Smoking is a very dangerous activity, but despite this many people of all ages smoke regularly. Although there are many health problems related to this habit, one of the biggest daily concerns of smokers is the smell. Whether you live in a non-smoking apartment or have roommates or family members who don't approve of your habit, knowing how to effectively hide the smell can make you feel more comfortable throughout the day.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Purify the Air of Smoke and Odor
Step 1. Air the room
If you are smoking in a room and are concerned that other people may smell it, the best thing to do is to ventilate the room. This does not completely solve the problem, but it greatly improves the situation compared to smoking in a room with stagnant air.
- Close the door to the room and open the window; you have to avoid that the smoke goes to other areas of the building and instead direct it as much as possible outside.
- Put a fan on the window. Turn it outwards and not towards you; this helps push the smoke out of the room, channeling it through the window.
- If you are still smoking, blow all the smoke into the back of the fan so that it is sucked out.
Step 2. Hide the stench of smoke with other smells
Some air fresheners and scented candles are specifically designed for this purpose; you can easily find them in tobacconists and online. Even if you don't have a specific anti-smoking deodorant, you can use any product that covers odors. However, it is better to use only one type, otherwise the air in the room could become saturated with different fragrances and even the smell of cigarettes.
- It is believed that an air freshener, such as Febreze, can help neutralize odors such as that of cigarettes.
- Citrus fruits are considered perfect for this purpose; if you have fresh oranges, it's even better: peel off some fruits and leave them in the room at strategic points while you wait for the smell to dissipate.
- Incense, like that of cedar wood, is also excellent for hiding the smell of smoke; however, it is not always allowed to burn it, if the building has restrictive rules in terms of smoking.
- Leave a bowl of white vinegar or ammonia exposed; these strong smells help hide many others, including that of smoke. However, keep in mind that they are unpleasant and in particular ammonia vapors can become dangerous if left in the room for too long; you should also explain to your roommate or apartment owner when he comes across the bowl of vinegar or ammonia.
- Wet a rag with vanilla extract and hide it under the bed or chair. in this way, the fabric releases a strong vanilla aroma that hides the stench of smoke.
Step 3. Try an Room Purifier
The particles of cigarette smoke are very small, which is why most purifiers cannot eliminate the smell effectively; however, high efficiency filters (HEPA) and ionizers are able to act specifically on these microparticles. However, keep in mind that even these tools do not completely solve the problem, although they reduce the lingering smell of smoke when used in conjunction with other preventative measures.
Step 4. Keep lots of plants
They neutralize odor by absorbing smoke particles, removing carbon monoxide and other chemicals from the air. Arranging plants a little throughout the room helps freshen the air and also gives a more cheerful look to the room.
Among the most effective for improving air quality consider the philodendron, phalanx, common ivy, peace lily, daisy and chrysanthemum
Part 2 of 3: Eliminating Odors Fixed on Materials
Step 1. Wash the walls
If you are a regular smoker, it can be a tedious task, but one of the places where the smell penetrates the most is the walls. If the walls in the room are washable, a good scrub can remove much of the stale odor. Instead, proceed with caution if you want to clean walls that cannot be wet, such as those covered with wallpaper or painted with certain paints, as moisture could damage them and ruin their decorations.
- Use a non-abrasive, all-purpose cleaner to scrub the walls. If the product has a strong fragrance, such as lemon or citrus, it can be even more effective at hiding the smell of smoke.
- Vinegar is also suitable for this purpose, although - as already mentioned - you should probably give an explanation of why the walls have this smell. Mix 250ml of white vinegar with 500ml of hot water and add a generous spoonful of baking soda. Use a rag, brush or sponge to wash the walls and window frames, scrubbing thoroughly with paper towels.
Step 2. Clean the carpet or floor
In addition to the walls, these surfaces also tend to absorb a considerable amount of the smell of smoke in closed environments; an easy way to partially hide it is to thoroughly clean the floors. You can wash the parquet or tiles with a scented cleaning product or use a dry detergent / deodorizer in granules for carpeted floors.
