Answering Our Reader's Question

Dear, Klara :

I gave up smoking about a month ago, but the smoke odour is still present in my home. I am afraid it is going to last forever. What is the way to get rid of it?

Alice, Marylebone, Central London

Dear Alice, non-smokers and ex-smokers, like you, understand the need for fresh air at home. Sadly, many realise that right after quitting smoking, and find out that this is one of the worst odors imaginable. The cigarette smoke gets into everything - your carpets, your walls, your sheets, your clothes, etc. Now when the time has came for you to deodorize your home, this is the right place to turn to and hopefully I can suggest several solutions to get rid of cigarette smoke.

   Hard surfaces, could be cleaned with vinegar. I know you may think it does not smell much better, but the vinegar smell will eventually diminish in contrast to the cigarette's one.

The carpet may require special treatment. Either rent a steam cleaner and shampoo the carpet or hire a professional carpet cleaning service to do the dirty work instead of you.

   Shades, curtains, and fixtures need to be cleaned to get rid of smoke odour. A lot of people forget to clean things like shades, chandeliers, curtains, and wall hangings, but these things have probably collected quite a bit of tar and resin from years of hanging smoke. Put the curtains in the washer and buy new shades. Baking soda could be used on the furniture or for the carpet cleaning – it is as simple as dusting them and leaving the soda to settle for a day and then vacuum it.

   Of course the simplest of solutions for removing smoke smell is to constantly let fresh air in your home. The open window for several hours a day will make your house smell like a place for living not like a tar pit.