Removing Cigarette Smell from Home

[supercarrie]

We purchased our first home in December. When we viewed the home, it did have a faint smell of cigarettes, but it wasn't too bad.

When we moved it, it smelled MUCH worse, although the worst of it is limited to the front hallway. The smell in the front hallway seems to "spread" through to the living room and kitchen, but those rooms only have a very faint smell. Upstairs bedrooms/bathroom do not smell at all.

So far we've tried steam cleaning the hallway carpet and washing the (painted) walls, but each time we come home, it smells just as bad, no difference. We've also tried spreading baking soda on the carpet, leaving it to sit, and clearing it up in the morning, and placing bowls of vinegar overnight as well. Oh, and stipped all the wallpaper off the living room walls.

Short of pulling up the carpet and repainting the walls, which we will do eventually, do you have any other tips to clear out the smell?

 

[Sleepy]

Do you have central heat and air? The problem could be the ducts and filters. Other than that, you have done everything I would suggest.

 

[kim929]

You could try putting vinegar in the rug cleaner. I have used a product called Zorb, I buy it at Lowes, it removed smells. If you don't have alot rug in the hallway, I would spray the Zorb til the rug was damp let it dry and see if that gets rid of it. it is pricey, its 15.00 a bottle but might be worth a try.

 

[magiroux]

I washed, rinsed (twice), & painted the walls and it did not eliminate the smell. I re-painted them, but this time I applied a coat of Kilz (sp?) first and that did the trick. The carpet just needed a cleaning.

 

[supercarrie]

Do you have central heat and air? The problem could be the ducts and filters. Other than that, you have done everything I would suggest.

We don't have central heat or air, so no ducts to check.

I was afraid it would come down to replacing the carpets (sooner than we wanted) but I think my DH is at the end of his rope with the smell. We wanted to wait until all the other refurb work in the house was completed to avoid accidental spills on the new carpet.

Oh well! Looks like a trip to pick out some new carpet and paint is in order.

 

[NotUrsula]

The reason that the smell is stronger now is that the house is being regularly heated. Heat activates the odor.

Why don't you just rip out the carpet and leave it as is for awhile until your other issues are dealt with? Subfloors are not really pretty, but for a few weeks it is do-able. (Depending on the age of the house, you might even find a real floor underneath.)

 

[supercarrie]

The reason that the smell is stronger now is that the house is being regularly heated. Heat activates the odor.

Why don't you just rip out the carpet and leave it as is for awhile until your other issues are dealt with? Subfloors are not really pretty, but for a few weeks it is do-able. (Depending on the age of the house, you might even find a real floor underneath.)

You make an excellent point re: the heat. We initially purchased the house in July, and with various delays, did not move in until just before Christmas.

Only reason I hesitate is that it will not be just a few weeks. My husband is adding an attached garage to the side of the house, and doing it himself. This is going to take a few months (minimum) to complete as he works full-time. In addition, we are planning on re-doing all the upstairs bedrooms and living room as well.

I think it comes down to two options, really: live with the smell for months, or replace the carpet now. I don't like the idea of living with subfloors for months on end, obviously.

Wish there was an easier solution, but it makes me very happy neither of us smoke!

 

[MinnieTink]

Oh I have been there! When we bought our current house, the smell was wicked. We did rip up the carpeting. The realtor handed my DH the keys to the house and we weren't here 5 minutes before he started ripping it up. It did help, but we also used some odor absorbing items we found at Home Depot. (Read-EVERY ODOR ABSORBING ITEM WE FOUND AT HOME DEPOT!) By the time all was said and done I had developed an aversion to anything that smelled like fake oranges. To this day if I smell one I get a little queasy.

What the smoking did to the walls was also amazingly disgusting. The previous owners paid someone to paint all the walls white before they showed the house. It was ok but when we took down a ceiling fan the area underneath was BROWN with cigarette smoke/tar. Gross gross gross.

You are doing the best you can for now....it will just take time.... Hopefully Spring comes soon so you can turn the heat off and open the windows. That helps too.

 

[GeorgeG]

If the house has nice wood trim and baseboards, they, too, may need cleaning with a good wood cleaner. Wood is porous and smoke smell can linger for many years. Also, I'm not sure of the cost, but there are companies that specialize in cleaning up after fires. You might ask your insurance agent for a recommendation. It could be cheaper than new carpets.

 

[christiane]

When you do repaint, make sure you use Kilz as a base paint as another poster mentioned. Otherwise, the odour can just come back & the yellow nicotine stain can seep through as well.

When we stayed in a hotel room where the smoke smell bothered us, the housekeeper spread coffee grounds into the carpet & left them for a while before vacuuming. That helped a lot for when we were there but not sure how long it lasts.