- Spread a generous amount of deodorant / cleaner all over the carpet and let it sit for a while to absorb the lingering stench.
- When you think the odor has been discreetly masked, use a vacuum cleaner and thoroughly clean the entire surface.
- You can quickly hide the odors that have entered the fibers by combining baking soda with a few drops of essential oil, such as lavender oil; mix the two substances as best you can and spread them on the carpet. Leave it on for about four hours (or longer if possible) and then use the vacuum cleaner to remove the dusty mixture.
Step 3. Use a furniture freshener
In particular, those that have soft surfaces, such as sofas and beds, tend to become impregnated with the smells of the environment. You can spray a specific deodorant, such as Febreze, although some people report that the effect is only temporary and that it is necessary to apply the product several times.
- Know that spraying deodorant products on furniture and / or carpets can greatly reduce the smell of smoke, but it does not completely eliminate it.
- Another useful technique is applying baking soda. Let it act as much as possible (theoretically all night, even if you don't always have the opportunity) and then vacuum it off. You can combine this remedy with the use of an odor-hiding spray product.
Step 4. Get rid of cigarette butts
This might seem like an obvious step, but if you want to get rid of the unpleasant odor, it's important to get them out of the room. By keeping your cigarette butts in the club, you not only offer concrete evidence of your habit, but also leave an unmistakable smell.
- Butts emit a terribly strong stench even after putting out cigarettes for a long time.
- If your purpose is to hide the smoke from other people living with you, remember to throw them in places where they cannot be found and leave no smell.
Part 3 of 3: Masking the Odor on the Body
Step 1. Change your clothing
Even if you have cleaned the room thoroughly and disguised any odors, if you have smoked, the smell still sticks quite noticeably to your clothes as well. The best thing to do is therefore to change clothes immediately after smoking and hide them in a container, such as a closed plastic bag.
Step 2. Freshen your breath
Just like your clothes, your breath also unmistakably reveals that you have smoked; anyone who has kissed or talked to a smoker can report a strong smell in their breath. Fortunately, there are many solutions to remedy this.
- Eat something with a strong flavor, like garlic or onion. This should be an effective solution, as the aroma of these foods tends to overpower most other smells.
- Freshen your breath by brushing your teeth and using a mouthwash. This solution purifies the breath and at the same time gives a clean mouth feeling.
- Chew a strong mint. Breath candies are specific to mask odors and leave a fresh mint fragrance in the mouth; you can also consume them after brushing your teeth or eating something with a strong taste.
Step 3. Wash your hands
If you have been holding a lit cigarette in your hand for a long time, your fingers are most likely stinking now; fortunately, if you are at home, you can wash them thoroughly, even better if with a scented product.
- Use a scented soap to make a nice lather. If you don't have it, you can use scented shampoo or body cleanser instead.
- Rinse your hands thoroughly and repeat if necessary.
- Use hand sanitizer and / or moisturizing lotion to hide the odor even more after washing them.
Step 4. Take a shower
The smoke also tends to settle on the hair and scalp due to the porous nature of the body hair. If possible, wash your hair and take a full shower after smoking to hide the stench.
- Use a coconut shampoo or other strong fragrance shampoo for the best benefits.
- After you finish your shower, apply a scented product to style your hair to make sure there is no trace of the smell you want to get rid of.
Advice
- There can be a multitude of reasons why a person chooses to smoke indoors; however, as this requires thorough cleaning of the room and extra precautions, it may be easier (and safer for other people living in the same house) to smoke outside. Otherwise, instead of being a relaxing time, the cigarette break could become a source of stress caused by the need to devise a method to hide the smell so that no one notices your habit.
- The electronic cigarette might be a better alternative, as, instead of smoke, it produces an almost odorless vapor that dissipates fairly quickly; it also releases fewer dangerous chemicals, although even this type of cigarette is not considered 100% safe.
