How to Effectively Get Rid of Cigar Smoke Smell and Thoroughly Clean Your Home

by jay | Updated on October 4th, 2026

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.

Quick answer: The smell in the air clears in a day or two with good ventilation. Fabrics, furniture and walls hold it much longer, so air the room out, wash or treat every fabric with vinegar and baking soda, and wipe down hard surfaces. Expect one to two weeks if you start right away.

Why Cigar Smoke Smells Last Longer Than Cigarette Smoke

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.

Compared with cigarettes, cigars are:

• Made from whole, aged and fermented tobacco leaves: this makes the tobacco lower in sugar and higher in nitrogen.
• Packed more densely: with more moisture in the tobacco.
• Bigger and slower: they’re usually 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.

How Long Cigar Smells Linger

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.

• In the air: Even with good ventilation going, the odor will be quite noticeable for at least 24-48 hours.
• Best case for fabrics and furniture: If you jump on the cleaning right away with the methods below, you might get rid of the smell completely within a week or two.
• If the smoke had time to settle in: Don’t be surprised if you still catch hints of it for a few weeks, or in really bad cases, even a couple months.

The real challenge is all the soft surfaces and furniture that the smoke has soaked into.

I know that’s probably not what you want to hear, but it’s important to have realistic expectations. The sooner you get started with a good cleaning game plan, the quicker you’ll take your space back from that stubborn cigar stench.

How to Remove Cigar Smell in Four Steps

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. Open the Windows and Ventilate the Room

Your very first step should be getting as much fresh air flowing through the room as you can:

1. Open up all the windows.
2. Put some fans in there to push the smoky air outside.
3. 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. Clean Fabrics and Upholstery

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.

Washable items (curtains, 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.
• 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.

Carpets and couches you can’t exactly stuff in the washer:

1. Vacuum everything really well to get rid of any loose dirt or ash.
2. Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda all over the fabrics. Don’t be shy with it.
3. Let it sit for at least 8 hours, or even better, overnight. Baking soda needs time to absorb odors.
4. 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. Scrub Down Hard Surfaces

Once you’ve tackled the soft surfaces, it’s time to turn your attention to all the hard ones. Give these a good wipe-down with some warm, soapy water:

• Tables and shelves
• Windowsills and door frames
• Blinds
• Light fixtures

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.

Don’t forget 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. Use an Ozone Generator as a Last Resort

For really, really stubborn cigar odors that just won’t quit, you might want to try an ozone generator.

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:

1. Put it in the room and close the doors and windows.
2. Make sure no people or pets are in the space while it’s running.
3. Let it run for the amount of time the manufacturer recommends.
4. 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:

• Use a window: Have them smoke near an open window, and put a fan in the window to blow the smoke outside.
• Contain it: Keep the smoking to one room with the door closed, and don’t let the smoke drift to other areas of the house.
• Filter it: Put a good air purifier in the smoking room and let it run all the time.
• Space it out: 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.

So, How Do You Get Rid of Cigar Smell for Good?

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:

1. Air the place out.
2. Wash or clean all the fabrics.
3. Wipe down the hard surfaces.
4. 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.