Having a lingering smell in your leather furniture can be a nuisance. Not only can it be annoying to have to get a whiff of the cigarette smoke every time you sit on your furniture, but it can be embarrassing when you have guests over as well. So, what are the best ways to get cigarette smells out of leather furniture? We’ve looked into a number of them, and in this post, we will discuss these methods with you.
Here are methods that you can use to rid of the cigarette smell in your leather furniture:
- Try a vinegar solution
- Apply leather cleaner
- Use a baking soda solution
- Ventilate the room
- Use mild laundry detergent
Getting the smell of cigarettes out of your leather furniture doesn’t have to be an involved DIY project. There are several simple and inexpensive items that you can use to quickly neutralize the odor and get your leather smelling great again. Continue reading to learn more about how to do just that.
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5 Ways To Get Cigarette Smell Out Of Leather Furniture
Try A Vinegar Solution
Vinegar is one of the best all-natural fresheners and cleaners that you can purchase. Not only is it inexpensive, but you can use it for many home cleaning and deodorizing applications. To get rid of cigarette smells on your leather furniture, take a microfiber cloth and dip it in a diluted vinegar solution. The solution should have a 1:4 ratio of vinegar and water. You can also pour the solution into a spray bottle and apply it directly to the furniture.
The acid content in the vinegar can neutralize the smell of cigarette holders and any bacteria that may be living on the surface of the furniture. After you spray the solution on the furniture, take your cleaning cloth and gently rub it into the leather’s surface. It’s always a good idea to do a quick spot test on an inconspicuous area of the furniture just to make sure that the solution won’t cause discoloration. After you have wiped down the furniture with a solution, take another clean cloth and dampen it with warm water to remove the solution.
Apply Leather Cleaner
Leather cleaners are specially formulated to remove odors, stains, and dirt from leather surfaces. The great thing about these cleaners is they can help to restore the pH balance of leather and help protect it from holding on to bad smells. Find yourself a quality leather cleaner and apply it to the entire surface of your furniture. Be sure to apply the cleaner to your furniture’s seating and back sections, as these areas are more likely to emit the most pungent odors.
See this leather cleaner on Amazon.
Use A Baking Soda Solution
Baking soda is another useful and inexpensive all-natural solution. It is known for its deodorizing effects and can help you safely remove the smell of cigarettes from your leather furniture. Baking soda can help to absorb and neutralize the smell of cigarette smoke.
The best way to apply baking soda to your leather furniture is to sprinkle it over the furniture’s surface carefully. Be sure to down a tarp or dropped off around the furniture before doing so. This way, you won’t create a mess during the process. Allow the baking soda to sit on the furniture for about 24 hours before vacuuming it up and then wiping it away with a damp cloth.
See this baking soda on Amazon.
Ventilate The Room
If cigarette smoke smells are relatively new to the leather furniture and the room, merely ventilating the room can do the trick. It can take time for the smoke to settle onto the surface of leather, and you don’t always need to apply a deodorizer directly to the furniture to get rid of the smell. If you have a musty odor in a room that contains leather furniture, open up all of the windows and doors in the room and let a little fresh air in for the next 24 to 48 hours. If you have a ceiling fan or a portable fan, turn it on to help direct the air toward the door or an open window.
Use Mild Laundry Detergent
Depending on the type of leather that your furniture contains, you may be able to use a simple mix of mild laundry detergent and water to clean it. Take 2-3 drops of laundry detergent and pour it into a spray bottle. Next, fill the spray bottle with warm water. Then, spray the solution on your leather furniture and wipe it down with a soft sponge or microfiber cloth.
The solution can help to remove any build-up that may be on your leather sofa. Sometimes the tobacco from smoke products will linger in the air and settle on the surface of the furniture. Afterward, go back over the furniture with a damp cloth to remove all remnants of the detergent. Finish up by buffing the furniture dry with a clean, dry cloth. If necessary, apply a leather polish or conditioner to the furniture. If you don’t have leather polish, you can also use everyday oils such as olive, coconut, and linseed oil.
See this leather polish on Amazon.
Can I spray Febreze on leather?
While Febreze is not the worst thing you can use on your leather furniture, you should use it with caution. You don’t want the solution to stain your furniture. Febreze works great to neutralize foul odors in rooms and on upholstery surfaces. However, it’s not recommended for leather surfaces. If anything, do a spot test on an inconspicuous area of your leather furniture before spraying the entire piece of furniture with Febreze. Let the solution sit on the furniture for a day or two before giving yourself the green light.
How long does cigarette smell linger in the air?
The length of time that cigarette smell will linger in the air depends on a few things. The room’s size contains the smell, the ventilation within the room, and the amount of smoke created in the room.
If you’re in a room with windows, be sure to open them when smoking, as they can help to remove the smell of cigarette smoke faster. An unventilated room can harbor cigarette smoke for weeks if the smell has nowhere to escape. If the room is on the larger side, it will still carry the lingering smell of cigarette smoke. The smell may be fainter, however, as the smoke has a wider space in which to dissipate.
Will smoking one cigarette inside make the room smell?
Yes. The smell of cigarette smoke is often undeniable. On the upside, if you only smoked one cigarette in the room, the chances are that the smoke will dissipate in a matter of hours. It’s a different ball game if you’ve smoked several cigarettes in the room in the past few days. However, there are several ways to help mask the smell of a cigarette. Let’s take a look at the most commonly used ones.
Use an air purifier
Air purifiers can help filter the smoke from the air and, as a result, will remove the stench. They are one of the most effective methods for getting rid of foul indoor odors. A good air filter will have an activated carbon filter that you can replace. You can purchase an air filter and any local hardware store, all online, for around $50.
See this air filter on Amazon.
Stand near the window when you smoke
It helps to stand near an open window when you smoke to keep the smell from lingering inside the room. If you can sit near a window and hold the cigarette on the ledge of the window, this will decrease the amount of smoke in the room. If possible, try to blow the smoke out the window, as opposed to inside the room.
Dust your room
You may not think about this, but dust can also help to keep the smell of smoke alive in your room. As smoke particles settle, they can do so on top of dust, creating a lingering odor. It’s best to dust and wipe down non-porous surfaces in your room regularly to keep these items from harboring smoke.
Clean up the butts
Never leave the butts of your cigarettes lying around your room. Don’t leave them in the ashtray. Instead, toss them in the trash can or wrap the butts in a damp paper towel and pitch them. The butts can cause the smell of smoke to hang around the wrong well after you have finished the cigarette.
Turn on the fan
If you have a ceiling fan in your room, turn it on to help circulate the air. It’s also helpful to open any windows in the room so that the air can be circulated out of them. You can also turn on the AC if it is warm enough outside.
Try odor-neutralizing sprays
Odor-neutralizing sprays can help you keep your room from smelling like a smoker’s lounge. Today, there are several sprays on the market, many of them ranging anywhere from $7 to $10. They’re super easy to use. Simply spray them in the air to get rid of the odor.
See this odor neutralizer spray on Amazon.
Wrapping Things Up
We hope that this post has shown you enough methods that you can use to remove the smell of cigarette smoke from your leather furniture. If you frequently smoke in a room with other furniture, consider opening the windows to help ventilate the room and prevent the furniture from absorbing the smell of the smoke.
Before you go, be sure to check out some of our other posts:
How To Whiten Yellowed Leather Sofa [7 Steps]
How To Paint Leather Furniture [5 Steps]
8 Best Faux Leather Conditioners