Tobacco and Cigarette Smoke Odor Cleaning

6/8/2022 (Permalink)

Cigarette smoke residue is a yellowish-brown, gluey substance that sticks to all surfaces, making it difficult and time-consuming to remove.

The substance bonds to walls, furniture, and plastics and can permanently alter their appearance. Cigarette smoke also penetrates more odor-absorbing objects also known as soft contents, such as carpets, upholstery, bedding, clothes, and many more. Tobacco smoke chemicals are much more challenging to eliminate than those of an actual fire.

To eliminate cigarette smoke odor, you must thoroughly clean the tobacco smoke residue from every surface and corner in the home, this can be highly difficult without a professional. Some helpful DIY tips include;

• First, open all windows and doors to let as much fresh air in as possible.
• Clean or replace the air filters, furnace filters, and AC filters.
• Clean walls and ceilings using products with ammonia and glycol — two ingredients that neutralize odors.
• Repaint walls and ceilings with latex paint. Use a sealant designed to lock in odors before painting.
• Wipe down all surfaces in the home: floors, windows, carpets, furniture, upholstery, draperies, blinds, and other household surfaces, fixtures, and items. 

If you need a professional SERVPRO specialists start tobacco smoke removal by cleaning all surfaces. This includes deodorizing agents to help eliminate the very tiny particles of tobacco smoke. Specialized equipment is often necessary to remove the very last of the odors that are not accessible (such as inside walls or joints). This will usually involve hydroxyl or ozone generators — professional equipment that destroys particles that penetrated the hard-to-reach areas.

It is often recommended that soft textiles like drapes, carpeting, bedding, etc. be replaced as these are very difficult to restore fully. If you would like an estimate for cigarette smoke cleaning call SERVPRO of Edmonds at 425-775-5723.