The 5 Best Smoke Odor Eliminator Products of 2022
Odor removal is our specialty, and these cigarette and weed smoke odor eliminator products are the best available today.
News Flash! Smoke smells aren’t that hard to remove. You just need the right products and the know-how to use them!
Cigarette smoke smell can be challenging to remove because the smoke odor molecules are tiny and sticky. The smoky odor penetrates everything porous, and the smoke residue stays there for years.
True odor eliminators are air fresheners in that they remove odors, but most air fresheners aren’t odor eliminators! Simply replacing one smell with another is what typical air fresheners and scented candles do. Effective odor eliminators don’t mask odors – they remove them permanently so they don’t come back.
Our product recommendations, just like the odor remediation pros, target and eliminate the source of the smoke molecules. They also remove any existing smoke smells in the air, recognizing they are just a symptom of off-gassing from the nicotine source. This strategy works for tobacco odors and when you need to eliminate a cannabis smell too.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- To permanently remove smoke odors, treat them with odor eliminator products.
- Fragrance cover ups, candles and bowls of vinegar or baking soda don’t work.
- Chlorine dioxide ( clo2) products are easy to use true odor eliminators that are your best best for quickly and permanently removing smoke odors.
- Clo2 kits are readily available today. These allow you to easily apply chlorine dioxide as a vapor (for a car or room) or as a liquid (clothes, fabrics).
- Chlorine dioxide works great to remove even very heavy smoke odor contamination in entire homes that have been smoked in for years, without harming the interior or leaving any toxic residues.
- We recommend you find a trained professional to help with the larger more challenging projects. Meanwhile don’t hesitate to treat 1-2 rooms, a car, or your clothing on your own with one of the products we recommend in this post.
Best odor eliminators for cigarette smoke
- HE Mobile Refresh Product – Best Heavy Smoke Odor Eliminator for Car/Room
- Odor Eliminator Laundry Solution – Best Heavy Smoke Odor Eliminator for Clothes
- Odor Eliminator 365 – Best Room and Vehicle Air Freshener
- Vital Oxide Disinfectant – Best Smoke Odor Spray for Fabric Upholstery and Gear
- HE Mobile Refresh KIT – Best KIT to Remove Odors & Then Keep Air Fresh
Individual Reviews for Smoke Odor Eliminators.
1. HE Mobile Refresh Product – Best Heavy Smoke Odor Eliminator for Car/Room
If you just need help with a one-time odor removal project, then this is the product for you.
This no-nonsense kit gets the job done. Kit includes enough CLO2 (one 20 g tablet) to perform one auto treatment (or one small room). Works like a charm.
Key Specs:
- Chlorine dioxide gas (vapor) product
- 20g tablet provides one treatment
- Mixing cup included
Pros:
- Easy to use
- More clo2 than other competitors products, but still safe enough for home.
- Highly effective at removing odors
- Cheap
Cons:
- Takes up to 12 hours to work, but you can buy an aerator separately and get that timeframe down to 2 hours.
Bottom line:
Hands down, this is the best product on the market for performing a 1x smoke odor removal treatment for a car or small room.
The directions are easy to follow:
What most companies don’t tell you is that while CLO2 won’t bleach dry fabrics, it can sometimes bleach wet or damp fabrics. To avoid this just make sure the any fabrics in the room or car are dry before doing the vapor-gas treatment. You still want to remove any debris in the car, or room, especially ashes and other smelly items. Just do so by vacuuming or use a dry cloth. Follow this with the vapor treatment according to package directions. THEN if you want to wet wipe anything in the car, so AFTER the vapor treatment. It’s that simple.
If your car (or SUV or RV) is on the larger size, and has more than a light tobacco or cannabis smell, then consider buying two kits and setting them both up at the same time. I realize this is a subjective determination, but if you have any doubts at all, just use two kits together. This is a better guarantee that you’ll get rid of the odor, and it’s still cheap considering the price of this product is only $19.95.
If you’re in a hurry and want the job done in less than 12 hours, get a what the pros call a “clo2 efficiency system”, otherwise known as an aquarium aerator. Adding bubbles of air into the solution exponentially speeds up clo2 gas-producing reaction, reducing the time to get the job done from 12 to two hours! Here is an example of is a cheap battery powered aerator that works perfectly to aerate the solution in the mixing cup that you get with this product.
