How to restore a room from cigarette smoke?

We’ve all experienced it.

You walk into a room, and woah, cigarette smoke. In many cases it’s not even new smoke, it’s the remaining residue on the walls, carpets, and furniture from years and years of previous exposure.

So, how do you get rid of the smell? Why is it important to do so? And, what is the most common mistake that DIY solutions make?

*Read more to see our answers.

How do I restore a room from cigarette smoke

Getting rid of the smell really depends on multiple factors including size of the room (or home), has it been painted in the last 1-3 years, and how long someone has smoked in it for. With the answers to these questions our team can begin to build a restoration plan specifically for you. Some of the ways to restore a room from cigarette smoke includes:

1. Heavy duty cleaning: Our team will use chemicals to clean the ceiling, walls, and light fixtures (special cleaning products for wood).
2. Source removal: Many times the source of the cigarette smell needs to be removed. This can be as simple as scraping popcorn ceilings to complete home gut and remodel.
3. Cleaning of HVAC: Duct cleaning is essential to getting rid of the cigarette smoke smell in your home. Our team uses a deodorized agent to fog your air ducts, ensuring that the air flowing through your system is clear of residue.
4. Full house air neutralization: After the above items are taken care of, we perform a full house air neutralization. This allows us to get to areas where the smoke has gone but we cannot physically clean, this may be done by one or a combination of fogging, ozone, hydroxyl, vapor shark, or chlorine dioxide treatments.  

Why is it important to get rid of the smell?

Restoring a room with cigarette damage is much more important than just removing the smell. A couple reasons to restore the room include:

1. Health: This is an obvious one for many (but maybe not for others). The leftover smells from the cigarette smoke consist of carcinogens that can lead to health issues, including cancer.
2. Thirdhand smoke: Thirdhand smoke is residual nicotine and other chemicals left on indoor surfaces by tobacco smoke. People are exposed to these chemicals by touching contaminated surfaces or breathing in the off-gassing from these surfaces. This residue is thought to react with common indoor pollutants to create a toxic mix including cancer causing compounds, posing a potential health hazard to nonsmokers — especially children.
3. Real estate: If you’re in the market to sell your home, a FRESH and clean smelling home is always a plus. Think about it this way: nobody wants to walk into a “smelly” home, whether it’s cigarette smoke or something else.
4. Cleanliness: Not only do you want cleanliness for the sake of your health, but also for the sake of your sanity. Removing the cigarette damaged elements in your home will give you the benefit of having a clean, and restored, home.  

The most common DIY mistake is?

One of the most common mistakes that homeowners make with cigarette smoke restoration (from a DIY perspective) is they paint over the smell. Not only does this trap harmful carcinogens in the wall, but it also doesn’t always hold the smell in for long. If you are going to do some painting, connect with our team to learn more about the appropriate types / situations where painting is best suited.   

You can restore a room from cigarette smoke and we can help!

It’s important to understand that restoring a room – or home – from cigarette smell is possible. To learn more, give our team a call. We’re happy to help you restore your healthy environment.

-Green Clean Team