blades are blowing out, pulling the smell outdoors.
3. Run the portable fans for a full day, if possible. If it’s too cold, try for an hour or two at a time. Repeat as needed for a few days.

This simple step is key to getting the rental property to smell fresh again. You know, like somewhere you’d actually want to lay your head at night.

3. Sprinkle and steam

If an item is not hand or machine washable, try sprinkling baking soda, coupled with a deep steam cleaning. It’s a simple, but effective way to bid adieu to that nasty smell. Follow these easy steps:

1. Sprinkle baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in a thin layer on rugs, carpets, mattresses and sofas and anything else that can’t easily be laundered. The molecules in this great natural cleaner bind to odors, neutralizing them.
2. Let it sit for several hours (or even a full day) when there’s no foot traffic. If possible, let it sit overnight!
3. Vacuum up any residue.
4. Repeat the process if the odor persists.
5. Then, steam clean carpets and upholstered furniture if the label says it’s safe to do so. You can rent a cleaner or purchase your own at a big box store.

This should go a long way to eliminate the smoky smell. It’s even a good idea every once in a while for any type of odor!

4. Wash what you can

A cycle through the washing machine is a quick and easy way to eliminate odors. Be sure to check labels to make sure everything is machine washable. You don’t want to mess up that wool blanket or cashmere throw!

1. Launder all clothing that’s been exposed to smoke. Use a deodorizing laundry detergent for best results. An extra rinse goes a long way to remove odors permanently. Dry as directed. Whenever possible, take that extra step and hang it out to air dry!
2. Then, move on to bedding. Wash everything, from covers and sheets to mattress pads, bed skirts and pillows.
3. In the rest of the unit, don’t forget to launder decorative items like tablecloths, pillow covers and washable couch cushion covers.
4. Dry items outdoors, if possible. The sun’s UV rays break down odor-causing compounds, so a little sunshine will help.

Of course, some items might be too large to machine wash at home, so they might need to be sent out to a dry cleaner or another expert. Area rugs, in particular, may need the expertise of a rug doctor to get the job done.

5. Scrub all the hard surfaces

After you’ve cleaned or discarded clothing, textiles and other soft items, move on to surfaces like walls, counters, hard floors and wood floors. Don’t forget about ceilings, windows, window sills and light switch covers! The smoke residue will be sticky, so you’ll have to scrub with a clean cloth to get the job done.

You can make your own natural cleaners or purchase cleaners at the local home improvement or hardware store. Leave heavy-duty options like sodium phosphate to your landlord or the pros they hire, since it can damage paint, metal and wood finishes. Here are a few of the most popular natural options you can make at home.

Vinegar

Vinegar is a very effective smoke residue remover. Fill a bucket or spray bottle with a solution made of two-thirds distilled white vinegar and one-third water. This will effectively clean most surfaces, and is especially effective to achieve clean windows.

1. Spray walls, floors and counters with the water and white vinegar solution.
2. Wipe clean with a sponge or soft, clean rag, rinsing frequently.
3. To wash windows, use a 50-50 water and vinegar mix and wipe with a newspaper or lint-free cloth until it shines.

Ammonia

For tougher stains and residue, try an ammonia solution. Just take care to make sure the mixture isn’t too concentrated. Never combine it with bleach or cleaners that contain bleach. Doing so can result in toxic fumes that cause headaches and seizures.

1. For counters and floors add a tablespoon of ammonia for every cup of water.
2. Wear protective gloves and open the windows for additional ventilation.
3. Test in an inconspicuous place before applying to surfaces.
4. To protect painted walls, reduce the concentration to 1/4 cup of anomia per gallon of warm water.
5. Let it sit on surfaces or walls for a few minutes, then wipe it off with a clean sponge or rag.
6. Follow with a final rinse of warm water.

These common household cleaners are rock stars at getting rid of heavy smoker handiwork.

6. Improve ventilation

To get rid of the cigarette smell in your apartment, you need to clean every space, no matter how small. That especially includes the spaces that circulate air through your home. Pro tip: Turn off the power before you start disassembling.

1. Put in a maintenance request for a clean furnace filter.
2. Vacuum out the ducts so polluted dust doesn’t move through the ducts into the rest of the apartment.
3. Scrub the central air vent covers and registers to remove dirt and grime.
4. Wipe down the vents in AC units.
5. Clean all fan blades, fixtures and light bulbs on ceiling fans.
6. Gently remove vent covers on the microwave and range top in the kitchen.
7. Vacuum or dust inside.
8. Wash the fan covers with soap and water.
9. Put in a maintenance request to clean out exhaust fans in the bathroom, as well. This is a little more complicated, so your landlord may prefer you let the pros handle it.

It sounds like a lot of work, but it really is doable in just a few hours start to finish, and will make such a big difference in the long run.

7. Clean overlooked items

Once you’ve tackled the big items like furniture, carpets, walls and counters, it’s time to think about smoke particles on small surfaces. Make sure you’ve scrubbed all surfaces, even the overlooked ones.

1. Look high and low. The tops of kitchen counters and baseboards are dust magnets. Don’t forget door frames!
2. Wipe down little things like lamp bases, towel racks and window blinds to eliminate nasty surface odor.
3. Place un-washable items outdoors in the sun (or by the window) to let the UV rays neutralize the smell.
4. Put a cup of baking soda in a garbage bag with any items you can’t wash, like books or important papers. Let them sit in a sealed bag for a day, or better yet, dry overnight. Then, shake off the powder.

8. Neutralize smoke odor

As we’ve already learned, baking soda and vinegar can effectively get rid of cigarette smoke smell. But activated charcoal works, too! Use all three to help neutralize stale cigarette smells in your apartment.

1. Place bowls of baking soda around the room to absorb the odors in particularly pungent areas. They’ll eventually reach a saturation point, so you may have to rotate fresh bowls in. Kitty litter is another effective tool!
2. Boil a pot of vinegar on the stove for a few hours to neutralize stale cigarette smoke. Don’t worry, the vinegar smell will fade in time.
3. Purchase small bags of activated charcoal at home improvement and hardware stores and set them around the apartment.

Now, kick back and let these natural deodorizers do their thing! Add in an essential oil diffuser or simmer some lemon peels or orange peels on the stove to go the extra mile at removing odors.

9. Use an air purifier

Once you’ve removed or neutralized the odors and cleaned the surfaces as well as you can, turn your attention to the air itself. A purifier that meets HEPA standards will filter out 99.97 percent of larger particulates like many of those found in cigarette smoke.

1. Set up at least one air purifier with approved HEPA air filters. Check the model to see how many square feet it can handle.
2. The most effective options also have an activated charcoal filter to filter out smaller particles, as well.
3. Change the filters as recommended.

Air purifiers also help to clean disgusting bacteria, viruses, allergens and other harmful stuff.

Learn how to get rid of smoke smell in your apartment

These cleaning, deodorizing and purifying tips can help you get rid of the cigarette smell in your apartment. They can help whether you’re moving into a new home or refreshing your existing space.