Many professionals in the restoration field are often asked if they can perform an odor removal due to cigarettes or tobacco smoke. This could be due to them selling the property, a vehicle may need to be deodorized, or maybe an apartment needs these services between tenants.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) is a mixture of smoke that permeates from the burning end of a cigarette, cigar, or pipe, and the smoke that is exhaled from the smoker. This smoke is quite complex actually, as it contains over 4,000 different compounds, and 40 of those are known to cause cancer in humans or animals. ETS is usually recognized as secondhand smoke, and exposure to this smoke is often referred to as passive smoking.

Tobacco smoke clouds the air and sticks to all surfaces in that area. You can also see, smell, and feel a yellowish-brown, substance that is left on the surfaces and furniture in areas where excessive smoking takes place. Also, the buildings HVAC system will carry the smoke odor and the residue throughout the whole structure.

If excessive smoking has gone on in one area for a long period of time, the cleanup is similar to that of an actual fire. Usually, the smoke from a fire is much easier to get rid of from walls and other surfaces than it is for tobacco smoke.

For services similar to tobacco smoke removal, contact the professionals.

Homeowners, insurance workers, and restoration professionals alike should be aware before beginning this project that the smell will not magically disappear. The only way to remove a home or business of tobacco smoke is by meticulous cleaning and then sealing all of the structures surfaces. Cleaning all of the surfaces in the home is imperative to a complete tobacco smoke cleanup, because all surfaces in your home maintain a smoky odor. Even after a successful cleaning, it is usually necessary to go over the surfaces with a sealant that is designed to lock in the very last of the odors and stains.

Any upholstery, window coverings, clothes, and bedding will need special attentive care. These items absorb odors much easier than hard surfaces, and they may require outside specialists. After the cleaning has been finished, it still may be necessary to use professional equipment to remove the last of the lingering tobacco smoke odor. This equipment includes anything from hydroxyl generators to ozone generators. Both of these are professional equipment that creates molecules that follow the smoke into tiny cracks and crevices, effectively destroying any odor particles.

Updated: June 25, 2014 — 7:42 pm
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