You will be amazed with the performance of this easy to use product. Go ahead and get two of them to save on shipping costs. Once you try it, you’re gonna find uses for the second one, I guarantee!
To learn more about how to remove smoke odors from a vehicle, check out these helpful articles on how to remove both cigarette and weed smoke smells from cars and rooms:
- How to Get Smoke Smell Out of Car Fast and Forever
- How to get weed smell out of car
- How to Get Rid of Weed Smell: 5 Tips No BS Guide
- How to get rid of cigarette smell in apartment fast
2. Odor Eliminator Laundry Solution – Best Smoke Odor Eliminator for Clothes
This is not just a smoke odor remover product. This chlorine dioxide (clo2) based product removes all types of hard to remove odors you find in workout clothes, work clothes, and towels left in the washer.
Key Specs:
- 12 clo2 Chlorine dioxide tablets
- add 1/2 to 1 tablet to a cup of water
- add to laundry cyclet to remove all tough odors
Pros:
- Easy to use
- 12 tablets give you enough product to treat up to 24 loads
- Highly effective at removing all types of odors
- Can pair with your favorite detergent
- Works in front loading washers
- Use to clean washer bin as well
- Non-bleaching
Cons:
- Only works in cold water
Bottom line:
Smelly clothes come in all forms, including leaving damp laundry to sit out too long. We all know vinegar can help alleviate some smells in clothing, but it is a weak oxidizer when removing pet urine, smoke, and other tough odors.
This product will change your life if you are used to wrestling with smelly work clothes, gym gear, or pet bedding. It’s so easy to use, and it doesn’t harm fabrics!
To learn more about how to remove smoke smells from your clothes or laundry check out this article
3. Odor Eliminator 365 Canister – Best Vehicle and Room Air Freshener
Just in case you are looking for something (that actually works) to keep your room or auto smelling fresh, after you’ve used the deep odor removal treatment outlined above, then the Odor eliminator 365 canister is a great product just for that.
This is another clo2 based product (are you starting to get the drift?) that is a true odor eliminator that works up to thirty days.
To use the 365 canisters, you simply open the pouch containing the clo2 granules, put them into the provided canister, and add water. That’s it. Now the canister will give off a low, safe, yet effective level of clo2 gas that will destroy any odors you have coming from the car.
The Odor Eliminator 365 canister is equally effective in a small room or closet.
Key Specs:
- One canister with variable dispenser cap
- One pouch of clo2 granules to add to dispenser when ready to use
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Canister frits into car cup holder
- Variable dispenser allows you to dial up/down the amount of clo2
- non-bleaching
- Safe to use around pets and people
- Eco-friendly
Cons:
- Will need to be replaced every thirty days
Bottom line:
I cannot say enough good things about the Healthy Environs Odor Eliminator Canister 365 product. This is a highly versatile odor eliminator product you can place anywhere. Keep in mind that this is a fresh air maintenance product. I would not use this as my initial step to eliminate a heavy smoke smell (pick either the mobile refresh kit or the mobile refreshes product list above), but I would use it afterward to maintain fresh air.
The Odor Eliminator Canister 365 product is affordable, eco-friendly, and safe to use around people and pets.
Try it now to keep your car smelling fresh. You won’t be disappointed!
4. Vital Oxide Disinfectant – Best Smoke Odor Eliminator Spray for Hard Surfaces
This product is one of the best-kept secrets in the disinfection and odor removal industry. Vital Oxide is an EPA registered disinfectant made out of a stabilized clo2-based product that also just happens to include quaternary ammonium compounds, which give it its hospital grade disinfection claim.
This eco-friendly product is perfect for removing odors from items you can’t fit in the the washing machine, like gym gear, football pads, and smoky pillows. Just give them a quick spray and let it air dry.
Key Specs:
- 32 oz spray bottle – also comes in gallon size
- Stabilized clo2 based product
- EPA registered hospital disinfectant
- 10 minute wet dwell time for disinfection
- No scent
Pros:
- “No rinse” claim for food surfaces – just spray and walk away
- Great at removing all types of organic odors
- Broad spectrum antimicrobial activity
- Non-bleaching
- Environmentally friendly product
Cons:
- Contains quaternary ammonium compounds (necessary for disinfectant claim)
- Disinfectant claim is for hard surfaces only
Bottom line:
Think of this product as your go-to all-purpose odor remover spray. Plus, you get the fringe benefit of knowing that you are also killing germs.
