Residues from tobacco smoke impregnate many surfaces in places where people smoke regularly, and can give persistent problems for some time after, even if smoking has been banned. These may trouble you if you have just given up smoking, or recently banned it from your home, or if you have just moved to a house where smokers lived before. It helps to clear out and remove the residues as far as you can.
Wash and clean anything you can. Wash curtains, rugs, soft toys, pets’ bedding, all clothing – anything you see. Steam-clean carpets, upholstered furniture, cushions. Wipe down toys, storage jars and kitchen utensils – anything that has been exposed. Wash down all surfaces thoroughly – walls, windows, furniture, skirtings, bare floors, doors, ceilings. Wash inside the vacuum cleaner. Even clean inside cupboards if smoking has been heavy.
Washing surfaces with a Borax solution can help neutralise fumes. Put 1 dessertspoonful of Borax in a bowl of warm water and wipe down. Domestic Borax is available from chemists.
If you dry-clean things to remove tobacco fumes, air them well in a shed or spare room, or on a washing line, before using again.
Put things to air. Washing and cleaning may not be enough, so air everything as much as you can – put furniture outside, or in a shed or spare room with plenty of ventilation. Remember to air duvets, cushions and soft furnishings. Put books and paper outside in the wind and sun to air. Open up windows as much as you can and let the air through. Do this for as long as it takes.
Do not forget to clean and air cars. Scrub out used car ashtrays and open them to air off.
If these measures do not go far enough, redecorate to cover up walls and building surfaces.
You may also eventually have to replace things – furniture, furnishings, carpets and curtains, even lampshades and bedding, if residues still give you trouble. (See the relevant sections for suggestions for replacements.)
If you cannot manage to do the whole home, do just one room thoroughly to give you somewhere free of tobacco residues.
If you get stuck halfway through any of the above strategies, and get confusing results, either start from scratch and follow the radical clean-out programme (below), or go to page 98 and follow the long-term avoidance measures.
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