Removing smoke odor from air ducts becomes an essential do-it-yourself job which, though moderately easy, still requires guidance to ensure the objective has been achieved completely.
Step 1 – Identify the Smoker’s Room to Plan
Identify the smoker’s room in the house, or where the odor is most concentrated, and begin work from there. Determine the location of the air duct outlet in each room and remove its cover. Ensure that the duct is within hand’s reach. If it is not, use a stool or another medium to make access easier.
Step 2 – Clean the Inside of the Duct
Smoke particles, like fumes from other household particles, stick to the walls of the ducts. This is the reason why smoke odor persists long after someone has smoked a cigarette. Use a duster and extend it inside the duct from the opening to rub it against the walls. Try to reach as deep inside the duct as possible by adjusting the length of the duster handle. If you are sure that the duster is not effective anymore, use a vacuum cleaner to clean the remnants of smoke particles. Put an extended hose to the vacuum cleaner and extend it inside the duct to run it against the walls.
Step 3 – Replace Air Filter
For proper air circulation, clean the air filter in the duct every month. If there is heavy smoking inside the house, then you may need to change it more often. Go to the air conditioning unit and check the air filter. If the air filter has not been changed then you will notice that it is clogged up with debris. Replace the old air filter with a new one and ensure proper maintenance of it in future.
Step 4 – Spray Air Sanitizer
After cleaning the air ducts, spray air sanitizer in the rooms and in the duct pipes. Use an odor-eliminator to good effect to ensure that all smoke odors are replaced by a refreshing fragrance. Concentrate the spraying in rooms where there is more smoking than the others.
Step 5 – Replace Covers and Run Air Conditioning
Smoke particles also accumulate on the covers for air duct openings in a room. Soak these covers in warm water and clean them with a brush. Allow them to dry properly before putting them in their place. With the covers secured, run the air conditioning unit and allow the fresh air to circulate to get rid of the stale odor. Use air sanitizer and odor eliminator occasionally until the cigarette smell has been completely removed. Ask a third person to come in and determine if they can still detect cigarette smoke odor. If so, use air sanitizer for a longer period of time until a satisfactory result is achieved.
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