While clo2 gas is a powerful disinfectant, stabilized clo2, or chlorite, is not registered with EPA as a disinfectant – so while it may kill some germs, we don’t know that for sure. Vital Oxide’s strong broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity is likely helped because the product contains quaternary ammonium compounds that kill germs.
This product is simply a great tool to have in your odor fighting arsenal.
It’s people, pets, and environmentally friendly.
You can spray it pretty much anywhere, and with its no-rinse claim, you don’t need to wipe it up – just spray, walk away and let it air dry.
5. Healthy Environs Mobile Refresh KIT – Best KIT to Remove Odors & Then Keep Air Fresh
This eight-piece chlorine dioxide vapor kit removes even the toughest odors in two hours. Plus it has everything you need to keep your car or room clean and smelling fresh for up to one year.
Key Specs:
- Two mobile refresh (clo2) tablets (two treatments)
- One mixing container for vapor treatment
- One Efficiency System allowing you to fully gas treat in just two hours
- Four 101 Odor Eliminator Pouches that last 90 days each
- One dispenser for the 101’s to keep them out of the way
- Two specially formulated microfiber towels for cleaning
- One soft surface clo2 odor and allergen eliminator spray for the toughest odors
- One hard surface clo2 spray cleaner to remove nicotine and grime
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Contains vapor and spray products for use in one-time odor removal
- Contains 4X 90 day odor eliminating sachets to protect vehicle or room for up to one year.
- Highly effective at removing odors
- No residual toxins; eco-friendly
Cons:
- A Little pricey if you dont need all the items; otherwise it’s solid value
Price: The Mobile refresh Kit sells for $159.95.
Bottom line:
Ok, let’s break this down. There’s a bunch of great products in this kit. Each One of these stands alone in its own, but together they make a great package that allows you to fully clean and deodorize your car of just about any smell. and then keep it clean for up to a year!
INITIAL Odor removal
Two odor eliminator tablets allow you to do up to two vapor treatments to eliminate the smoke odor. One is probably enough, but if the car is abd (or the room is larger), you have a second tablet to do a second treatment.
In difficult smoke odor contamination situations, you will want to remove as much of the nicotine and grime from the car before doing the vapor treatment. The kit contains a chlorine dioxide spray cleaner (called number one cleaner) that removes nicotine and dirt from the HARD surfaces in the car.
The kit contains a chlorine dioxide odor and allergen eliminator spray that you can use to treat soft surfaces such as seat belts, upholstery, carpet, and headliners; you can do a second treatment.
Now, the smooth surfaces need to be dry before you perform the vapor treatment to avoid the risk of discoloration of the soft fabrics. Healthy Environs website suggests you wipe the smooth surfaces after the vapor treatment.
You can wet wipe everything down before you do the vapor-gas treatment, BUT YOU MUST WAIT until everything is dry before doing the vapor treatment to avoid potential for discoloration of any damp fabrics.
In most cases, it will be acceptable to go ahead and do the vapor treatment first, then wipe everything down using the spray.
The caveat is that you still want to vacuum the area well if there are a lot of smelly ashes and other items that will suck up the odor eliminating the power of the tablet.
Think of each clo2 tablet you have like its a book of matches. You have enough to do the job, but you do only get so much firepower, so don’t want to waste that on removing odors from chunks of cigarette ashes and butts, when it needs to be destroying the odor causing nicotine in the nooks and crannies of the vehicle.
Ongoing Maintenance
Once you get rid of the initial odor, then you can use one of the chlorine dioxide sachets , which work up to 90 days, to keep the car smelling fresh.
Keep in mind that clo2 is a tremendous all-purpose odor eliminator. So if you enjoy a fast food burger in the car, these sachets help to remove that smell. However, no air freshener on the market, even a true odor eliminator like the 101 product, will not work miracles. If you continue to smoke in the area (cigarettes or cannabis) over time, the smell will build up regardless.
This kit contains four odor-eliminating sachets plus a container. Each sachet has up to 90 days of odor-killing power, depending on how much stinky stuff you through at it, of course, meaning you can maintain a fresh-smelling room or vehicle for up to one year.
Four steps to eliminate smoke odors
- Locate the source so that you can treat all the affected areas.
