To ask for help getting smoky smell out

[BeigeTiles]

We bought a house a week and a half ago. The wife used to smoke inside in the kitchen and living room. It's ok when the aircon (we live in Spain) is on, but without it on there's a smell and it really clogs the air. I've had either the windows open or the aircon on, and had scented candles constantly on, but it really fogs and stinks the rooms as soon as the windows are shut/aircon is off.

Is there anything I can do to get rid of the smell?

Wash down the walls? It's amazing what the smokey smell can cling to. You might even need to repaint.

Also, I think it depends what the kitchen units are made of. I was able to get rid of the smell in my house by cleaning and redecorating, but a friend had pine units and they seemed to have absorbed the smoke and she only got rid of the smell after a couple of years when she replaced the kitchen.

The kitchen units aren't pine, just newer kitchen units iykwim. TBH the kitchen isn't too bad, it's mostly the living room. It just takes over all the air out the room.

Washing down the walls is a good idea. Will try that. We are repainting but was hoping we could do that in a month or so.

Defo wash the walls with sugar soap. Ditch any soft furnishings that came with the property (or leave them in the garden for a day or so to air).

Scrub the units in the kitchen. Nicotine sticks to everything.

If you paint over it. The paint will peel.

Just airing it out will never be enough. It will just clear the smell for a day or so.

Cigarette smoke deeply embeds itself into everything and is a nightmare to get out.

Basically you need to wash everything - walls, curtains, carpets, hard floors, fixtures, ceilings - everything. Even then you may find that smell lingers a bit.

Wash everything (as mentioned above)
In the interim bulk buy some baking soda and leave it in several bowls/open Tupaware. (Shut the doors/windows when you are doing this) baking soda soaks up the bad smells.

No soft furnishings were left and because were in Spain it's hard floor tiles, no carpets. The house was stripped, brought it from a Dutch guy and my Dutch friend says they take everything. Certainly true in this case. He took every light fitting, plug sockets, even the utility room sink!

We've been airing it for a week and a half and can still smell it. That's so good about bowls of baking soda. Do you just empty it loose into bowls or mix with water?

Get an ozone generator. We got one last week, it's got rid of the smell of cigarette smoke, years of dog urine soaked into flooring, shoes/feet etc. It's amazing. You have to be careful with them though, read up on them, but yeah, would definitely recommend. This is the one we got, it was £50 on prime day though. We've had it in every room and threw cars so far and it's done the trick!

Yes to sugar soaping the walls. It works wonders with clinging-on smells.

I'm definitely going to look for sugar soap.

Just found a forum where people were talking about it and apparently sugar soap isn't available here and even DIY type shops have no idea what it is. I think I'll be asking my dad to send me some.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but you might have to re plaster,ime decorating isn't always enough. Wash the windows and behind radiators too if you have them.

Just ordered some on amazon that deliver here :D

Cigarette smoke is greasy so washing down any possible surface is the best option. Porous surfaces - like bare plaster- won't work. But if you get the other surfaces clean then should get rid of most of the smell.
When i moved into my last flat, I thought the glass light fittings were brown tinted - they weren't

I've found painting the walls will do the trick

Ditto washing the walls... but dont forget the ceilings! Youll need to wash them and repaint them too. If they were heavy smokers when you put white paint next to it youll see how icky it really was.

I had this in a rented flat. I washed the walls. Then I washed the voile net, the fabric blind & the curtains, by hand in lukewarm water as they said dry clean only. The bath water was black for 3hand washes! It worked, and I didn't repaint.

I don't think she was a heavy smoker. Usually it's the first thing I notice because of the smell, but we met a few times and I didn't notice. The husband didn't smoke and they had young kids so I don't think she smoked that much inside, but enough to leave a smell. Thankfully only downstairs.

The sugar soap should arrive in the next few days so I'll wash all the walls and ceilings down.
We intended to get the whole inside painted anyway, so once it's all washed down we'll jkust do that sooner than we originally intended.

I had this when I moved into a house 20 years ago, I cleaned everything and then put an anti tobacco one of these in the main room it was in and it soon vanished. www.amazon.co.uk/Neutradol-Gel-Odour-Destroyer-Super/dp/B004Z4UH1Y/ref=asc_df_B004Z4UH1Y/?hvlocphy=1006528&linkCode=df0&hvptwo&psc=1&hvnetw=g&hvadid=232036662468&hvpone&hvlocint&hvpos=1o1&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl&hvqmt&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=pla-362122197777&hvrand=2934970356060055116