Imagine stumbling upon a beautiful piece of furniture at your favorite thrift store, or perhaps inheriting a cherished sofa or chair from a loved one. But alas, the lingering scent of smoke threatens to taint this extraordinary addition to your home. Fear not! It’s time to roll up your sleeves and discover a swift and effective solution for banishing that stubborn odor from the wood. Don’t let go of that recent purchase or turn away Uncle Larry’s prized antique couch just yet. There are numerous methods at your disposal, but remember: until you neutralize the oil and tar residue left behind by cigarette smoke, that smell won’t completely vanish.
Let’s take a look at a few different solutions for getting smoke smell out of wood furniture or upholstered furniture.
Table of Contents
1. Air Out the Furniture
One of the cheapest and easiest ways to remove cigarette smell from wood furniture is to simply air out the furniture. Open up the windows if the weather cooperates, and set up fans in the windows to help the process along. In my opinion, this is the very first method to try. It does require much effort and there is no risk to damage your furniture.
If the weather permits, take the furniture outside to sit in the sun, or leave it on your porch or in your garage for a few weeks. The larger, more open the space, the better. Direct fresh air is, of course, the best, but a well-ventilated garage can also be a good solution if it isn’t stuffed full of storage like mine. This is the method I used for this old carved sideboard. After cleaning it, I let it sat outside on a sunny day. Discover this makeover here: Carved Sideboard Makeover : Painted white + Wallpapered.
This technique may be effective in many cases to remove mild smoke odor from your furniture. The only issue with this is it can literally take weeks to get the smell fully removed from your furniture. If it did not work or if you need the smell gone quickly, you’ll want to try one of the other methods listed below.
2. Use Baking Soda
Baking soda is not just a deodorizer; it’s a powerful agent that can neutralize and transform the lingering smoke residue on your furniture. It works its magic without causing any harm. If you’re looking to banish the stubborn smoke smell from your upholstery or cushions, baking soda is the ultimate solution. You can easily find it at your local grocery store or pharmacy, or conveniently order it online from Amazon.
Buy Now → Sprinkle a spoonful of baking soda carefully on every inch of your furniture, including the cushions. Let it sit for at least two to four hours, or even better, overnight. Once time has passed, grab a hand vac and gently remove the baking soda from your furniture’s surface.
Baking soda is the cheapest and best way to neutralize smoke odor on the surface of your furniture, and you can also use it throughout your home on services such as carpets to do the same.
3. Steam Cleaning
If you want to give your furniture the ultimate treatment and eliminate all odors and dirt from the fabric, a steam cleaner is a must-have. It’s perfect for sofas and any other furniture with fabric. While it won’t remove smoke smell from wood furniture, it works wonders on fabrics. Before using the steam cleaner, make sure to vacuum any dust, pet hair, or dirt that may be on the fabric. And when you do use the steam cleaner, be mindful of not soaking the fabric by setting it too high.
You can buy a small steam cleaner for a reasonable price on Amazon. If you don’t want to buy one, steam cleaners are available for rent at your local hardware store.
Wagner Spraytech Steam Cleaner
Buy Now →
4. Try Murphy Oil Soap Wood Cleaner
Want to eliminate the lingering smell of smoke from your wood furniture? Look no further than Murphy Oil Soap. This powerful, all-natural cleaner effortlessly restores the beauty of your wood surfaces without any harsh chemicals or bleach.
Buy Now → If your wood has soaked up the stench of smoke, this biodegradable cleaner can do the trick. Best of all, it leaves a good shine behind, conditioning your wood as it goes. For stubborn smells that a once-over just won’t remove, try letting the cleaner soak into the wood for a few hours. Once it’s set, you can gently wipe it away using the soft side of a sponge or a microfiber cloth.
5. Try a Chemical Cleaner
Some chemical cleaners work exceptionally well when cleaning fabric and removing smoke odors from wood. Chemical cleaners such as Lysol and Febreze work well as they contain the chemicals that neutralize the oil and tar build-up that causes odors. They work well on hard-to-wash fabrics like carpets or upholstery.
If you dealing with a very strong smell, there is also another product called OdoBan can that can be used to remove cigarette smell from wood furniture.
OdoBan Disinfectant and Odor Eliminator
Buy Now →6. Last method (but not least): Hire Professional Cleaners
You could also get professionals to handle the task if the smell is too strong or you don’t want to bother doing it yourself. If you’ve tried everything you can think of, let the professionals take over. With their top-notch equipment and expert knowledge, professional cleaners have the power to eliminate even the toughest smoke odors from your furniture.
My cleaning tips and tricks
- As a general rule, always test your cleaning method on a small inconspicuous area before cleaning a larger area. You want to avoid colorfastness or any other damage to your furniture, especially if you’re using a chemical cleaner.
- Also, take care not to flood or oversaturate the unfinished wood surface. Water easily damages or stains wood furniture. You may allow the product to sit for a few minutes for a better result. But always wipe away your furniture with a dry cloth to remove excess fluid.
- Once you have cleaned your piece of furniture, you may still want to air it out. This will remove any lingering smoke but also get rid of the smell that chemical cleaners can leave behind.
If you have tried to remove smoke smell out of furniture by yourself, do not hesitate to share your own tricks in the comments section below!
Save this post for later!
Great information, thank you so much for it.