Cigarette smoke

[Housekat]

My parents have just left after a three day visit. They're heavy smokers and we let them smoke in their bedroom.

How do I get the smoke smell out of the room? It's our escape room for when the bed gets too crowded and it SMELLS :sick

[AugustMama]

Try putting open cups of vinegar around the room. Also treat surfaces with vinegar. Make sure all fabric and upholstery are cleaned well.

[Marsha]

An air purifier works well too, though it takes some time. But overall, consistently, I"ve found that an air purifier is the #1 way to get smells out... I bought a cheap $40 one that works in one room...and it got the old cigarette smell out of this apartment...I justm oved it from room to room every week or so.

[cheri]

You need to clean the walls, the floors, any blinds/shades, furniture. It even sticks to the ceiling.


Sometimes the walls need to be painted. If there's carpet, definitely professionally clean it. If no carpet, then mop it.

The problem is that there isn't a great way to get that smell out of a mattress. So matter what you do to the room, the mattress is forever going to have that smell.

[JustMandy]

Lots of baking soda. Sprinkle it on every soft surface, let it set for a while and then vacuum.

[houseforjoy]

Take every fabric thing you can and wash in baking soda and vinegar (sheets bedspread, curtains, pillows). If there is carpet sprinkle baking soda on it (heavily) and let it sit for a few hours and vacuum up, then do it again leaving it overnight. sprinkle the bare mattress with baking soda and vacuum that too. i also would fabreez it and open the window in their and put a fan in the window so that the fan sucks the air of the room to the outside.

if you can shampoo the carpets and mattress too afterward i would also do that.

cigarette smoke is really hard to remove completely though :hug

[Dovenoir]

If you have access to TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) a small amount in a bucket will help clean it off the walls and ceiling. We did this with all of our rental properties.

Mattress- unless it was sealed in plastic, it will have a residual smell. You can air it to diminish it, but its still going to have absorbed some of it.

[newday]

if you have good weather put the mattress outside in the sun. that will make a big difference.

i agree with cleaning all the fabric things.
fresh air in the room as much as possible will help.

i think cigarette smoke is similar to a mildew smell in that it can seem gone (or nearly gone) until it rains or the room has been shut up for a while, and then it comes right back.
you will probably have to air it out on a regular basis.

[Katigre]

Google third hand smoke. Its even worse for you than 2nd hand. I would trash the mattress and deep clean EVERYTHING in that room. And never.ever permit indoor smoking again.

Sent from Katigre's Galaxy S3

[Housekat]

:ty2 everyone.

Katigre - that's sadly not possible. My parents come to visit on a regular basis (roughly three times a year) and though they don't smoke in the rest of the house, we do permit them to smoke in 'their' room. They are chain smokers and otherwise simply wouldn't visit. I love them too much for that to be an option :)

I'll air the room, wash every surface, and leave vinegar standing around - I'll hope that that will make it bearable at least after a few days.

[mommylove]

If you have access to TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) a small amount in a bucket will help clean it off the walls and ceiling. We did this with all of our rental properties.



:yes IME, washing the walls with vinegar doesn't cut it; you'll probably need to bring in the big guns. A bucket of bleach water will also clean it off the walls. And air out that room after cleaning.

In the future, if you ever repaint that room, it should be primed with KILZ.

[cheri]

:ty2 everyone.

Katigre - that's sadly not possible. My parents come to visit on a regular basis (roughly three times a year) and though they don't smoke in the rest of the house, we do permit them to smoke in 'their' room. They are chain smokers and otherwise simply wouldn't visit. I love them too much for that to be an option :)

I'll air the room, wash every surface, and leave vinegar standing around - I'll hope that that will make it bearable at least after a few days.

Not to be preachy, but Katigre said everything that I was thinking, but I just didn't want to be the first one to say it. I understand that you love them- but also understand that they're poisoning your entire family every time they visit. Smoke goes through the vents of your house and it's definitely not contained to the one bedroom.

Also, to be fair to anyone else who visits you, you should tell them about the smoke in the mattress. I would not sleep in a bed, nor allow my children to sleep in a bed, where someone has previously smoked. It absolutely cannot be 100% removed. Even if you air it out for a week, the toxins are still there, and anyone who sleeps on that mattress will breathe them.

[Katigre]

If prohibiting smoking is not an option, then I would close off that room completely and never use it except for your parents. Definitely no children should sleep there. Close the vents too.

Sent from Katigre's Galaxy S3

[Housekat]

I understand that information, but this is our decision :shrug3 . We live in England, so do not have vents, therefore the smoke is pretty much contained in that room.

Off to scrub with vinegar now :)

[Katigre]

I hope that the vinegar works to reduce the smell. I really think making the room a 'guest only' space and forbidding it for your kids is your best option to both welcome your parents the way you desire and to protect your own kids from the health effects to an extent.

I can't emphasize enough how dangerous that mattress is for your children and that they should not play in the room nor sleep in it. Being in that place and sleeping on that mattress significantly increases the baby.s risk of death from SIDS and affects both of their lung development and health.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/03/health/research/03smoke.html?_r=0
http://www2.aap.org/richmondcenter/DangerFromThirdhandSmoke.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/third-hand-smoke/AN01985

[Annainprogress]

I understand that information, but this is our decision :shrug3 . We live in England, so do not have vents, therefore the smoke is pretty much contained in that room.

Off to scrub with vinegar now :)

I hate to say it, but I disagree that the smoke is contained. This is why there has been a big "Seven Steps" campaign by the NHS - advising that everyone takes seven steps outside the house before they light up - because smoke does spread to every room in the house even if it is only done in one room and the door is shut. I understand that you have to make your own decisions and that when family smoke sometimes we make decisions based on our assessment of the overall situation and wanting our children to have relationships (and maintain them ourselves) with those we love (my sister smokes in her car, and I let her drive my kids in it when she stays/we visit her - she doesn't smoke with them in there but the car always smells of it), so I'm not telling you what to do, but just be aware when they stay your kids are getting second hand smoke. :hug

[Housekat]

I've had my original question answered so :ty2 all.

Mods, could you please lock this thread?

[milkmommy]

wont adress the enbedding smoke issue but maybe something like this could be a help for the future..
http://www.hammacher.com/Product/81321?cm_cat=ProductSEM&cm_pla=AdWordsPLA&source=PRODSEM

[FaithnPraise]

I was gifted a mattress from a smoker and what worked for us was getting a plastic zippered encasement (like a cheapie from Walmart) - that kept the smoke smell in there so we didn't have to breathe it in. After a while it dissipated, but it worked for this pregnant mama who had no idea that it was dangerous for me or my children to use this mattress :shrug3

Wish y'all the best :kiss

[Oakyn]

Mattresses are full of chemicals anyways.... Not that smoking makes it better, it makes it worse, of course, but tossing out a mattress may not be a practical thing for every family. Ideally every family could afford to buy 100 percent organic mattresses that are free of chemicals in the first place, and then if someone smoked to just toss away whatever came in contact with the smoke. You could even tear down the drywall and start again.

I loathe smoking. The smell bothers me. I smell my neighbors smoking and I think it should be banned in apartment buildings. I don't think her bed or home is ruined from 3 days of cigarette smoking, but I would def air it out and prob ask them to smoke on the porch. I don't let my family members smoke in my home, if they would choose not to visit me over that, then so be it.