The smell of smoke is one of the most invasive and persistent you have to deal with in the course of life. Fortunately, when smoke permeates your things, your car, or your house, there are tricks and techniques that you can use to drive it out. Here's what you need to know.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Getting rid of the smell of smoke from books and paper objects
Step 1. Air the book
Gently hang the book on a railing or on a wire to spread from a few hours to the whole day. This should decrease the odor.
Choose a shady spot as the sun may discolor the pages
Step 2. Close the book in a potpourri container
Place the book in a sealable container and cover it with a fresh, new potpourri for about a day. The smell of smoke should be replaced by the smell of potpourri.
- You may need to replace the potpourri after a day and continue to keep the book sealed with fresh potpourri for several days.
- Get rid of the potpourri after you use it.
Step 3. Put some paper towel between the pages
Slip four or five sheets of paper towel between the pages at regular intervals and seal in a plastic container. Keep like this for a few days before removing.
Both scented and unscented sheets should effectively absorb odor
Step 4. Use cedar wood chipboard or charcoal blocks
Place the book or paper object in a sealable plastic container and cover with a handful of cedar wood chipboard or, approximately, 1 liter of coal. This should neutralize and mask the smell of smoke after a few days.
- Cedar wood chipboard can be purchased in specialty stores.
- Both of these products should leave their strong odor behind, however this odor is generally able to keep the smell of smoke away.
Step 5. Try baking soda
Place the book in a plastic container and sprinkle it with a good amount of baking soda. After two or three days, gently remove the baking soda with a vacuum cleaner.
Baking soda is one of the best tricks you can use to neutralize the smell because it does not have its own smell to mask that of smoke
Method 2 of 4: Getting rid of the smell of smoke from your clothes
Step 1. Attack the smell with baking soda and a paper towel
Place smoke permeated clothes in a plastic bag. Add two sheets of paper towel and 30ml baking soda for every 3 to 5 dresses.
- Seal or close and shake to spread the baking soda and paper towel around.
- Leave for one night. When you take your clothes out of the bag, shake out the baking soda residue.
- Do a normal cycle of washing clothes with the washing machine, after the previous treatment.
- This odor removal method is useful because most of the smoke odor is removed from clothes before washing them. As a result, very little odor will be transferred to the washing machine.
Step 2. Alternatively, soak the clothes in vinegar, baking soda, and water
Put the clothes in the washing machine drum and fill them with water until they are covered. Pour 250 ml of baking soda and 250 ml of white vinegar into the water.
- Leave the clothes to soak in the solution for at least an hour.
- Add a normal amount of detergent and wash using a normal cycle.
- This method is advantageous because the baking soda and vinegar help neutralize the smell of smoke even in the washing machine.
Step 3. Use a washing machine cleaner when needed
If you notice that your washing machine smells like smoke after washing several smoke-soaked clothes, you should purchase a washing machine cleaning product that will solve the problem.
- Add the product to the basket following the instructions.
- Run the washing machine on the hottest cycle possible without putting clothes in it.
Step 4. Spray some spray on clothes for a temporary solution
If you need to get rid of the smell of smoke temporarily, before washing your clothes, spray the odor-eliminating spray on your clothes.
Make sure you choose a spray that neutralizes odors and not one that covers it with another odor
Method 3 of 4: Getting rid of the smell of smoke in the car
Step 1. Roll down the windows
One of the most important things to do is simply let the car air. Roll down all the windows and leave them open for a couple of hours to a couple of days.
- If possible, leave the doors fully open. This enormously increases the circulation of air inside the car.
- If necessary, turn on the car fans to circulate the air more quickly. If possible, choose a windy day to air the car.
- Do not turn on the engine and fans when the car is stopped, especially if you are in an enclosed space such as a garage to avoid deadly carbon monoxide.
Step 2. Wash the car with suitable detergent
Use a vehicle upholstery cleaner on the seats and floor. Scrub the inside of the car from top to bottom.
Floor mats should be removed and washed separately. If you can't remove the smell from the mats, replace them
Step 3. Use specialized products
Some auto and parts dealers sell specialized chemicals that can remove the strongest and most persistent odors such as smoke.
- Follow the instructions carefully when applying the product.
- Let the car air out for a few days after using products like these because their odor is likely to be smelled immediately after use.
- Use a vacuum cleaner to remove any residue from the product.
Step 4. Try vinegar, charcoal, ground coffee, or baking soda
Although these measures mask the smell rather than remove it, many people rely on it.
- Put a cup of vinegar, a container of ground coffee, or an open bag of charcoal in the car for one night or a few days.
- Spread baking soda on all the interior surfaces of the car and leave it overnight. Vacuum the next morning.
Method 4 of 4: Getting rid of the smell of smoke at home
Step 1. Open the windows
Open as many windows as possible to increase the air exchange inside the house, eliminating the air with the smell of smoke and letting in fresh air.
It is best to do this on days with a light breeze. In the absence of a breeze, you can turn on the fans to move the air
Step 2. Air the furniture
Take any furniture you can move and put it in the sun for a day or two.
- Fresh air helps reduce the smell of smoke.
- The ultraviolet rays of the sun should also help reduce the smell of smoke.
Step 3. Turn on the air purifiers in each room
Air purifiers trap odors in filters or completely neutralize them. There are several types you can use:
- Electronic air purifiers form an electric field that ionizes the odor particles, trapping them in a collection plate.
- Other ionizers form an electric field that ionizes the odor particles, however these devices make the particles fall to the ground to be then eliminated with a vacuum cleaner or washing.
- HEPA (Mechanical High Efficiency Particulate Air) air filters trap polluting particles in carbon filters. These filters must be cleaned or changed later.
Step 4. Scrub every part of the house
Getting rid of the smell in the air and in the furniture is not enough to remove the smoke from the house, of course. There are other surfaces that need to be cleaned before the smoke goes away forever.
- Scrub the walls and ceilings. Use a glycol or ammonia-based cleaner. As you scrub the walls and ceilings, keep the rooms well ventilated and do not allow children or animals to enter.
- Clean the floors. These can be cleaned with normal floor detergents, however carpets require shampoo and a thorough cleaning. Professional carpet products are often needed.
- Wash your curtains and blinds. Leave the curtains to soak in a tub full of water. Add 500ml or more of white vinegar for a more thorough clean. Put the curtains in the washing machine or use dry cleaning products if the fabric is too delicate for machine washing.
- Scrub windows and mirrors. Sprinkle the surfaces with white vinegar and scrub with a clean, soft cloth.
- Scrub the bulbs. Smoke residues lurk on the outside and inside of the bulbs. When the lights come on, the smell is released into the air.
Step 5. Put vinegar all over the house
Pour white vinegar into shallow, shallow bowls and place one in each room infested with odor. Let the vinegar evaporate.
- This method is especially effective when using it with closed windows and doors. Reduce air circulation so that the vinegar has greater effect.
- You can wet a soft cloth with a little vinegar to rub the walls.
Step 6. Use baking soda
Sprinkle baking soda on furniture, rugs, and other fabric or upholstery items. Leave it overnight and vacuum it out the next morning.
You can also put bowls or small containers of baking soda in any room instead of vinegar
Step 7. Try activated charcoal
Leave a bowl of activated carbon in a smoke-soaked room to quickly absorb the odor.
