How to Keep Indoor Air Cleaner in a Household With a Smoker

Does your home smell like smoke no matter what you do?

Sharing a space with a smoker taxes the air you breathe. Smoke from cigarettes travels beyond the living room. It floats into bedrooms and permeates the sofa and lingers long after they extinguish.

And here’s the scary part…

According to the CDC, 87.8% of people who have someone who smokes indoors at their home residence experience secondhand smoke exposure. Essentially everyone in the home.

The good news?

There are some easy ways to dramatically improve the quality of the air inside your home.  Here are most of them:

• Free (or very cheap)
• Easy to start today

Let’s jump in!

What’s inside this guide:

• Why Smoke Hangs Around So Long
• Where The Smoking Happens Matters Most
• 5x Ways To Clean Up Your Indoor Air
• Getting Rid Of That Stubborn Smell
• Protecting Kids And Pets

Why Smoke Hangs Around So Long

The smoke from one cigarette can linger in a room for hours. That’s only half the story.

Small particles of smoke drift onto walls, carpets and furniture. This residue is known as thirdhand smoke. It absorbs into fabrics and gradually releases back into the air.

This is even worse…Researchers with the University of Cincinnati examined the homes of 84 children and discovered nicotine in every home, even in homes that had indoor smoking bans!

Supply of smoke doesn’t run out these days either. More adult smokers order online these days, and with quick cigarette shipping services, you can get a fresh carton delivered to your doorstep in a couple days. Whether your housemate has Canadian Goose cigarettes delivered with fast cigarette shipping or buys a pack down at the corner store, it all ends up in the same place.… Your living room.

That’s why air purification is one thing. House cleaning is another. You must do both tasks.

Where The Smoking Happens Matters Most.

Here’s the truth most people don’t want to hear…

No gadget can fully undo indoor smoking.

Public health officials agree that the only way to completely protect non-smokers is to eliminate smoking indoors. Ventilation devices like fans and sprays. and open windows help. But nothing compares to a smoke-free home.

So the #1 step is simple. Set up a smoking spot outside.

Make it somewhere the smoker wants to smoke. Locate it far enough from doors/windows that the smoke does not blow directly back inside. Include a chair, an ashtray with a lid and some sort of overhead cover/rainy day protection.

Comfort equals frequency of use.  If the spot is comfortable, the smoker will be inclined to smoke there more often.  Make sense?

5x Ways To Clean Up Your Indoor Air

Can’t go fully smoke-free yet? No problem.

These tips will still make a real difference. Pick a couple and start today.

Use An Air Purifier With A HEPA Filter

Buy yourself a quality air purifier.  Get one that has a true HEPA filter as well as an activated carbon filter.

The reason being: The HEPA filter captures the small particles that the smoke leaves behind. The carbon filter captures the gases and odor. You need both filters in order to properly work.

Size the purifier to your room. A small one in a large open living area just can’t perform adequately. And remember to change the filters… A dirty filter is a useless filter.

Open Windows The Smart Way

Fresh air displaces stale air.  However one open window won’t accomplish much by itself.

Alternatively, open windows on opposite sides of your house. Air will flow through the entire space creating a cross breeze. For extra power, put a box fan in one of the windows blowing outward. It will suck smoky air out even quicker.

Run Your Exhaust Fans

Most homes already have fans in the kitchen and bathroom. Use them!

They exhaust air directly from the house. Using them while airing out your house will help eliminate smoke from rooms faster.

Change Your HVAC Filter Often

Your heating and cooling system forces air through your entire house.  Which means it can also force smoke through your entire house.

Replace the cheap filter with a higher-rated filter. A MERV 11-13 rating filter is ideal for most homes. Inspect it monthly. You will be amazed at how yellow it becomes.

Keep Bedroom Doors Shut

Closed doors prevent smoke from drifting into bedrooms. The air in your bedroom should be the cleanest in your house.

Getting Rid Of That Stubborn Smell

Remember thirdhand smoke? This is where you fight back.

It doesn’t just go away. The Thirdhand Smoke Resource Center has documented elevated levels on surfaces over 5 YEARS after someone last smoked a cigarette.

Make a habit of cleaning:

• Walls and ceilings (warm water with a mild soap or vinegar mix)
• Curtains, cushion covers and bedding
• Carpets and rugs (steam clean when you can)
• Lampshades and window blinds

Sprinkle baking soda on your carpets before bed. Vacuum it up in the morning. It absorbs so much odor.

However, don’t smokebomb air fresheners over it. That doesn’t take the smell away. It just covers it up.

Smokers should also wash their hands and change their top after smoking. Smoke gets on your clothes and hair and is taken right back indoors.

Protecting Kids And Pets.

Kids and pets get hit the hardest.

Kids breathe quicker than adults. They also crawl on floors and carpets a lot. That’s where third hand smoke lingers. Animals groom themselves by licking their fur and picking up the residue.

Non-smokers aren’t the only ones at risk either. Did you know that according to the National Cancer Institute, “Being around smokers increases a nonsmoker’s risk of developing lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent”? In fact, over 41,000 non-smoking adults die from secondhand smoke related causes each year in the United States alone.

So what can you do?

Keep children’s bedrooms smoke-free. Wash children’s toys and blankets frequently. Keep pet beds out of areas where smoke collects.

And when the smoker in your home ever decides they want to quit or cut down, support them. That’s the single biggest thing you can do to clear the air for good.

Breathing Easier: The Final Word

Just because someone you live with smokes doesn’t mean you have to breathe smoky air. Little changes can make a BIG difference for your entire family.

To quickly recap:

• Move smoking outside
• Use a HEPA air purifier with a carbon filter
• Open windows on opposite sides for a cross breeze
• Upgrade and check your HVAC filter every month
• Clean walls, fabrics and carpets to fight thirdhand smoke

None of these steps are 100% effective by themselves. However, when layered together they can provide your home tremendous levels of protection.

Pick two tips today and put them into action. Your lungs will thank you!