Cigarette smoke leaves an annoying scent on anything it comes in contact with and this can prove so difficult to eliminate the moment it oozes into your bathroom walls, the ceilings, carpets, and other nearby furniture.
These are frequently cited as “Third-hand smoke.” Third-hand smoke is described as an event that occurs when the residue from smoke doesn’t go away but stays indoors, even after the cigarette is being put out.
This can be easily transferred from one place to another such as walls, ceilings, and furniture. And not only does it affect these things, but it also poses a great threat to the smoker’s health which can lead to lung infections and cancer, therefore, you might consider quitting if you haven’t and if you have, I’m happy for you.
In this article, you’ll learn about why you should get rid of cigarette smoke, and some tips you can use to get rid of the cigarette smell in your bathroom.
Why Should You Get Rid of a Cigarette Smell?
Even if you enjoy smoking, you must strive to get rid of the cigarette smell because it releases on everything it comes in connection with a carcinogenic remnant, which may increase the risk of cancer.
It also leaves a smoky scent, thereby, affecting the way your body, skin, and hair smell. Cigarette smoke contains nicotine which is a harmful chemical substance to be consumed by smokers. Conditioned on how frequently you smoke, this chemical remains for at least 5-8 hours in the body.
This increases the rate of blood flow to the heart, the rate at which the heart pumps, and increases blood pressure. Nicotine also narrows the arteries which transport blood and may lead to a heart attack.
Cigarette smoke is highly hazardous to non-smokers, most especially, children. That when it is inhaled, can cause respiratory infections such as asthma or even lead to death due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Why You Mustn’t Smoke in the Bathroom?
If you are the kind of person who esteems cleanliness and a hygienic environment then you shouldn’t consider smoking in the bathroom, because when it is exposed to cigarette smoke, it can cause unpleasant smells and stains.
Cigarette smoke releases some chemicals which are enclosed in a small molecule of tar and oil, evolving into a sticky shell that enables them to get attached to several materials.
These chemicals released from your smoke will then develop into a yellowish stain on your bathroom fixtures, ceiling walls or even nonporous material, making it difficult to get rid of.
How to Get Rid of Cigarette Smell in the Bathroom
You might have just moved into a new building and noticed that the bathroom gives off a smoky scent or you’re in your old building and you’ve tried all you could to get rid of the smell but you just haven’t gotten the right means of doing it.
It can be tough to get rid of and also make using the bathroom quite unbearable. Hence, I’ll be showing you how you can use both natural DIY methods and commercial products to remove the cigarette smell in the bathroom.
1. Make Use of Vinegar
Vinegar has an intense abrasive feature which makes it effective to remove horrible smells naturally like that of cigarette smoke. It can be used as a cleaning agent to break up nicotine on a nonporous surface.
PROCEDURE: Thoroughly mix vinegar with lemon juice in a spray bottle and then spray it in your bathroom the way you would an air freshener, or pour some of the vinegar in a container and place it in your bathroom—within 24hours the smoke smell may have been eliminated.
You can as well spray some of the vinegar on a towel or any material and then wave it back and forth in the bathroom for some minutes. And if you’re bothered about the intense scent that vinegar gives, that shouldn’t be a problem as it will wear off immediately after it is wiped or dries, or you can mix it with a handful of lavender oil, this helps to cut down the scent.
2. Make Use of an Activated Charcoal Powder
You might be wondering how the substance you use for a barbecue can rid cigarette smell. Although it might sound weird, nevertheless, it works. Charcoal contains carbon molecules that chemically imprison stale smells, freeing them from the atmosphere.
While a briquette used for barbecuing can be used to remove odor in a touch, activated charcoal is refined for adequate porosity and power absorption and is treated with a non-flammable chemical.
Activated charcoal products are always used as a detoxifying agent and are packaged in neat materials or hessian pouches tagged as odor eliminators.
PROCEDURE: Place different bowls of this powder around your bathroom or on top of your furniture; leave it for some days until it finally soaks up the odour.
PRECAUTION: Avoid direct contact with activated charcoal powder on clothes as this can cause a stain effect on the material.