- Clean or remove as much of the source as possible. Don’t treat the area (#3) with anything until you’ve removed as much of the debris (butts, ashes, dirty ashtrays, soot) and cleaned any debris containing material (rugs, dirty ashtrays, bongs, etc.)
- Treat the contaminated area with odor counteractants. This is a 1-2 step process, depending upon the item and the level of smoke contamination. We recommend using a gas or vapor treatment to remove smoke odors. In chronic heavy smoke-contaminated environments, using the gas isn’t enough on its own. In these cases, pros spray and wipe down all the hard surfaces in the affected rooms with a different odor counteractant. Then they let that air dry, and follow-up with the gas treatment.
- As a final step, you can seal the area with a specially formulated paint to block any remaining smoke odor particles. This step is most often reserved for the most challenging smoke odor situations.
A few words about safety.
ALWAYS read the labels and instructions on any odor eliminator products carefully before using them.
Never combine chemicals in an off-label manner as this can cause toxic by-products to form (the most common example that we hear about is never to mix chlorine bleach and ammonia. As the two combine to create deadly chlorine gas.)
Know your limits. Bigger odor problems require using more product. And there are big differences in the complexity and know-how required to remove a bad smell from a car, or one or two rooms in a house, caused by a weekend of partying, versus tacking an odor remediation project in a house where a heavy smoker had been smoking in for 20 years.
The products we recommend here are for the “smaller” projects. A car. Your laundry. One or two rooms in a house. Can you buy larger quantities of chemicals to do the bigger jobs?
Of course, you can. But there’s a big difference between adding a cup of water to a canister and then getting out of the way for two to three hours versus prepping and treating a whole house for a chlorine dioxide gas-off for 24 hours.
In summary, there is no substitute for training and experience, especially when it comes to ensuring the safety of yourself and others. Do call in a professional who knows what they are doing for the bigger smoke odor projects.
FAQ’s
What is the best cleaner to use to remove nicotine and cigarette odor from the walls of a rental property? Will vinegar take smoke off walls?
White vinegar has a moderate ability to remove smoke particles but not at the level you really need when you are dealing with a smoke contaminated room. Wall-washing is hard work, and it is better to spend a the money and get products designed to remove and counteract the tobacco smoke-causing proteins rather than economize, and end up getting poor results, which means you’ll just have to do everything over.
Will Magic Eraser remove nicotine?
No. It can remove some stains, but the magic eraser addresses only the surface contamination. Smoke particles penetrate porous materials and walls are porous. You need to use a product that penetrates the wall surface and neutralizes the source below. Also it is not at all practical to wipe entire walls with magic erasers.
Do essential oil diffusers work to get rid of smoke?
No. An essential oil diffuser can stand in for an air purifier if you are in a pinch and need short term relief. but it won’t help all that much. Diffusers won’t remove the residues from surfaces that are causing the odor in the first place.
Can you paint over smoke-stained walls in a rental property?
You should never paint over smoke-stained walls until you properly treat the area with products made to remove odor-causing proteins. Painting over smoke-stained walls prevents you from further treating the area, but will allow the smoke particles to escape. Don’t make this common mistake!
Does kilz remove the smoke odor? Will kilz cover heavy nicotine stains?
Kilz does not remove smoke odors. Kilz is a masking agent. It covers up odor-causing materials. Kilz should only be used after the area has been treated with counteractant chemicals, as any odor-causing material can still seep through over time, even with Kilz.
Can baking soda get rid of smoke and remove smoke smells?
Sprinkling baking soda on a carpet can help absorb some smoky smell. But baking soda will not remove enough the tar and nicotine residues that are causing the smoking odors to have a material effect. Don’t count on baking soda to do the job.
What absorbs cigarette smoke smell?
Odor counteracting granules can be effective at getting rid of the smoke smell in the air. Air purifiers can also be outfitted with special air filters (activated charcoal) which will help remove the odor particles from the air.
For really light odors in carpets and upholstery, you can try to sprinkle baking soda into the carpet in the room to help remove some of the odor, but it will not remove the residue, which causes the nasty smell, for example, in cloth furniture.
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Wrap-up and conclusion
In conclusion, the best way to remove a bad cigarette smoke smell is to use a proven process along with products specifically developed to remove the odor-causing smoke proteins. These products can be purchased easily as long as you know what to look for and how to use them.
Quick fixes and DIY natural odor absorbers can help absorb some of the odor but they will not remove the residue odor source which is causing the problem in the first place.
