7 Tips to Eliminate Smoke Smell from your Home
One of the things that definitely won’t help the sale of a home is the smell of smoke. Not only does cigarette smoke discolor the walls of a home but its smell does stick around because of the resulting tar and leftover resin. Sometimes your friends or visitors may choose to ignore or disregard your home’s no smoking rule. You may also be considering moving into a new home whose previous occupants were smokers. Well, you wouldn’t want the noxious smell to stick around your home no matter the cause. Here are some tips that homeowners can use to get rid of smoke smell from their homes.
Use Vinegar on Fabrics
You’ll realize that smoke smell often lingers in fabrics, especially when someone has been smoking in their living space for a long time. Of course, removing every fabric from your room isn’t very practical. However, you can start with blankets, curtains, pillows, beddings, and other fabrics items that you can possibly remove from your smelly room. Add two cups of vinegar to the load in your washing machine. Remember to use a fluff cycle or low heat to dry the fabric items after washing. You may also wipe down your floors, furniture, and walls using vinegar as it cuts through odors naturally.
Use Baking Soda on Furniture and Carpets
Since you’ve already removed and dealt with fabric items in your room, it’s time to get to large items such as carpets, furniture, and mattresses. Baking soda absorbs odors naturally. Start by sprinkling a generous amount of baking soda over these items and around soft surfaces. Make sure all the surfaces and items are covered in a layer of baking soda and let it sit for about 30 to 60 minutes.
Leave Bowls of Baking Soda and Vinegar
Leaving a few bowls with baking soda and vinegar at different points around your home for a couple of days can also help absorb the smoke smell. This will neutralize the odor of smoke within your home.
Use an Ozone Machine for Tough Smells
Though the Environmental Protection Agency doesn’t recommend the use of ozone generators for air cleaning, they are known to be effective when it comes to eliminating cigarette smoke smell. It’s, however, important to note that ozone generators won’t completely remove odor that’s permeated your home’s furnishings, carpets, draperies, etc. Make sure your home is vacated before operating an ozone generator.
Get an Air Purifier
Perhaps you should begin by leaving your doors and windows open to let in as much fresh air as possible. You may use a fan to help with air circulation in the room. Additionally, you can keep your room smelling fresh by using an air purifier that can help filter smoke odor molecules from the air. Make sure you read and understand the instructions before installing and using your air purifier.
Leave Bowls of Activated Charcoal around your Home
Activated charcoal can be used to absorb smoke smell as it’s a natural odor absorbent. Place several bowls of powdered activated charcoal at different locations around your home and leave it for a couple of days. It will help absorb the smoke smell.
Contact a Restoration Company
Hiring painters, a carpet cleaning company, and house cleaners can help with parts of the work around your home. However, it’s important to hire a professional smoke damage restoration company to help get rid of the smoke in your home. Make sure the company specializes in cleaning residential properties after major incidents like floods and fires. Hiring a smoke damage restoration company is worth the cost as they’ll restore your home in a safe and professional manner.