When you smoke a cigarette, the secondhand smoke it produces can linger for up to five hours. However, the same cigarette produces harmful pollutants that settle onto surfaces in the home which are very difficult to remove and could make your home smell unpleasant for much longer.
The specialist cleaners at ICE Cleaning can quickly get rid of an unpleasant smoke smell in your home with its smoke odour removal services. Its odour neutralisation experts are available across the UK, 24/7, 365 days a year.
Read on to find out how long a cigarette smell could last in your home and why it persists so long.
What is causing the cigarette smoke odour?
Thirdhand smoke consists of all the pollutants that settle indoors when you smoke. It contains dangerous chemicals including nicotine, formaldehyde, and naphthalene. These pollutants land on hard surfaces like dust and embed themselves in soft surfaces, like upholstery and fabric.
Not only does thirdhand smoke produce an unpleasant odour, it can put people’s health at risk if they touch surfaces contaminated by the pollutants or breathe in the gases they release. Research has linked it to cancer, heart disease, and serious respiratory illnesses.
The nicotine and tar in cigarettes can also build up on surfaces, leaving behind yellow stains on surfaces and trapping in the smell.
How long does it last?
To get rid of the smoke odour, you need to get rid of all the thirdhand smoke particles in your home and wash away the nicotine and tar covering the surfaces. As the particles can settle into soft surfaces, removing them is very difficult without specialist cleaning equipment.
Thirdhand smoke can last for several months in a property – in some case, years. How long it lasts will depend on whether the room gets aired out regularly, how much fabric or upholstery it contains, and how many cigarettes were smoked there.
How to get rid of the smell of smoke
Although there are plenty of cleaning hacks online that claim to get rid of the smoke odour, from opening windows to boiling lemon peels, they will not help. The former cannot remove the thirdhand smoke particles embedded deep in surfaces and the latter might just mask the smell.
To get rid of the tar, you also need to thoroughly scrub all affected surfaces which usually includes walls, floors, and ceilings. Not only is getting rid of a smoke smell an extensive process, you could use the wrong products and techniques, and may damage your property during cleaning.
Instead, bring in specialist cleaners that have the training, products, and equipment to eliminate the particles and stains, and fully neutralise the odour. ICE Cleaning’s smoke smell removal services can give you peace of mind that your home is safe again.
You can learn more about ICE Cleaning and its specialist cleaning services on its website.