If you have experienced smelling your clothes the night after you wore them around a campfire, bonfire, or other smoky event, you know the odor does not go away without a fight. Only with several washings does the smell of smoke truly come out. With cigarettes, you experience this everyday.
When giving up smoking cigarettes, the smell is not only on your clothes but on your furniture, living surfaces, and more. While some turn to using candles, scented sprays, and other masking tools to alter the scent of their home, those techniques do not truly remove the smell of smoke; they only cover it up. There are a couple ways to get to the root of the smell and permanently remove it.
Start by opening all windows and ventilators possible in your home. Fresh air can do more than you would expect, and pumping out old, smokey air is the first tip to a better smelling home.
There are a few at-home ingredients you might have that are absorb odors. The first is baking soda. Sprinkling baking soda around affected areas will help attack some of the more stubborn smells. Allow the baking soda to sit for several days before wiping or vacuuming it up; depending on the concentration of the odor, it is possible more days are needed. If you are hesitant to put baking soda directly on surfaces, furniture, or the floors, leaving several bowls filled with this ingredient throughout your home can have a similar effect.
Vinegar is another common household ingredient that can help slice through the strong smoke odors. Although some dislike its pungent nature, the acid in distilled white vinegar neautiralizes odors like smoke, leaving behind a smell that can typically be remedied with some days of fresh air. Use this to wipe down counters, scrub floors, and treat any hard surface. You can also mix this in with laundry to help remove any lingering smoke smells.
It is important to keep in mind that, although natural ingredients do exist to help remove the smell of smoke from your home it is possible that some of your household items will need to be replaced to truly be odor free. Things like carpeting, rugs, and pillows may be examples of this. It is always recommended to have a professional come and evaluate the severity of the situation.
