Open windows as much as possible, especially while people are smoking. Empty ashtrays and wash them every day (or better yet encourage the smokers to do this), and sprinkle a layer of bicarbonate of soda on the bottom to absorb odors. Use an air purifier or an anti-allergy filter in your heaters.
In adults who do not smoke, secondhand smoke exposure can cause coronary heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and other diseases. It can also result in premature death. Secondhand smoke can cause adverse reproductive health effects in women, including low birth weight.
These carcinogens from tobacco smoke are absorbed into carpets, curtains, and furniture; even clinging to walls and ceilings, and then are released back into the air. These chemicals are known to cause cancer as well as respiratory illnesses in people and pets.
The Surgeon General has concluded that the only way to fully protect yourself and your loved ones from the dangers of secondhand smoke is through 100% smoke-free environments. Opening a window, sitting in a separate area, or using ventilation, air conditioning, or a fan cannot eliminate secondhand smoke exposure.
It lingers
Second-hand smoke lingers for up to 5 hours after your last cigarette. Even if you smoke when they're at school or out playing, second-hand smoke will still be around, waiting for your kids to breathe it in when they get home.
Did You Know? Secondhand smoke can travel through doorways, cracks in walls, electrical lines, ventilation systems and plumbing.
Health risks of staying in a smoke damaged house
Smoke can be incredibly toxic. Tar and carbon are just two of its common byproducts, but smoke can also contain heavy metals and other toxins. If these are breathed in over a period of time, they can go on to cause health implications.
It can take, on average, about 1-hr for concentrations to reduce to one-half of their original value and the time between peak SHS levels and a return to PM2.5 concentrations deemed acceptable by the World Health Organization is often several hours.
Try wiping down furniture, washable walls, floors, etc. with white vinegar. Also, try placing several bowls of vinegar around the room with the smoke damage, leaving them there for several days. If you can't stand the smell of vinegar, try mixing a bit of lavender oil into the bowls to help cut the odor of the vinegar.
If you're looking for an air purifier that will eliminate cigarette smoke, you're out of luck. Tobacco smoke is made up of gaseous pollutants and particulate matter. Most air purifiers, also called air cleaners, aren't designed to remove gaseous pollutants.
Fact: Secondhand smoke can stay in the air for several hours and travel up to 20 feet. Fact: Pets that get exposed to secondhand smoke have a higher risk of some cancers and respiratory problems. Quitting adds up!
Chemicals and toxins in commercial tobacco smoke
There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke; even brief exposure can cause serious health problems. Secondhand smoke can cause coronary heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer in adults who do not smoke.
The simplest thing you can do to purify air from smoke in your home is just opening windows. Letting in a cool breeze will help whisk away some of the smell and bring badly needed fresh air into the home. This can provide some immediate relief for rooms with a stronger presence of smoke in the air.
The manager/owner has to designate a room where smoking is permitted. The room must be completely enclosed apart, of course, from the doors and windows. The ventilation of the room should preferably be outside of the care home or to other designated 'smoking rooms' which have external ventilation.
Run an air purifier to neutralize odors and keep the air fresh and clean. If smoking must be done inside every now and again, be sure to use a smoke-trapping product, like the Holmes® Smoke Grabber® Ashtray, to limit the smoke in the air. You can also spray an air freshener to cover up odors.
Cigarette smoke does stay in walls. The toxic particles in cigarette smoke will stick to walls and ceilings. In most cases, the residue can be removed only with professional cleaning services that use specialized equipment and robust cleaning agents.
Smoke residue accumulates over time and lingers on carpets, walls and cupboards years after smokers leave, researchers found.
It also settles as dust-like particles on hard surfaces such as walls, floors and in vehicles. Thirdhand smoke can remain for many months even after smoking has stopped.
Are lingering smoking odors harmful? There's very little research so far on whether lingering tobacco smoke odors or residuals from it on surfaces can cause cancer in people. Research does show that particles from secondhand tobacco smoke can settle in dust and on surfaces and remain there long after the smoke is gone.
Both vinegar and baking soda are natural odor-absorbers. Use vinegar to wipe down any furniture, washable walls, floors, counters, and more. Vinegar can also be poured in a bowl, leaving it in a room for several days to absorb the odors in the room.
Fortunately, air purifiers do help with cigarette smoke. The best air purifiers for smokers, and those around them, are those that remove particles and odors for both secondhand and thirdhand smoke.
Most second-hand smoke comes from the tip of a burning cigarette. This makes it almost impossible to direct smoke away from those around you. If you only smoke in one area of your home the harmful chemicals will spread rapidly from room to room and can linger for up to 5 hours.
Cigarette smoke can easily seep into your home though your ventilation system, tiny gaps under your door or windows, cracks in walls and floorboards, the space between pipes and even through electrical outlets. This means just closing doors, windows and vents won't work.