Cigarette or cigar smoke can linger in a room for days. Small fires can leave an offensive smoke odor for weeks if you do not get rid of it quickly. Inexpensive homemade air fresheners or commercial sprays will take care of mild to moderate smoke odor. Mechanical and electronic air cleaners for heavy duty or constant smoke elimination come in a range of prices and models, from single-room devices to whole-house purifiers.
Cat litter is an inexpensive way to get rid of smoke odors. Fill the ashtrays in the room with litter and use it to put out your tobacco products. You can also fill an empty cardboard box with the litter and place it in the room overnight with the door closed. Baking soda and activated charcoal powder also effectively neutralize odors. Place bowls or boxes of the powders in a room and leave them overnight to absorb offensive odors. You can purchase activated charcoal powder at pet supply and hardware stores.
Get rid of faint smoke odors by dampening a cleaning cloth with distilled white vinegar. Wave the cloth around the room to freshen the air. Vinegar neutralizes odors and the vinegar smell evaporates in 15 to 30 minutes, leaving the air smelling clean. For heavier smoke, set bowls of vinegar around the room and leave them for a few hours or overnight.
You can purchase spray cans of commercial air fresheners specifically formulated to remove smoke odors. Smoke Odor Exterminator Spray, Febreze Fabric Refresher Extra Strength and Earth Care's Clear The Air Odor Eliminator for Carpet and Furniture, for example, eliminate smoke odor in your home when you spray them in the air and on draperies, carpeting and furniture.
You can use portable room air cleaners to effectively wipe out smoke odors present in your home. Both mechanical and electronic types remove particulate matter, such as smoke, molds, bacteria, dust and pollen. Air cleaners that remove smoke via a mechanical air filter capture the smoke particles. The electronic air cleaners use electrostatic attraction to trap airborne particulates.