Nicotine

The Remediation Process

1. Safety and PPE: The first step is to ensure safety. The residue left by heavy smoking contains thousands of chemicals, including nicotine, tar, and other carcinogens that can be toxic upon contact or inhalation. Anyone doing the work must wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including gloves, goggles, and a respirator with a P100 filter to protect against the harmful particles.

2. Cleaning All Surfaces: All hard surfaces—walls, ceilings, floors, windows, and fixtures—must be thoroughly cleaned. This is often a two-step process. First, a degreaser or a specialized cleaning solution is used to break down the sticky, oily residue. The walls and ceilings may need multiple washes. Second, the surfaces are rinsed to remove all residue. This is a labor-intensive step, but it is critical.

3. Removing Contaminated Materials: Porous materials trap smoke and its odor deep within their fibers, making them almost impossible to clean effectively.

   • Carpet and Padding: In most cases, the carpet and its padding must be removed and replaced. The smoke residue has likely soaked into the carpet fibers and the subfloor beneath.

   • Drywall: In less severe cases, drywall can be cleaned and sealed. After cleaning, a specialized odor-blocking primer (like a shellac-based product) is applied. This primer traps any remaining odor molecules, preventing them from off-gassing into the air. However, in homes with very heavy smoking, the smoke may have permeated the drywall so deeply that it's more cost-effective to replace it.

   • Ductwork: The HVAC system and its ducts are a major reservoir for smoke particles and odors. A thorough duct cleaning is required, including the blower wheel and evaporator coil. In severe cases, where the residue has heavily coated the inside of the ducts, they will need to be replaced.

4. Odor Neutralization and Air Quality Control: Once the physical cleaning is complete, the focus shifts to removing any lingering airborne odors.

   • Air Filtration: During and after the cleaning, air scrubbers with activated charcoal filters are used. HEPA filters can trap smoke particles, but charcoal is particularly effective at absorbing and neutralizing the odor molecules.

   • Specialized Treatments: Ozone machines or hydroxyl generators can be used after the deep cleaning, but they are not a substitute for it. These devices are most effective at breaking down remaining odor molecules after the source has been physically removed.

5. Alternative Cleaning Methods: While not a primary solution, an oxidizer like a hydrogen peroxide solution can sometimes be used on a carpet to break down odor-causing molecules, but this is a last resort and may not be effective on heavily contaminated carpets.

In short, cleaning a home after heavy smoking is a complete gut-and-clean job. It requires a detailed, multi-step process that removes the source of the odor, not just masks it.