How to Get Cigarette Smell Out of an Apartment the Last Tenant Smoked In

Quick answer: To remove cigarette smell left by a previous tenant, treat the porous surfaces that absorbed years of smoke: carpet, closet interiors, upholstered fixtures, and any fabric that came with the unit. Saturate those surfaces with a smoke odor eliminator that breaks the odor down on contact, wipe washable walls and cabinets, and re-treat closets and carpet, which hold the most odor.

The lease is signed. The keys are in your hand. You open the door to your new place, ready for a fresh start, and instead you get a wall of stale cigarette smoke that someone else left behind.

Why does my new apartment smell like smoke even though it's empty?

Because the last tenant's smoke soaked into everything that stays with the unit. The carpet. The closet walls and shelving. The cabinet interiors. Any curtains or fixtures that came with the place. The apartment is empty of furniture, but it is full of smoke residue.

And it does not fade on its own. You can run the AC, open every window, and burn every candle you own, and two weeks later your clothes still come out of the closet smelling like an ashtray. Your new couch starts picking it up. Guests do that quick, polite sniff when they walk in. You are paying rent on a place that smells like the person before you, and no amount of scented plug-ins is fixing it. Those just layer perfume over the problem.

How to get smoke smell out of an apartment before you move in

The best time to do this is while the unit is empty and you can reach every surface. The Stink Solution Smoke Odor Eliminator uses OAM Technology to bind to and break down smoke odor on the surfaces holding it, so you are removing the smell at the source, not masking it.

1. Start with the closets. Closed-up closets are the single worst offenders. Saturate the interior walls, shelving, and floor of every closet. Do not lightly mist. Coat the surface.
2. Treat the carpet. Saturate carpet and any carpeted stairs heavily, working room by room. This is where a decade of smoke settled.
3. Wipe the hard surfaces. Mist and wipe down the inside of cabinets, drawers, walls that can take moisture, and windowsills.
4. Hit the fixtures. Spray any curtains, blinds, or upholstered pieces that came with the unit.
5. Re-treat the worst rooms. Give the closets and carpet a second pass. Heavy smoke needs it.

Because it is Plant Based, Enzyme Free, Biodegradable, Vegan, Cruelty Free, and Made Without Harsh Chemicals, it is safe to use through the whole apartment, around kids and pets, and it will not stain surfaces or fabric.

You will want more than one bottle

A whole apartment, closets included, is not a one-bottle job. The Smoker Double Pack is two 16 oz bottles for $29.99 (regular $39.98), enough to treat the unit and keep one on hand for the first few weeks as you settle in.

Start your lease smoke-free → Shop the Smoker Double Pack

FAQ

How do I get rid of cigarette smell from a previous tenant? Treat the surfaces that absorbed the smoke while the unit is empty: closets, carpet, cabinet interiors, and any fixtures. Saturate them with a smoke odor eliminator that breaks odor down on contact, then re-treat closets and carpet, which hold the most.

Will cigarette smell in an apartment go away on its own? No. Smoke residue is embedded in porous surfaces, so airing out and time will not remove it. It has to be treated directly at the source.

What surfaces hold the most smoke smell in an apartment? Closets, carpet, and cabinet interiors. Enclosed spaces trap and hold smoke residue the longest, which is why they smell strongest when you open them.

Is it safe to spray around my kids and pets? Yes. The Stink Solution is Made Without Harsh Chemicals and safe to use around children and pets.