Lingering cigarette odor is not only smelly, it’s also . Known as thirdhand smoke, the cigarette odor that clings to clothing, skin, hair, and your environment contains active chemical substances, which have been linked to multiple health issues, including: Show
If you smoke, you’ve probably become used to the smell and don’t realize how strong it is. If you want to get rid of cigarette odor, asking a nonsmoker to sniff out the situation will help. Of course, the best way to eliminate thirdhand smoke smell completely is to remove cigarettes from your life. Perhaps you’ve recently stopped smoking and want to remove all traces from yourself and your home. Or, you’ve recently bought a car whose previous owner was a smoker. Or, you’ve spent an evening at a smoky pool hall and want to stop smelling like a smoky pool hall. The reasons for getting rid of thirdhand smoke are endless. Keep reading to learn about cleaning solutions that will help you get rid of cigarette smell and its toxic residue. How cigarette smoke absorbs into your skin, hair, and breathCigarette smoke affects the way your skin, hair, and body smell from both the inside and the outside. On the outside, cigarette smoke deposits a carcinogenic residue on everything it touches, including hair and skin. You may not feel it, but it’s there, releasing a smoky odor. The absorption of nicotine, both into the lungs and through the skin, also affects the sweat glands. Nicotine makes you sweat more, and taints the way your sweat smells. If you sweat profusely, your skin will start to smell like rancid smoke. Cigarette smoke coats the inside of your mouth, gums, teeth, and tongue. As any nonsmoker who has ever kissed a smoker will tell you, cigarettes make your breath and mouth smell and taste like a dirty ashtray. The following solutions will help remove some of the cigarette smell from skin, hair, and breath. Removing cigarette smell from your skin
Removing cigarette smell from your hairIf you’ve ever left a smoky environment only to revisit the stale smell of cigarettes once your head hits the pillow, you know how much smoke hair can absorb.
Removing cigarette smell from your breath
Keep in mind that cigarettes cause the inside of your nose to smell, which can also affect the smell of your breath. Removing cigarette smell from your clothingEven if you go outside to smoke, you’re bound to bring a cigarette smell back inside with you, unless you remove it immediately from clothes and shoes. If you don’t wash your clothing after each use, your closet will also smell like cigarettes. These solutions can help: Machine or hand-wash with baking soda
Use dryer sheetsIf you need to remove cigarette smell from your clothing in a pinch, rubbing a dryer sheet on each entire garment you have on will help. Don’t forget hats, scarves, gloves, shoes, or boots. Try a deodorizing spraySpraying your clothing with an air freshener made for fabric, or with a spray-on antiperspirant, is another way to remove cigarette odor from clothing. This hack may be overpowering, however, given that you need to spray the entire garment in order to get results. Mask the odorEssential oil sprays won’t absorb thirdhand smoke smell, but certain scents may be effective at masking it to some degree. These include orange, grapefruit, eucalyptus, and lavender. Don’t put undiluted essential oils directly on your skin. How to remove cigarette smell from your homeThirdhand smoke accumulates with each cigarette smoked. It can continue to permeate homes for months or longer, after that last cigarette has been smoked. It can be very hard to get rid of because thirdhand smoke contains toxic particles and gasses which can permeate both hard and soft surfaces. Nicotine even contaminates dust. How to remove an old, lingering smellIf you’re moving into an environment that smells like cigarettes, try these solutions:
Avoiding thirdhand smoke buildupIf you smoke at home, taking proactive measures to reduce the smell on a daily basis will help eliminate buildup. These measures can include:
How to remove cigarette smell from your carIf you smoke in your car, the smell is bound to linger. You can reduce it by:
The takeawayThirdhand smoke from cigarettes leaves a strong smell in the air, which may be more apparent and distasteful to nonsmokers. This smell is not only unpleasant, it’s also dangerous to health. You can reduce thirdhand smoke cosmetically, but the best way to eliminate it completely is by not smoking. The number of programs and methods to help you stop smoking has grown dramatically in recent years. Speak with your healthcare provider or check online for options to help you quit. How do you get smoke smell out of hair?Create a paste by mixing one part baking soda with 3 parts water. Massage it into your wet hair in a hot shower. Leave it on for about 3 minutes. When you rinse it away, your hair should be free of any campfire smell.
How long does the smell of smoke stay in hair?Hair testing is a solid method for determining long-term tobacco usage and could be highly accurate for up to three months after cessation. Sometimes, smoke is detectable for about 12 months.
Why can't I get the burnt smell out of my hair?Add Baking Soda to Shampoo
Many people might think that good hair washing will get that burnt smell out, but unfortunately, regular shampoo may not be strong enough to do the job. Boost your shampoo by adding a teaspoon of baking soda to your normal amount and massaging it into your hair.
Does hair absorb smoke smell?Hair—like your clothes—can quickly absorb and then trap strong odors, causing you to be stuck smelling like an ashtray—or spicy-sausage—until your next shampoo. Why does this happen? Undamaged hair is protected by a natural layer of oil that binds to its surface and keeps your strands from absorbing stinky smells.
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