Fabreez is the best for neutralizing cigarette smoke, totally cleared my car after a long smoky road trip. Also works great for pet odors too. I really think you should confront the smoker however and ask kindly if they would please smoke outside, my old roommate had no problem smoking outside. Better to eliminate the cause than just treat the symtoms, Fabreeze works great but I'm not sure you will want to spray chemicals on the towels you will be putting in contact with your skin, you may have to read the bottle I would be surprised if it is okay to have any of these products directly in contact with your skin. There are many recent reports of the increase in heart attacks from people in contact with second hand smoke. One thing I had to do in an old apartment that was attached to another smokers apartment was to cover the vents, the smoke would make it's way through the bathroom vent, so just covering it eliminated the problem.
Permalink | Report

I've used Banish when smoking cigars. It works very well for me (but I still have to scrub my mustache well ;-)

http://www.banish.com/
Permalink | Report

Unfortunately to a certain extent, you're doomed. 20+ washes and years later, I still have "favorite" sweatshirts and the like from high school that smell like Dad's pipe. Which is fine as a reminder of home and family, but not so fine since I'm mildly allergic and have tried just about everything to get rid of the lingering smell of smoke.

The smell of tobacco (cigarettes, cigars, pipes...) is so persistent because cigarettes contain both tar and oils. Tar is the same stuff that trapped giant mammoths (http://skywalker.cochise.edu/wellerr/fossil/mammal/6mammoth-tar-pits1957.jpg), so if it's sticky enough to hold multi-ton struggling beasts, it's strong enough to hold onto your towel forever. The tar adheres and traps/bonds with the oils in the smoke, making the smell pretty much permanent. Anything you could use to break down the tar will also break down the towel and probably your skin as well.

You can mask the smell with other smells, florals and similar. You can possibly deactivate the airborne oil molecules with Neutra Aire or similar, but the stuff that has been litterally "smoked" for hours is probably never going to be the same if it is a soft surface (you could scrub/scrape tile and plastic clean). The first page of the article linked bellow suggests eliminating as much of the original smoke as possible, like the open window. It wouldn't be inappropriate to seal under the door to the smoker's room, and in as many ways as possible keep the smoke to where its owner is.

Good luck with the smoking confinement, I wish I had better news on the smoke removal.
Source(s):
Some suggestions, but as you read down, you'll notice they suggest ultimately getting rid of stuff:
http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/odor-removal/how-to-get-rid-of-cigarette-...

Permalink | Report

When I used to smoke I burned through bottles of Febreeze like they were ice cubes. They worked too. Simple solution for furniture, the air, carpets, the car, everywhere.

http://www.amazon.com/Febreze-Strength-Fabric-Refresher-Original/dp/B000EALHRQ?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwokaythings-20
Permalink | Report

Get a new roommate. Or buy him some e-cigarettes (there is no actual smoke, just nicotine vapor). Also, you shouldn't be so concerned with the smell of the smoke as with the cancer.
Source(s):
http://www.e-cig.org/sale/mini-ecigarette-30-refills-split-flavors-p-14.htm...

Permalink | Report

I've suffered through this same problem and came up with solutions similar to what has already been outlined here. I've used the following with great results so far:
(1) I used to run an air purifier the majority, if not all, of the day. Plus, I asked the smoker to use one of those really small ones next to wherever they were smoking in the room. Luckily for me, they always smoked in the same chair, so they were able to plug it in right next to their ashtray.
(2) Extra strength Febreeze: I've tried using the regular kind, but it doesn't work as well (especially if you're dealing with a heavy smoker).
(3) During the colder seasons, I've had to keep my bathroom linens in my room in a separate drawer.
(4) I've kept other linens "fresh" by placing dryer sheets in with them in the drawers.
(5) I still air-out rooms during the cold seasons for a few minutes per day to prevent things from getting that stale cigarette smoke smell.
Permalink | Report

Cigarette smoke isn’t a quaint smell like a wood furnace or a fireplace; it gets into everything: your carpets, your walls, your sheets, your clothes, your jackets, even in your hand bags.


