If you have a highly-polluted indoor space due to tobacco, you might wonder: do air purifiers help with cigarette smoke? Whether your smoke or not, having a tobacco smell linger around your home or office is always off-putting – especially for the non-smoker household members or guests.
So, how can you get rid of cigarette smoke? One of the best ways is to use an air purifier because it will absorb the odor that comes from tobacco, which includes its VOCs or volatile organic compounds. When these compounds are inhaled in large amounts, they can make you sick!
Many households, offices, and hospitals use air purifiers to get rid of bad smells and not just dust – you just have to pick the right filter for the job. You are doing your lungs a big favor by getting an air purifier to get rid of cigarette smoke indoors.
What absorbs the smell of cigarette smoke?
If you are having trouble with getting cigarette smoke out of your home, why not try using an air purifier? You’ll eventually find the best air purifier for cigarette smoke removal out there – just make sure it has not only a HEPA filter but also an activated carbon filter, which will get rid of the smell.
The activated carbon filter should also be easily replaceable whenever needed – you don’t want the filter to stay there for too long or else it won’t work effectively against the smell anymore! Be sure to have replacements ready – get an air purifier with a filter replacement indicator to remind you.
Aside from an air purifier, you’ll also want to try a home remedy of vinegar and baking soda, which will also help speed up the process of absorbing tobacco smoke in your home or office. Cleaning up your home or office will help remove or reduce the lingering smell of cigarettes.
Likewise, laundering your bed sheets, drapery, and other items around the house or business space will also help in removing the off-putting smell of cigarettes. It’s important to keep your surroundings clean to avoid keeping the smell indoors.
What type of air purifier is best for smoke?
So, with the many choices out there, what is the best air purifier for smoke? We think that it’s simply an air purifier that uses both a HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter, as mentioned above. You’ll need a carbon filter because that’s what will remove the bad smell that comes from cigarettes.
Just keep in mind that not all air purifiers have a carbon filter so it’s best to check its specifications before you buy. Usually, an air purifier with an activated carbon filter will have a multi-layered structure and may even have additional filters in between, which will help clean your air thoroughly.
Additionally, you will also want an air purifier with various fan speeds to choose from. Whether you have a blowing fan for the room or not, having additional speeds will help blow the smoke away so that the smell of tobacco will not linger.
Last but not least, an air purifier with an automatic mode will help save you time and effort. This auto mode will detect the air quality so that you don’t have to manually switch between fan speeds – the air purifier will do the job for you. This is helpful for when you need to go outside of the house or room.
How can I smoke a cigarette in my room without it smelling?
If you still want to smoke while indoors, it will help if you turn on the air purifier and open a window. If you have an electric fan, you should also use it to drive away from the smoke. In this way, not only will the smoke go outside of the room but the indoor air will also be filtered thanks to the air purifier.
Another way to keep the room smoke-free in terms of smell is to avoid smoking for too long and don’t wear too much clothing. It also helps if you tie your hair (if you have long hair) so that the cigarette smoke smell won’t linger on your hair and clothes (and transfer to the couch or bed).
You can also try burning scented candles and using your essential oil diffusers – or try the good-old vinegar and baking soda technique that we mentioned above. These are good smell-reducing techniques but we still recommend getting an air purifier with an activated carbon filter for best results.
Last but not least, keep everything clean. You should also clean the room more often by changing the covers, curtains, and the like. Moreover, you should take a shower or bath after you smoke so that the smell won’t stay anywhere indoors.
Will a HEPA filter help with cigarette smoke?
With the filter types mentioned above, you might also wonder: do HEPA filters remove smoke? The answer is a little complex – HEPA filters can remove smoke particles but when it comes to smell, it is more of the job of the activated carbon filter.
Either way, HEPA filters still help in removing cigarette smoke partials from the air – most of them even have a high CADR (clean air delivery rate) for smoke – around 110 to 240. Some air purifiers have different ratings for dust, smoke, and pollen.
Bottom line: it’s more important to look into an air purifier for its activated carbon filter if you want to get rid of cigarette smoke. However, this doesn’t mean that the HEPA filter is useless against cigarette smoke – it still removes the particles from the air, which will aid in reducing allergens.
Conclusion
Cigarette smoke, as the government warnings keep telling us, is dangerous to your health if inhaled in large amounts. Therefore, it’s important to get your indoor space cleaned and smelling fresh – especially if you have frequent visitors or youngsters.
If you have the urge to smoke or if someone needs to smoke in your home, office, or room, we hope that these tips help you manage the cigarette smell and keep your surroundings fresh and clean!
