How to Get Rid of Cigarette Smoke Smell in a House
Short answer
Cigarette smoke leaves a sticky residue on every surface in the house, and that residue is what you smell. Air out the house, wash walls and ceilings with a strong cleaner, then seal them with a stain-blocking primer before painting. Clean or replace carpet and soft furnishings, change the furnace filter, and run a HEPA air purifier with a carbon filter. Air fresheners and ozone machines don't remove it.
Quick steps
- Stop all smoking indoors. Nothing else works while new smoke keeps adding residue.
- Open windows and run fans to push stale air out for a few days.
- Wash walls, ceilings, cabinets, and windows with TSP or a strong degreasing cleaner, top to bottom.
- Seal washed walls with a stain-blocking primer before repainting.
- Deep clean or replace carpet, curtains, and upholstery, and change the furnace filter.
- Run a HEPA air purifier with a carbon filter and leave charcoal bags in closed rooms.
Need supplies? Jump to what to buy
Why the smell won’t go away
Tobacco smoke leaves a sticky film of nicotine and tar on every surface it touches: walls, ceilings, carpet, curtains, furniture, and the inside of the heating system. Researchers call this thirdhand smoke. The film keeps releasing smell long after anyone has smoked, which is why sprays and air fresheners only work for an hour.
To get rid of the smell, you have to remove the film, seal it in, or replace the material holding it. The order below goes from cheapest to most expensive. Stop at the step where the smell is gone.
For burnt food and grease smells rather than tobacco, see how to get rid of cooking smells.
1. Stop new smoke and air out the house
Nothing works while someone is still smoking indoors. The EPA says the only way to fully protect people from secondhand smoke at home is to keep the home smoke-free.
Open windows on opposite sides of the house and put a box fan in one window blowing out. Do this for a few days while you clean.
2. Wash the hard surfaces
Most of the smell is on walls and ceilings. Wash them top to bottom with TSP (trisodium phosphate) or a strong degreasing cleaner, using two buckets: one with cleaner, one with clean rinse water. Change the rinse water when it turns yellow, and it will.
Don’t forget:
- Ceilings. Smoke rises, so ceilings are often the worst.
- Kitchen cabinets, doors, and trim, inside and out.
- Windows, blinds, and light fixtures.
- Switch plates, outlet covers, and vent grilles. Take them off and soak them.
Wear gloves and eye protection with TSP, and keep the room ventilated.
3. Seal the walls before you paint
If the walls are still yellow or smell after washing, prime them with a stain-blocking primer made for smoke and odors (a shellac-based or oil-based primer is the usual choice). Then paint. Ordinary paint alone lets nicotine bleed through and the smell comes back.
4. Deal with carpet and fabrics
Carpet, padding, and upholstery hold a lot of residue. Steam-clean carpet and upholstery with a cleaning solution, not just water. Wash curtains, bedding, and cushion covers. Research on thirdhand smoke found nicotine can stay deep in carpet fibers even after treatment, so in a house with years of heavy smoking, replacing carpet and padding is often the only complete fix.
5. Clean the air system
Replace the furnace or HVAC filter, wipe the supply and return grilles, and replace the filter again after a month. The EPA doesn’t recommend routine duct cleaning, but it can help if the ducts are visibly coated or the smell keeps coming out of the vents.
6. Filter the air and absorb what’s left
Run a HEPA air purifier with an activated carbon filter in the rooms you use most. The EPA notes that HEPA filters capture particles while the carbon layer is what removes gases and odors. Leave activated charcoal bags in closets, cabinets, and closed rooms.
Avoid ozone generators. The EPA says ozone can harm the lungs and does little to remove odors at levels that are safe to breathe. Here’s more on whether ozone generators are safe.
Smoke smell in clothes and cars needs the same cleaning, not covering. See how to get odor out of clothes and how to get cigarette smell out of a car.
What to buy
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TSP heavy-duty wall cleaner
Savogran Trisodium Phosphate (TSP), 1 lb boxes
Washing nicotine film and smoke residue off painted walls, ceilings, and cabinets before you repaint.
Good to know: It is strong: wear gloves and eye protection, ventilate, and rinse with clean water. It can dull paint and harm plants, and some areas restrict phosphate cleaners.
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HEPA air purifier with carbon filter
Levoit Core 300 True HEPA Air Purifier
Smoke, pet, and cooking smells that hang in the air of one room, plus the dander and fine particles that come with them. The carbon layer handles odor; the HEPA layer handles particles.
Good to know: It cleans the air, not the walls, carpet, or furniture where smell is stored, so clean those first. Size it to the room and replace the filter on schedule. Avoid models that make ozone.
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Activated charcoal odor bags
Moso Natural Air Purifying Bag, 200 g (4 pack)
Soaking up leftover smell in cars, closets, shoes, and small rooms once the source is gone. Unscented, so they don't mask one smell with another.
Good to know: Charcoal absorbs smell; it won't fix an ongoing source like a damp carpet or a spill under a seat.
Check price on AmazonCommon questions
Can I just paint over smoke-stained walls?
Not on its own. Nicotine bleeds through ordinary paint as yellow stains and the smell comes back. Wash the walls first, then use a stain-blocking primer made for smoke damage, then paint.
Do ozone generators get rid of smoke smell?
The EPA warns that ozone can irritate the lungs and that, at levels safe for people, it does little to remove odors. Research on thirdhand smoke also found ozone did little against nicotine held deep in carpet. Cleaning and replacing materials works better.
How long does smoke smell take to go away?
After a thorough clean, most of the smell goes within a few weeks. Houses with years of heavy smoking may need new carpet, padding, or drywall before it is fully gone.
Should I get my air ducts cleaned?
Change the furnace filter first, and wipe the supply and return grilles. The EPA says duct cleaning isn't needed routinely, but it may make sense if the ducts are visibly coated or the smell keeps coming from the vents after everything else is clean.
What absorbs cigarette smoke smell?
Activated carbon, in an air purifier filter or charcoal bags, absorbs some of it from the air. It only helps after the surfaces are washed, because the residue on walls and fabrics keeps putting the smell back.
What kills the smell of nicotine?
Nothing kills it in the air. Nicotine and tar stick to surfaces, so you have to wash them off the walls, ceilings, and cabinets, then seal the walls with a stain-blocking primer.