How to Get Cigarette Smell Out of House, Car, Clothes and Body

Wondering how to get rid of cigarette smell? Well, the most obvious answer is: “Quit smoking!”

Cigarette smoke is a nasty smell that can easily permeate through your clothes, hair, furniture, carpets, and even settle on walls and windows. It doesn’t cut an impressive figure in front of friends and family, and especially on non-smokers.

While quitting smoking altogether might be a long way to go, you can certainly salvage your image by getting rid of the cigarette smell from yourself and from your home using simple and inexpensive home remedies.

If you are determined to get rid of the noxious odor for good, read on to learn the remedies to get cigarette smell out of house, car clothes and body.

BODY

Method 1: Use Baby Powder

If your hair smells like an ash tray, get hold of some baby powder to get rid of the cigarette smell quickly without washing it.

Quick Tip: Baby powder can also be used to get thicker eyelashes.

Single-Step Method: Spray baby powder in your hair

• Sparingly sprinkle baby powder or any other body powder in your hair. Go easy on the quantity as clearing it out later can become cumbersome.
• Brush it out after a minute to mask the cigarette smell.

Method 2: Eat Mint

Whether going for a job interview or wishing to steal a kiss from your Bea, chewing on mints or gum can help you quickly lose that unwelcome cigarette or garlic breath.

Single-Step Method: Chew on a mint

• Chew on a gum or mint to get cigarette smell out of your breath. Also if you are a chain smoker, always carrying a strip of gum in your pocket is a wise idea.

Method 3: Use a Body Spray

Your skin and clothes can easily soak in the smell of cigarettes. So, if you don’t have an option of changing clothes, mask the cigarette smell with a body spray of strong odor.

Single-Step Method: Squirt body spray on your clothes and body

• Spray any deodorant or perfume on your body to banish the cigarette smell.

Method 4: Use Hair Styling Spray

Most hair-styling products have a nice and refreshing smell. They can be applied to your hair to mask the strong cigarette odor when washing your hair is not possible. However, you will need to wash your hair later as it is only a temporary fix.

Single-Step Method: Spray a styling product on your hair

• Keeping it away from the eyes, evenly spray your hair with the styling spray. Your hair will only give off the faint smell of the styling spray and not that of the cigarette.
• You can also use a dry shampoo.

Method 5: Odor Eliminator Spray

You can also use a fabric spray like Febreze or any other scented or unscented odor-eliminating spray, formulated to remove the smell of cigarettes or other smoking products.

Note: Do a patch test on the inconspicuous part of your cloth first to check the fabric’s tolerance for the product.

Single-Step Method: Spray the odor-eliminating spray on your clothes

• Spray the specialized odor-removing spray on your clothes. Remember to keep it away from your eyes.

Method 6: Use Dryer Sheets

Using dryer sheets is another easy hack to get cigarette smell out of your hair and clothes. These dryer sheets not only eliminate odor but also leave behind a lingering fresh smell. You can also use them to remove static cling from your hair.

Single-Step Method: Rub dryer sheet on your hair and clothes

• Simply, run a dryer sheet through your hair and clothes to neutralize the cigarette smell.

Method 7: Hold Cigarette with Tissue Paper

Instead of dealing with the cigarette smell later, you can avoid catching it on your hands in the first place. All you need to do is prevent skin contact with the cigarette.

Single-Step Method: Wrap the filter area of the cigarette with tissue paper

• Fold a tissue paper and wrap it around the filtration zone of the cigarette. This will prevent your fingers catching on the smell of nicotine.

CLOTHES

Method 1: White Vinegar

White vinegar is a natural odor neutralizer that can prevent your clothes from becoming a telltale of your visit to a smoky bar. Just soak the stinky garment in white vinegar and the cigarette smell should be gone in no time.

Single-Step Method: Soak the fabric in white vinegar

• Place the stinky garment in a container and pour white vinegar over it until the cloth is completely soaked in it.
• Let it sit for not more than 20 minutes as the acids in the undiluted vinegar can corrode the fabric if left in for too long.
• Remove it from the vinegar and wash the cloth through the regular wash cycle. If there are more than one garment that need deodorizing, just add 1 cup of vinegar to the washing water and launder the clothes as usual.

CARPET AND FURNITURE

Method 1: Baking soda

Baking soda is another powerful and inexpensive deodorizer and can be used for different cleaning purposes around your home. If the fabric of your carpet or furniture is not washable, you can use baking soda to get cigarette smell out of your carpets and furniture. You can also opt for a scented baking soda for better results.

Things you’ll need:

• Baking soda
• Vacuum cleaner

Single-Step Method: Sprinkle baking soda on the furniture and vacuum clean it

• Sprinkle baking soda on the entire surface of the stinky furniture.
• Let it sit for a day or two to allow it to absorb the smoke smell as well as the moisture that can also sometimes contribute to the musty smell in the upholstery.
• Vacuum the furniture to clean up the baking soda.
• Repeat the process until the smell is removed.

Method 2: Coffee Grounds

Did you know coffee grounds can stop bleeding in minor cuts?

Coffee grounds can also be kept in the stinky corners of your furniture to mask the smoke smell and make your house smell like mocha.