Dealing with the Problem-

There’s something about vinegar that gets rid of smoke smell. Because the smell of smoke is caused by the leftover resins and tars, vinegar (an acid that cuts through resin and tar) is a great way to clean those surfaces that aren’t made of fabric, and perhaps, some that are fabric. I know what you’re thinking; vinegar doesn’t smell much better than smoke. Well, that’s true, but the smell of vinegar eventually diminishes, cigarette smoke doesn’t.


http://www.getridofthings.com/images/smoke-1.jpg


The carpets need to be shampooed if you want to remove smoke smell. You have a couple of options here; you can either go to your local hardware store and rent a carpet steam cleaner and shampoo the carpets yourself, or you can hire a professional to bring in a big truck and do the dirty work for you. If you want to save money, the choice is obvious, and the guarantees some businesses will make these days smell funnier than the smoke odor you want them to remove.

http://www.getridofthings.com/images/smoke-2.jpg


Baking soda is a good way to get rid of smoke odor. Now, this takes time because what you want to do is get a box of Arm & Hammer, dust the furniture and the carpets (if they haven’t been shampooed), and leave the baking soda to settle for a day or so. That will give it time to absorb some of the smoke smell and moisture around it. Then, vacuum it up and repeat the process a few more times over the course of a week. Use scented baking soda if you like.

http://www.getridofthings.com/images/smoke-3.jpg



Shades, curtains, and fixtures need to be cleaned to get rid of smoke odor. A lot of people forget to clean things like shades, chandeliers, curtains, and wall hangings, but these things have probably collected quite a bit of tar and resin from years of hanging smoke. Do yourself a favor and put the curtains in the washer, buy new shades, and wipe down the chandelier with a good dose of ammonia, just to make sure that smell is gone.

http://www.getridofthings.com/images/smoke-4.jpg


Fresh air is probably the best way to remove smoke smell and odor from a home. It turns out that opening the windows and doors every couple of days for a whole day will help get the stink of cigarettes out of a home. Lord knows why, but I imagine the air flow allows tar and resin particles to escape, leaving the house smelling more like a house than a tar pit.
Smoke Smell and Odor Removal Products

http://www.getridofthings.com/images/smoke-5.jpg


Don’t be fooled by the claims of odor removal products. If it doesn’t have a cleaning agent in it, you’re not going to get rid of the smoke smell. Scent-generating deodorizers only serve to mask the smell. Once you take them out of the house, you’ll notice the smell of old cigarettes again. Of course, we’ve all heard of Febreze, and wonder why it works.

http://www.jones-garrard.co.uk/_assets/media/fmcg/img2FebrezeComp2.jpg

Well, Febreze uses a chemical compound called cyclodextrin that has been used in household and custodial cleaning products for quite some time. The sugar-like substance doesn’t necessarily “clean” the odors out, but acts as an absorbent like baking soda or charcoal, to help soak the odor out. Yes, Febreze does work, but let’s be honest with ourselves. Spraying everything down with Febreze isn’t the answer to years and years of built up cigarette tars and resins. There is one thing I would suggest in an odor removal product and that is activated charcoal. Charcoal is used not only to filter water and other things, but is also used to soak up odors, just like baking soda. If you see charcoal in an odor removing product, it’s likely to succeed at removing odors.


http://image.ec21.com/image/wacortec/oimg_GC00867395_CA00867392/HYUNDAI_Air_Purifier.jpg


SOME MORE TIPS---

*DO NOT put plug-in deodorizers in every room!


*Get some plants into your apartment, certain plants contain properties which neutralize bad odors such as smoke.

*Use aromatheraphy ? Eucalyptus is an excellent strong smell that can help you breathe ebtter.

http://www.techsolvers.com/WebGallery/images/Eucalyptus.jpg

SOURCE- GET RID OF THINGS


SOME ARTICLES YOU MAY LIKE---

*How do you get the smell of cigarette smoke out of walls and fabric?

http://ask.yahoo.com/20021212.html


*How to Get Rid of Cigarette Smell--

http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/odor-removal/how-to-get-rid-of-cigarette-smoke-smell/


*How to get rid of cigarette smoke smell--

http://www.beauty-cosmetic-guide.com/how-to/get-rid-of-cigarette-smoke-smell.html
Permalink | Report