There is nothing worse than walking into your home after a long day and immediately being met with the foul stench of smoke.
The good news is that there are various ways to rid your home of unwanted odors and soon have it smelling fresh as a daisy in no time.
Effortless Suggestions to rid your home of smoke odors
Have a look through our 15 suggestions together with our list of handy products below. You may find a solution to issues relating to smoke odors.
1. Remove Tobacco Products and Accessories
The first rule of thumb is to empty any ashtrays and store tobacco products away. These include things like packs of cigarettes and hookahs.
2. Ventilate the Room
Get some fresh air into your home by opening doors and windows to allow air to circulate. You will be surprised at what a difference this can make.
3. Place Items Outside
Unfortunately, smoke can make its way into many household items and furniture. These include carpets, rugs, laundry, bags, books, and curtains. The only way to rid your home of smoke is to place items that can be moved outdoors. The remaining items will need a deep clean or vacuum.
4. Use an Ozone Generator
You might have heard of ozone generators. These devices are helpful in that they oxidize smoke molecules, thereby eradicating smoke odors. We suggest that you try the Enerzon Ozone Generator, as it does a fantastic job of eliminating any musty or embedded odors. Ozone generators are convenient, easy to use, and perfect for smaller spaces to effectively eliminate odors when used correctly. Moreover, these nifty machines are both inexpensive and durable. Make sure family members, pets, and plants are absent in the area before operating an ozone generator to ensure their safety.
5. Remove furniture and fabrics
Furniture and items made from fabric can absorb smoke odors. If your bedding, carpets, and curtains become infused with the smell of smoke, you may need to consider buying new ones.
6. Turn on your fans
Turn on all fans and ventilators as this will help circulate the air. It is a good idea to turn on two fans in the same room. The air will be circulated by one fan to the other and will exhaust out through the window, leaving you with a fresh-smelling room.
7. Baking Soda
Baking soda is highly effective when it comes to removing odors. With its absorptive qualities, it is ideal for removing smoke odors.
Try these handy baking soda ideas:
– Place a few teaspoons of baking soda into shallow bowls and leave for a few nights.
– Baking soda can be sprinkled onto any affected area, including carpets and rugs.
– If your furniture smells, sprinkle baking soda over it and leave it overnight before vacuuming it up with a vacuum cleaner.
You may have items that cannot be washed. For these items, place them into a bag filled with a cup of baking soda. Leave them overnight and your items will smell brand new once again.
8. Hard Wooden Surfaces
Wooden floors can be difficult to clean and expensive to replace. Wooden surfaces absorb smoke, so it is a good idea to clean them. You could try sanding and varnishing floors to banish the odor for good.
9. Wash Walls with Vinegar
Smoke can easily damage the walls in your home. To make sure your home is free from odor, mix a solution of warm vinegar and water (1 part water to 1 part vinegar) and spray your walls thoroughly. Once you have done this, wipe the wall with a clean, damp cloth and the smoke odor should be gone.
10. Deep Clean your Home
For the best possible clean, we recommend deep cleaning your home as all textiles absorb smoke smells.
By mixing vinegar and warm water, spray every inch of your home. Cover all areas that are in your line of vision. This includes picture frames, ornaments, door handles, cupboard doors, light switches, and lampshades. Your house will smell clean and fresh in no time.
11. Activated Charcoal
Placing a couple of bowls of activated charcoal around your home will remove the smell of smoke. Charcoal acts as a neutralizer and traps unpleasant odors. It is cost-effective and can be left around your home to absorb odors.
12. Deep clean your HVAC System
Your HVAC system (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system) deserves some special attention now and again to keep your home smelling clean. Contact your certified technician, who is equipped with the right tools to clean your HVAC system.
13. Try Intense Cleaning Solutions
If you have tried every trick in the book and are still suffering from foul smoke odors, give this easy-to-follow recipe a try:
Ammonia
Baking soda
White vinegar
Warm water
Carefully mix all the ingredients and pour them into a spray bottle. Alternatively, use a damp cloth and wipe down your walls and ornaments for best results.
Steam Clean
Upholstery is best cleaned using a steam cleaner. For those hard to remove odors, we advise using a steam cleaner. Steam cleaners are helpful for cleaning curtains, walls, and floors. Be careful not to use too much water as this causes more damage than the smoke odor itself.
The heat of the steam cleaner can melt tar and oils from smoke, which may cause them to become trapped in the material, causing irreversible damage. Always check the fabric type before you use a steam cleaner.
14. Contact a Professional
If you have been through our list of suggestions and your house still smells of smoke, then it is time to call in the big guns. A professional cleaning service may be the answer to your problems.
Smoke Smells FAQs
Will the Smoke Odor Go Away?
If your home has been subjected to smoke for many years, the process to get rid of the smell will be arduous. This is because smoke odors can cling to any surface and become ingrained. Without proper air circulation, it may take years for you to dispose of the smell.
If you have friends coming over for a quick visit, however, it should be relatively easy to remove the odor by opening the windows for better ventilation.
Quick! How Do I Get Rid of Smoke Odors Fast?
The fastest way to get rid of smoke odors is to open every door and window in your home. Throw out your ashtray and ventilate the room. Place bowls of charcoal or vinegar in key locations to absorb the smell, and make sure you change them regularly.
Ozone generators come in handy as their operation times can be set using a timer to remove odors while you are busy doing errands.
What is the most effective way of removing Smoke Odors?
If you ask any expert, they will suggest using an ozone generator, especially when the smell is extreme. A natural alternative is to allow fresh air to circulate through your home by opening doors and windows.
Febreze: Does it Work?
Yes, Febreze works! Its absorbent properties ensure it quickly eliminates smoky odors from your home. On the upside, it has a lovely scent that will replace the smell of smoke.
The downside is that it probably won’t work well if you are faced with an excess amount of smoke. In some cases, it may mix in with smoky odors, making the smell even worse.
Goodbye Smoke, Hello Fresh Air
Nobody wants to move into a new home and be greeted with the dreadful smell of smoke. There are plenty of tried and tested remedies that you can try to make sure this does not happen to you.
With plenty of patience and a good dose of fresh air and deep cleaning, the smell of smoke will soon be banished from your home. Home sweet home.