3. Make Use of Coffee Grounds
This is another brilliant option you can use to soak up cigarette smoke scent from your bathroom or car. Coffee ground is not only good for brewing coffee in the morning before going out, but it also helps reduce cigarette stench.
However, when using this method, you can’t avoid having coffee smell all over the place. At least that’s still better and bearable than cigarette smell, and it doesn’t have any health risks.
PROCEDURE: Allow the coffee ground to appropriately dry off under the sun, after which you’ll take out some into a bowl and place it in your bathroom. Leave it for at least three days. If the scent remains, you can repeat the process.
4. You Can Make Use of a Baking Soda
Baking soda is a natural, odorless, and productive deodorizing agent which effectively soaks up smoky smells rather than concealing them.
PROCEDURE: Pour a certain quantity of baking soda into a bowl and place it around your bathroom, leave it there for a maximum of 2-3 days to help take in the scent.
You also can attempt spraying it generously on your bathroom walls, ceiling, or any of the smoke-affected material. And if there are still a few lingering scents of the material, you may try repeating the procedure couple of times
5. Make Use of Diluted Ammonia Mixed With Some Water
Just in case you can still perceive cigarette smoke smell in your bathroom, even after using any of the above methods, ammonia can perfectly serve as your deodorant to remove the smoke scent in your bathroom.
Ammonia is a powerful chemical cleanser and it has a strong odor that stings and it irritates the eyes when come in contact. This has left many wondering if something that stinks this much can clean effectively. Nevertheless, Ammonia is safe when you handle it rightly.
PROCEDURE: I’d advise you to get a spray bottle, then thoroughly mix two tablespoons of ammonia with three cups of water and then spray it in your bathroom the way you would an air freshener, allow it to settle in for about 15-20minutes before you was it off with a moist towel or cloth.
You can as well pour some of the mixtures into a container and place it in your bathroom—within 24hours the smoke smell may have been eliminated. This technique can be repeated every day until the odour is neutralized.
PRECAUTION: As I said earlier, ammonia is safe to use when you handle it appropriately. Make sure you prevent contact with skin and do not sniff the gases directly.
Avoid mixing ammonia with any product with contact bleach as this can generate a very toxic gas injurious to health. Wear shielding glasses and ensure the room where it is being used is highly ventilated.
Using a Commercial Products
1. Use a Febreze
Febreze is a known deodorizing agent which is sold in many supermarkets and stores. It is composed of a chemical solution called “cyclodextrin” which is a sugar-like element that soaks up smells.
This product gives your bathroom a pleasant receiving scent, removing all those horrible cigarette smoke odors from your bathroom and rejuvenating them with an elegant smell, making it bearable for you and your visitors to use.
Febreze has an odor remover technology that when sprayed in a smoke-affected area doesn’t just cover up the smoke scents, but wears off the odor from your bathroom, giving you a fresh smell.
2. Use Lavender Chamomile Smoke Odor Exterminator Candle
This product is made with biological smell neutralizing agents which completely eradicate smells instead of just covering them up.
This is part of what makes this product stand out from other air fresheners available on the market. The neutralizing agent soaks up the smell from your bathroom into the product, tearing down the smell’s particles and releasing it into the air as natural and healthy gas.
3. Use AROEVE Air Purif
AROEVE Air Purifier has an effective H13 HEPA particle filter which clears out cigarette smoke smell from your bathroom, ceilings, and furniture.
It also has a high circulation rate leaving no area in your bathroom untouched, so you don’t have to worry about it not reaching a particular place.
The peculiarity of the product is that you can activate a sleep mode when you turn it on be it at the night or during the day if you want a silent and soothing environment.
Conclusion
I intentionally place this to be the last resort to getting rid of the cigarette smell in the bathroom. In case you’ve tried the DIY method and the commercial method and the cigarette smoke scent still refuses to wear off, you might consider repainting your bathroom walls and ceiling or replacing the entire interior there.
You can get a professional to do it for you. This is quite expensive; however, this practice when it is properly done can help you neutralize the smoke smell totally without having to repeat any process.
