How To Get A Cigarette Smoke Smell Out Of Your House Fast

• What causes the cigarette smell?
• The effects of exposure to the cigarette odour
• How to get rid of the cigarette smell in your house
• How to prevent a cigarette smoke odour in your home
• Contact our team today

Smoking in your property is not just dangerous to people's health or unpleasant for residents and visitors. It can leave behind a pungent, stale odour of cigarettes that can put people's health at risk and lower the value of your property. 

Here at ICE Cleaning, we offer our cigarette smoke odour removal services nationwide. Our odour removal specialists will use non-toxic, non-abrasive chemicals to eliminate the trapped tobacco odour. They are available day and night, 365 days a year, including bank holidays. 

Keep reading to learn how to eliminate the odour from your property quickly. 

What causes the cigarette smell?

The lingering stench of cigarettes in a house is not simply a foul odour; it indicates the presence of thirdhand smoke. Thirdhand smoke consists of the pollutants that settle indoors when a cigarette is smoked. It includes harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde and nicotine. 

These pollutants settle like dust on hard surfaces and embed themselves in soft surfaces like clothing and upholstered furniture. When the chemicals react with indoor pollutants, new compounds are formed. Some are carcinogenic.

The tar and nicotine from the cigarette sticks to surfaces like walls, ceilings, windows, and doors, too. This can leave behind greasy stains which trap in the smoky odour. 

How strong the odour is depends on several factors:

• How frequently the property was smoked in
• The types of material present
• How well ventilated the property was

The effects of exposure to the cigarette odour

Exposure to the harmful chemicals in thirdhand smoke, whether that is touching a contaminated surface or inhaling the gases it can release, is linked to serious conditions including heart disease, respiratory illnesses, and even cancer.

Children are especially vulnerable to exposure to thirdhand smoke. This is because they are highly likely to touch surfaces and then put their hands in their mouth. 

These dangerous compounds can linger indoors for several months - even years in severe cases. This is because the particles can settle deep into porous surfaces and are therefore very stubborn to remove. 

How to get rid of the cigarette smell in your house

To eliminate the smell of cigarette smoke in your house, you need to remove all the thirdhand smoke particles, and wash off the nicotine and tar staining.

There are plenty of DIY cleaning methods that might look like cost-effective ways to restore the property to its previous condition. But usually they fall short on effectiveness. 

For instance, air fresheners merely mask the scent temporarily. Popular cleaning hacks, like sprinkling baking soda on soft surfaces, can't penetrate deep enough into the materials to fully eradicate the odour, either.

Some cleaning agents and methods recommended online may damage delicate surfaces, too, and make the situation worse. You can find out more about the pros and cons of the most popular odour removal methods in this blog. 

You must bring in professionals if your house smells of cigarette smoke. They have the specialist equipment to quickly tackle the pollutants which are deep in your possessions and remove the stubborn, sticky stains from surfaces. 

A rapid, thorough response is critical, as well, as over time the particles can permeate deeper into porous materials, making removal more difficult. 

Moreover, trained professionals understand how different materials react to different cleaning methods. They can therefore remove smoke smells from the most delicate surfaces.

How to prevent a cigarette smoke odour in your home

To keep cigarette smoke from infiltrating your home, it is best to stop smoking altogether or at least avoid smoking indoors. 

If this is not feasible, ensure adequate ventilation is present during and after you smoke. This will help bring in fresh air, push out stale air, and disperse some of the harmful particles associated with thirdhand smoke. 

But even with these precautions, some smoky smells may linger. It is therefore recommended that you regularly deep clean your home. Focus on soft surfaces like carpets, upholstery, and walls that absorb most of the pollutants from cigarettes. 

Air purifiers can also assist by filtering out particulates linked to tobacco odours. Position it in areas where people tend to smoke in the property. It can get rid of dust and pollen, too, and significantly improve the air quality inside the property. However, you will need to replace the air filters regularly.

Contact our team today

Our six-stage odour removal process can give you peace of mind that your property is free of any lingering smoke smells and unpleasant stains.  

To book your cigarette smoke smell removal service, simply get in touch with our team on 0208 066 0360 or enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk. They will be happy to walk you through the professional cleaning service and provide you with a free, no-obligation quote.