How to Remove the Smell of Smoke

Jason and I have really great new landlords (thank goodness, because we were royally spoiled by the people we rented from in Chicago - miss you guys!!). They rent their home in Cambridge out for 11 months out of the year and return each August so that they can visit old friends in the area. While they were in Cambridge last month, they had us over several times to introduce us to English culture, show us how to use the European appliances, and generally welcome us to the area. However, for all their kindness we did run up against one small concern upon our first visit to the house. One of them is a heavy, heavy smoker. I immediately knew that I was going to have some hard work ahead of me if I was ever going to make the house odor free.

In the weeks leading up to our move, I did a lot of google searching to figure out my best plan of attack. Here's what worked:

Step 1 - Take down all curtains, remove all sofa slip covers, and strip all bedding. Wash with extra detergent, bleach (if possible), and a scented fabric softener. Run an extra rinse. Dry with two scented drier sheets. (You will be doing laundry for roughly 2.5 days solid.)

Step 2 - Sprinkle a generous layer of baking soda over all carpeted areas and allow to sit for at least 6 to 8 hours before vacuuming. Note: This step will be particularly challenging if you are not living in the good ol' USA. You know those big, huge boxes of Arm & Hammer baking soda that you take for granted:

In case you can't see it clearly, these are 2lb and 4lb boxes...what a dream! And this...this is just a little slice of heaven:


Just imagine the kind of cleaning power you could achieve with 12lb of baking soda!!

I, on the other had, was reduced to riding my bike all over town, buying up all of these little guys I could find:

Let me tell you, 200g of baking soda doesn't go far and when you carry 10 of these up to the checkout, you get some really strange looks! In the end, I think I ended up going through around 20 canisters, but it was well worth it!

Step 3 - In a spray bottle, mix three parts vinegar with one part water. After removing everything from the walls, spray all exposed surfaces with vinegar/water mixture and wipe with damp sponge. Repeat until sponge no longer appears black after wiping (this usually required 2 to 3 passes over each surface). Again, if you are in the US, be thankful! These don't exist in the UK:

Once again, we only have access to the little jars!

In any case, follow these three steps, and I guarantee a fresh, odor free home. It was a rough three full days of work, but it was worth it. We're now happily settled and loving our new home!

Pictures of Casa Green coming soon...