How to Remove Cigarette Smell from a Short-Term Rental Apartment on Airbnb and Booking

The smell of cigarettes in a short-term rental apartment is one of those problems that can ruin your entire cleaning schedule.

One guest checks out at 11:00. The next arrives at 15:00. You walk into the apartment and immediately smell cigarette smoke. The place looks normal at first glance. No ash on the table, the window was slightly open, the trash has been taken out. But the smell remains.

In the curtains. In the couch. In the bedding. In the mattress. Sometimes even in the walls.

For an Airbnb or Booking host, this is not a minor inconvenience. It is a risk of bad reviews, complaints, refunds, canceled reservations, and stressful last-minute cleaning.

It can be handled. You just need to act step by step. Don’t try to mask the smell. Don’t panic. And don’t believe that one air freshener or quick ozone treatment will solve the entire problem.

Why is cigarette smell so difficult to remove?

Cigarette smoke is not a regular smell that disappears after opening a window. It is a mixture of smoke particles, chemicals, and oily residue that settles on surfaces.

The biggest problem is that the cigarette smell penetrates porous materials:

• curtains
• drapes
• carpets
• upholstery
• mattresses
• decorative pillows
• bedspreads
• blankets
• work clothes
• and even wall paint

That is why simply airing out the apartment is usually not enough. It may help, but it will not solve the issue if someone smoked inside for several hours or throughout their stay.

In a short-term rental, time matters. You may only have a few hours, sometimes less. That is why the order of actions is so important.

First remove the source of the smell

Before using an ozone generator, neutralizer, or air purifier, you need to remove what is actually causing the smell.

Start with the basics:

• throw out all trash
• check bathroom and kitchen bins
• check the balcony
• check windowsills
• look under the bed
• inspect around the couch
• check mugs, bottles, cans, and flower pots
• check cabinets if the guest left trash there

It sounds simple, but in practice the smell often no longer comes from the air itself. It comes from cigarette butts hidden in trash, on the balcony, or in a coffee mug.

If you find cigarette butts, ash, burned materials, or other signs of smoking, take photos. They may be useful for reporting damages to Airbnb or Booking or deducting from the security deposit if you included it in your booking rules.

Don’t mask the smell. Clean first

The worst thing you can do is spray a strong air freshener.

For the first 20 minutes, it may seem like the problem is gone. Then the cigarette smell returns, mixed with a cheap vanilla, citrus, or fresh cotton scent.

For many guests, that combination is even worse than smoke itself.

First, surfaces need to be cleaned. Cigarette smoke leaves behind a slightly greasy film that settles on furniture, doors, handles, and windows. Wiping with a damp cloth is often not enough.

Thoroughly clean:

• countertops
• tables
• windowsills
• door handles
• doors
• cabinet fronts
• window frames
• remote controls
• light switches
• bed headboards
• areas around the couch
• bedside tables

Warm water with detergent or a gentle degreaser works well for this. In the kitchen and bathroom, it is also worth cleaning tiles, especially if the apartment is small and the guest smoked near an open window or ventilation.

Textiles are the most important

If you have limited time, focus on textiles. They usually hold the smell the longest.

The following should go into the wash:

• bedding
• towels
• bedspreads
• blankets
• decorative pillow covers
• curtains
• drapes
• removable cushion covers
• removable couch covers

If you cannot wash something immediately, remove it from the apartment. There is no point in ozone treating the place if smoke-soaked curtains remain inside.

For short-term rentals, it is worth having spare textile sets. Not just one. Several.

That way, in an emergency, you do not need to rescue everything within three hours. You simply replace the set, prepare the apartment for the next guest, and wash the smoke-affected items properly later.

What about the couch, mattress, and carpet?

This is the hardest part.

If the smell has penetrated the couch or mattress, simple airing out may not be enough. In that case, it is best to use an upholstery cleaning vacuum or order professional upholstery cleaning.

For lighter smells, you can do three things:

1. Vacuum the upholstery thoroughly Remove dust, hair, and small particles that may have absorbed the smoke smell.
2. Use a fabric odor neutralizer Preferably one that actually neutralizes odors instead of simply perfuming them.
3. Let the furniture dry with good ventilation A wet couch before the next guest arrives creates another problem instead of solving one.

Do not overuse chemicals. Upholstery should not be soaked. If it does not dry in time, you will end up with a musty smell, and the guest will still be unhappy.

Carpets are even worse. They look cozy in photos, but in a short-term rental apartment they often collect smells, dust, hair, and stains. If you run an Airbnb or Booking property, keep carpets to a minimum.

