How to remove smoke smell from a house (cigarette or fire)

Step by step

1. 1

   Open up and air out

   Open windows and doors when the outdoor air is clean, run exhaust fans, and open every closet, cabinet and drawer. Take out ashtrays, butts and anything soaked in smoke.

   Why: Ventilation dilutes the odor while you work and lets enclosed spaces air out. It won't remove the residue on its own.

2. 2

   Strip and wash the fabrics

   Take down curtains, strip beds and gather throws and cushion covers. Wash them in small loads with liquid detergent and warm water, no fabric softener, and repeat until the smell is gone. Air-dry between washes. See smoke smell in clothes.

   Why: Fabrics hold a lot of residue and keep re-scenting a clean room if they go back up smelling.

3. 3

   Wash walls and ceilings top to bottom

   Wash ceilings, walls, doors, trim and baseboards with mild soap and water and rinse. For tobacco film, wipe with diluted white vinegar and, as a separate step, an alkaline cleaner. Include the wall behind pictures and the backs and undersides of furniture. See cleaning walls.

   Why: Smoke residue coats every surface and builds up in nooks. Physically washing it off removes the odor source.

4. 4

   Clean inside cabinets, closets and drawers

   Empty and wash the inside of kitchen and bathroom cabinets, closets, drawers and shelves. Wipe light fixtures, blinds, window sills and fan blades.

   Why: These enclosed spaces trap residue, and they're the places people forget. Even a top-to-bottom clean can fail if small areas are missed.

5. 5

   Deep-clean carpet, upholstery and mattresses

   HEPA-vacuum, then steam-clean or hot-water-extract carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture and mattresses, or hire a professional cleaner.

   Why: Extraction reaches residue in pile and padding that vacuuming alone leaves behind.

6. 6

   Change filters and deal with the ducts

   Replace HVAC filters now and change them at least monthly for a while. After fire smoke, have heating and cooling units and ducts professionally cleaned.

   Why: Filters and ducts hold residue and blow the smell through every room each time the system runs.

7. 7

   Adsorb what's left and keep checking

   Leave open bowls of baking soda or activated charcoal around the house for several days with closets and cabinets open. Go room by room afterward and re-clean anywhere the smell is stronger.

   Why: Adsorbents take up odor molecules in the air while the last residue clears. A stronger spot points to a missed surface.

Why a house holds smoke smell for so long

Smoke particles and sticky compounds settle on walls, ceilings, floors, furniture and fabric, and they work into cracks, cabinets and ductwork. From there they keep releasing odor back into the air. With tobacco, that residue is called thirdhand smoke. It can soak into drywall, wood paneling, carpet and padding, and can linger for months to years.

That's why the fix is cleaning, not covering. Air fresheners, candles and odor-masking sprays fade while the residue keeps off-gassing, and ventilation dilutes the smell without removing its source. The smoke smell page has more on the chemistry.

Lightly smoked versus heavily smoked homes

A home where someone smoked occasionally, or that had a short smoke event, can often be cleaned of much of the residue with the steps above. A home smoked in heavily for months or years is different. Residue embedded in carpet, padding, drywall, wood and ducts may not come out even with professional cleaning, and fully removing it can mean replacing those materials.

Painting is a common shortcut. Primer and paint can trap tobacco odor for a while, but they don't remove the residue underneath. If you plan to paint or seal, do it only after the walls have been washed.

By situation

Cigarette smell in a house you just bought or rented

Start with the HVAC filter, then wash walls, ceilings and cabinet interiors, and have carpets extracted. If the smell returns quickly, ask about replacing carpet and padding, which often hold the most residue.

After a house fire or kitchen fire

Wash every surface, launder or dry-clean all fabrics, and have the HVAC units and ducts professionally cleaned. Check whether your insurance covers professional smoke-odor treatment.

Wildfire smoke got indoors

Ventilate once the outdoor air is clean, change filters, and wipe surfaces. Clean up ash with wet methods or a HEPA vacuum; a regular or shop vacuum can blow fine ash back into the air.

Someone smokes outside but the house still smells

Smokers carry residue in on clothes, skin, hair and breath. Changing clothes, washing hands and face, and showering after smoking cut how much comes in.

Vaping indoors

E-cigarette vapor also leaves nicotine residue on surfaces, so the same cleaning applies.

What not to do

• Don't rely on air fresheners, candles or masking sprays. They cover the smell briefly while the residue on surfaces keeps releasing odor.
• Don't run an ozone generator in an occupied home. EPA says ozone at safe levels doesn't remove odors and higher levels harm lungs and damage rubber, fabric and artwork. Professional ozone treatment needs an empty house.
• Don't paint over smoky walls before washing them. Paint can trap tobacco odor temporarily, but the residue underneath stays.
• Don't vacuum ash with a regular or shop vacuum. Non-HEPA vacuums can blow fine ash particles back into the air.
• Don't mix your acidic and alkaline cleaners or add bleach. Use them as separate steps with a rinse between. Bleach with ammonia or acids releases toxic gas; see never mix.

Other methods that work

Professional smoke remediation

Fire-restoration and cleaning companies can hot-water-extract carpets, clean ducts and, in an evacuated home, use ozone as a last resort after fire smoke.

Caution: Ozone creates new chemicals and doesn't remove tobacco residue embedded in materials.

Trisodium phosphate (TSP)

Professionals often use TSP on tobacco-stained surfaces.

Caution: The Thirdhand Smoke Resource Center describes it as hazardous, needing protective equipment, and it can't remove residue embedded in drywall, paneling or particle board.

Replacing carpet, padding or drywall

For heavy, long-term tobacco smoke, replacing the most contaminated porous materials may be the only lasting fix.

Stain still there?

The smell returns on warm or humid days

Residue is still somewhere. Check inside cabinets and closets, behind wall hangings, light fixtures, under furniture and the HVAC filter.

One room still smells after everything

Carpet padding or drywall in that room may be saturated. Have the carpet lifted to check the pad, and consider replacement.

The smell blows out of the vents

Replace the filter, then have the ducts cleaned. Ducts that can't be cleaned may need replacing.

Safety

• Thirdhand smoke can be breathed in, touched and swallowed. Keep children, who crawl and mouth objects, out of rooms until they're cleaned.
• Wear gloves while washing smoky surfaces, and gloves plus a mask when cleaning soot or ash.
• EPA warns that ozone generators sold as air cleaners don't remove odors at safe levels and can trigger coughing, chest pain and asthma attacks.

Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.

Questions

Smoke elsewhere

• Smoke: what causes it and how to remove it
• Smoke in a car
• Smoke in clothes
• Smoke in a microwave

Other smells in the house

• How to remove burnt smell from your house (burnt popcorn too)
• How to remove fish smell from your house
• How to remove musty smell from a house
• How to remove dog smell (and cat smell) from your house
• How to remove skunk smell from your house