If you’ve ever dealt with the aftermath of someone smoking a cigar indoors, you know firsthand just how much of a pain that lingering odor can be. It seems to get into every little crack and crevice, stubbornly clinging to your furniture, walls, carpets – you name it. And it’s not in any hurry to leave.
You’re probably wondering, “How long am I going to be stuck smelling this?” Believe me, I get it. As someone who’s helped plenty of people tackle tough cigar odors, here’s what you need to know: patience and persistence are going to be your best friends. While the smell in the air should clear out in a day or two, anything the smoke has latched onto is going to hold that odor a lot longer if you don’t clean it properly.
The Science Behind Cigar Odor’s Staying Power
So why exactly does cigar smoke stick around so much longer than cigarette smoke? It all comes down to the differences in how cigars and cigarettes are made and smoked.
See, cigars are made from whole tobacco leaves that go through an aging and fermenting process. This makes the cigar tobacco lower in sugar and higher in nitrogen compared to what’s in cigarettes. Cigars also tend to be packed much more densely and have more moisture. Plus, they’re usually bigger and burned for a longer time. Add all that up, and you get a thicker, more concentrated smoke that’s full of oily compounds and tiny particles.
When that heavy cigar smoke gets into a room, those compounds and particles waste no time making themselves at home on every surface they can find. They work their way deep into fabrics and porous materials, while the oily stuff forms a stubborn residue that traps odors in.
The Realistic Timeline of Lingering Cigar Smells
I’ll give it to you straight – if cigar smoke has filled up a room in your house, you’re going to be smelling it for a while. Even if you get some good ventilation going, that odor is going to be quite noticeable in the air for at least 24-48 hours. But the real challenge is going to be all the soft surfaces and furniture that the smoke has soaked into.
Best case scenario, if you jump on the cleaning right away with the methods we’ll talk about soon, you might be able to get rid of the smell completely within a week or two. But if that smoke had some time to really make itself at home before you started cleaning, don’t be surprised if you still catch hints of it for a few weeks, or in really bad cases, even a couple months.
I know that’s probably not what you want to hear, but it’s important to have realistic expectations. Just remember, the sooner you get started with a good cleaning game plan, the quicker you’ll be able to take your space back from that stubborn cigar stench.
A Multi-Pronged Attack Plan for Cigar Odor Removal
If you want to win the battle against cigar odors, you’ve got to fight them on multiple fronts. That means dealing with the smell in the air and on all the surfaces the smoke has touched. Here’s your step-by-step guide to kicking that odor to the curb.
Step 1: Ventilate, Ventilate, Ventilate
Your very first step should be getting as much fresh air flowing through the room as you can. Open up all the windows, put some fans in there to push the smoky air outside, and if you’ve got an air purifier with a carbon filter, crank that sucker up to high. The idea is to get rid of as many of those stinky smoke particles and odor-causing compounds as possible.
Ideally, keep those fans and purifiers going for a full day or two – the longer, the better. And if the weather’s nice, leave those windows open 24/7 to really air the place out.
Step 2: Fabric and Upholstery Rescue
Once you’ve got the air moving, it’s time to focus on all the soft surfaces the smoke has touched. We’re talking curtains, pillows, blankets, carpets, couches – anything fabric.
For stuff you can toss in the laundry, like curtains or pillow covers, your washing machine is about to be your new best friend. Wash everything on the hottest setting that won’t ruin the fabric, and don’t worry about using a bit more detergent than usual. Pro tip: add a cup of white vinegar to the wash. It’s great for neutralizing odors without making your stuff smell like salad dressing.
Now for things like carpets and couches that you can’t exactly stuff in the washer. Start by vacuuming everything really well to get rid of any loose dirt or ash. Then, grab your baking soda. Sprinkle a generous amount all over the fabrics – don’t be shy with it. Baking soda needs some time to absorb odors, so let it sit for at least 8 hours, or even better, overnight. Then vacuum it all up.
If you really want to kick things up a notch, mix one part white vinegar with two parts water in a spray bottle, lightly mist it on the fabrics, then blot it up with a clean towel. Vinegar is another great natural odor neutralizer that can help break down those stubborn smells.
If you’ve done a couple rounds of the baking soda and vinegar treatment and that cigar smell is still hanging around, it might be time to call in the pros. A good carpet cleaning or upholstery shampooing service will have the heavy-duty tools and know-how to really deep clean those fibers.
Step 3: Hard Surface Scrub Down
Once you’ve tackled the soft surfaces, it’s time to turn your attention to all the hard ones. Give your tables, shelves, windowsills, door frames, blinds, and light fixtures a good wipe-down with some warm, soapy water. If you want some extra odor-fighting power, add a bit of white vinegar to your cleaning water. And for a nice fresh scent, add a few drops of a nice-smelling essential oil like lemon or eucalyptus.
One spot you might not think about is the walls and ceilings. Take a close look – if you see any kind of yellowish film or sticky residue, that’s the tar and oils from the smoke. A damp microfiber mop can help you clean that off and freshen things up.
If the odor is really stuck in the walls, you might need to repaint. Use an odor-sealing primer first (Kilz is a good one), then do a coat of fresh paint on top. It’ll seal in any leftover smells and give the room a nice blank slate.
Step 4: The Last Resort – Ozone Generators
For really, really stubborn cigar odors that just won’t quit, you might want to try an ozone generator. But fair warning, these aren’t something to mess around with if you don’t know what you’re doing. Ozone can be dangerous if it’s not used correctly.
Ozone generators pump out ozone, which is a molecule that can neutralize strong odors by basically breaking them apart. To use one safely, you put it in the room, close the doors and windows, and let it run for the amount of time the manufacturer recommends. But here’s the important part – you can’t have any people or pets in the space while it’s running.
After the ozone generator is done, give the room plenty of time to air out before anyone goes back in. If you’re not 100% sure how to use an ozone generator the right way, leave it to the professionals.
Stop Smoke Smells Before They Start
Of course, the best way to deal with cigar odors is to keep them from taking over your space in the first place. If someone’s going to be smoking cigars in your house, here are a few things you can do to keep the smell from spreading:
- Have them smoke near an open window, and put a fan in the window to blow the smoke outside.
- Keep the smoking to one room with the door closed, and don’t let the smoke drift to other areas of the house.
- Put a good air purifier in the smoking room and let it run all the time.
- Don’t let people smoke cigars inside too often, and make sure the room has plenty of time to air out between smokes.
If you’re proactive about stopping the smoke smell and you clean thoroughly when you need to, you can enjoy the occasional cigar indoors without making your whole house smell like a smoky lounge.
The Bottom Line on Banishing Cigar Smells
Cigar odors can be a tough opponent, but with the right tools and some determination, you can definitely kick them out of your space. The keys are acting fast, cleaning thoroughly, and being patient.
Remember, you’ll probably smell that odor in the air for a couple days, but it can stick around a lot longer in your fabrics and furniture if you don’t get it out. Your best bet is to attack the problem from all angles – air the place out, wash or clean all the fabrics, wipe down the hard surfaces, and break out the big guns like primer, paint, or an ozone generator if you need to.
Most of all, try to keep the smells from building up in the first place by having folks smoke strategically and using odor-absorbers like air purifiers and baking soda.
With a solid plan and a little know-how, you can keep your home smelling fresh, even if a cigar or two gets smoked inside now and then. Show those cigar smells who’s boss, and take your space back!
jay
Self proclaimed cigar expert. I've been smoking since 2010. I've practically lived at a cigar lounge from 10am to 10pm and trying every new cigar that came out for years.
