24/7 Emergency ServiceRhode Island - Say Farewell to Cigarette Smoke!
5/18/2018 (Permalink)
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Not much is worse than the smell of lingering cigarette smoke in a home or building. If you recently purchased a home that is contaminated by the smell of nicotine, or if you have recently quit smoking and want to free your home from the odors of your past habit for good, there are a few home deodorization tips you need to know. Before you get started, however, there are a few supplies you need to gather:
• Baking soda
• A gallon of vinegar
• Clean towels
• A bucket
• A strainer
• An ozone machine (in extreme cases)
Wash Fabrics With Vinegar
If you’ve ever been to a bonfire or spent even an hour in a smoke-infested environment, you know how badly cigarette smoke can affect fabrics. The first step toward freeing your home of the odors of nicotine is to wash any easily removable fabrics, such as drapes, blankets and bedding, in warm water and vinegar.
While your linens are in the wash, sprinkle generous amounts of baking soda over your home’s carpet and upholstered furniture. The best way to do this is to dump baking soda into a strainer and sprinkle it throughout your home. Let the baking soda sit for 30 to 60 minutes, and then vacuum it up.
Wash the Walls and Hard Surfaces
While you’re waiting for your carpets and upholstery to absorb the baking soda, move on to the next phase of home deodorization: cleaning the hard surfaces. Mix 75 percent vinegar with 25 percent warm water and scrub the solution on all of your home’s hard surfaces. Only file one-third to one-half of your bucket at a time, as the water will get dirty. You don’t need to be meticulous in this step, as even a light layer of vinegar removes the smoke odor.
Though these steps are effective in milder cases, in more severe cases, you may need to call in the professionals. A smoke remediation team can use an ozone machine to rid your home of the worst of the smell, and a local contractor can seal your home deodorization efforts with a fresh coat of paint.
Call SERVPRO of Northern Rhode Island at (401) 949-9955!