Ventilation matters, but it has to be intensive

Opening one tilted window is not enough.

Create a draft. Open windows on opposite sides of the apartment if possible. Open interior doors, closets, and the bathroom. Turn on a fan.

If you have an air purifier, start it immediately. Ideally one with a carbon filter. HEPA filters work well with particles, but when it comes to smells, activated carbon is what helps absorb unpleasant odor compounds.

An air purifier will not replace washing and cleaning. But it can help after the main sources of smoke have been removed.

Ozone treatment after smoking. Does it actually make sense?

Ozone treatment is popular because it sounds professional. Online, you will find many videos where someone places an ozone generator in an apartment after a smoking guest, closes the door, comes back a few hours later, and says the smell is gone.

In practice, it should be approached more carefully.

Ozone treatment can help, but it is not a magic “remove smell” button. It should not be the first step either.

Ozone acts as a strong oxidizer. It can react with some odor compounds, which is why it is sometimes used after cigarette smoke, moisture, pets, or fire damage. The problem is that ozone concentrations required for real odor neutralization may be dangerous to people, animals, and plants.

That is why my practical recommendation is simple:

Ozone treatment only makes sense as the final step, after cleaning, washing textiles, and removing the source of the smell.

There is no point in ozone treating a dirty apartment full of smoke-soaked curtains and ash-filled trash bins. That fights the symptom, not the cause.

How to safely approach ozone treatment?

If you decide to use ozone treatment, take it seriously.

Basic rules:

• no people inside the apartment
• no animals inside the apartment
• remove plants
• do not enter while the device is running
• follow the device instructions regarding operating time
• ventilate the apartment thoroughly afterward
• do not hand the apartment over to a guest immediately after ozone treatment

Ozone may irritate the eyes, throat, and respiratory system. It can also react with other substances in the air. That is why ventilation after ozone treatment is mandatory.

If you do not have experience, it is better to hire professionals instead of guessing. Especially in a small apartment, where it is easy to overdo the operating time.

When is ozone treatment not enough?

Ozone treatment will not solve the problem if smoke has deeply penetrated walls, furniture, and ventilation over a long period.

It may not be enough when:

• the guest smoked for many days
• the apartment was frequently rented to smokers
• the walls are yellowed
• the smell returns after a few hours
• smoke penetrated the mattress, couch, or carpet
• the apartment has poor ventilation

In such cases, you need deeper restoration: upholstery cleaning, wall cleaning, and sometimes even repainting.

If the walls are saturated with smoke, regular paint may not be enough. The smell can return later. In that case, special primers or odor-blocking paints are used before repainting.

Homemade solutions: baking soda, vinegar, coffee, and activated charcoal

Home methods may help, but you should know their limitations.

Baking soda can reduce odors in carpets, mattresses, or upholstery. Sprinkle it lightly, leave it for several hours, then vacuum thoroughly. It is not magic, but it can help with mild odors.

Vinegar neutralizes some smells, but it has a strong odor itself. You can leave a bowl of vinegar in the room for several hours, but I would not treat this as the main solution in an apartment where a guest is about to arrive.

Coffee masks smells more than it removes them. It may improve the first impression, but it does not solve the problem.

Activated charcoal makes more sense. Charcoal odor absorbers can be placed in closets, wardrobes, bathrooms, or near the entrance. It is a good support solution, especially in apartments with weaker ventilation.

What if the next guest arrives in a few hours?

Short-term rentals do not always allow for full restoration. Sometimes you only have four hours and need to save the situation.

In that case, the order should look like this:

1. Remove the source of the smell Throw out trash, cigarette butts, ash, and anything holding the smoke smell.
2. Create strong airflow Open windows, interior doors, and closets.
3. Replace textiles Change bedding, towels, bedspreads, and decorative pillows immediately.
4. Remove items you cannot wash in time An emptier apartment is better than a beautiful bedspread that smells like smoke.
5. Clean surfaces Especially countertops, handles, doors, windowsills, and areas near windows.
6. Run an air purifier with a carbon filter Let it work immediately.
7. Use a fabric odor neutralizer But sparingly. Avoid overpowering perfume sprays.
8. Honestly evaluate the situation If the smell is still strong, consider contacting the next guest before they discover it themselves.

That last point is difficult, but sometimes it saves your review score. It is better to calmly explain that the previous guest violated the no smoking rule, the apartment has been additionally cleaned and ventilated, and ask the guest to contact you immediately if they are especially sensitive to smells.

That is much better than pretending nothing happened.