Things you’ll need:

• Coffee grounds – 2 to 3 tablespoons
• Dryer sheet
• Rubber band

Step 1. Bundle up coffee grounds in a dryer sheet

• Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of coffee grounds over a dryer sheet.
• Bundle it up and secure it with a rubber band.

Step 2. Place the bundle near your furniture

• Place the coffee ground bundle on or near your stinky furniture.
• Let it sit for a few hours to diffuse the smell of coffee over your furniture.
• Replace with a new bundle if needed.

 Method 3: Activated charcoal

Activated charcoal is a highly porous and powerful deodorizer that can take away the smoke smell in minutes. However, do not sprinkle it over the furniture as it can settle in the fabrics of upholstered furniture and will be difficult to clean later.

Things you’ll need:

• Activated charcoal – 1 to 2 tablespoons
• Dryer sheet – 1
• Rubber band – 1

Step 1. Bundle up activated charcoal in a dryer sheet

• Put 1 to 2 tablespoons of activated charcoal over a dryer sheet and bundle it up with a tie around it.

Step 2. Place the activated charcoal near the smelly furniture

• Place the bundle near the furniture that has been a witness to your smoking session.
• Let it sit for 30 minutes or 1 hour to absorb the cigarette odor.
• Once the smell is removed, throw away the charcoal.
• Repeat with a fresh batch if needed.

WALLS AND WINDOWS

Method 1: Windex

Your walls and windows too can collect tar and resin from years of hanging smoke. Hence, they need a regular clean up to remove the stains and to keep the nasty cigarette smell from lingering in your home. Windex, being an all-purpose cleaner, can get rid of the tar deposit from glass and some hard surfaces in a single wipe.

Note: Do not use Windex on wooden surfaces.

Things you’ll need:

• Windex
• Kitchen towel

Single-Step Method: Spray Windex on the glass surface and wipe clean

• Generously, squirt Windex on the glass surfaces that need cleaning.
• Use a clean and dry kitchen towel to wipe off the surface.

Note: If you don’t have Windex, you can use any other glass cleaner as well.

Method 2: White Vinegar

White vinegar can also be used to clean tar and nicotine deposit on the walls, windows, and ceilings. Dilute the white vinegar with some warm water to help cut through the stains and get cigarette smell out of your home for good.

Note: Do not use the vinegar cleaning solution on wooden surfaces, natural stones, or marble.

Step 1: Dilute white vinegar with water

• Dilute white vinegar with an equal quantity of warm water in a spray bottle.

Step 2: Clean the surface with the diluted vinegar

• Spray the vinegar solution over the wall or window you wish to clean.
• Wipe off the surface with a dry cotton towel.

Method 3: Bleach

Bleach solution is another effective remedy that can be used to clean up white surfaces to get rid of the cigarette smell. As it is a common practice to smoke in the bathroom, bleach can be used to clean the surfaces of white tiles.

Note: Do not use the bleach remedy on colored walls or other surfaces.

Step 1. Prepare the bleach solution

• Add 1 tablespoon of bleach powder to 1cup of water.
• Stir until the bleach completely dissolves in the water, then transfer the mixture to a spray bottle. Your bleach cleaning solution is ready to use.

Step 2. Spray the bleach solution on white surface

• Squirt the bleach solution all over the white surface that has tar deposits.
• Use a clean towel to wipe off the residue. The walls or tiles will be restored to pristine white.
• If you don’t have a spray bottle at hand, just soak a household sponge in the solution and use it to wash the walls.

CAR

Method 1: Baking soda

Your car is another vulnerable zone that is constantly exposed to cigarette smoke, if you are a regular smoker that is. The methods used to clean furniture can also be applied to get cigarette smell out of your car.

Single-Step Method: Sprinkle baking soda in your car

• When your car is not in use, sprinkle the good old baking soda on the floor and on the leather seats.
• Let it sit for a day or two, then clean it up with a vacuum cleaner.

Method 2: Vinegar

Just like you clean windows of your home, you can also use diluted white vinegar to clean glass surfaces of your car.

Single-Step Method: Clean the glass surface of the car with diluted vinegar

• Dilute white vinegar with warm water in 1:1 ratio.
• Transfer it to a spray bottle and spray it on insides of the windshield and windows of the car.
• Wipe off the residue with a clean towel.

Method 3:  Coffee Grounds

Keep a bundle of coffee grounds in your car at night and your car will smell like a fresh cup of latte in the morning.

Single-Step Method: Keep coffee grounds in your car

• Prepare a bundle of coffee grounds as shown in Step 1 of Method 2 under the Carpet and Furniture section.
• Place the bundle in the cup holder of your car.
• Leave it overnight to get rid of the smoke smell.

Method 4: Activated Charcoal

Similar to coffee grounds, activated charcoal can also be used to remove the smoke smell from your car.

Single-Step Method: Keep activated charcoal in your car

• Tie up a bundle of activated charcoal as shown in Step 1 of Method 3 under the Carpet and Furniture section.
• Place it in your car for a few hours and it should effectively remove the smoke odor from your car.

Tips

• Keep your windows open to keep your rooms well ventilated while smoking.
• If none of the remedies work, think of getting your walls repainted or your carpets replaced.
• You can also use ammonia to get cigarette smell out of painted walls. Mix 1/4 cup of ammonia in a gallon of water. Apply it directly on the walls and let it sit for 5 minutes, then wipe it off.