Thirdhand Smoke Is No Joke!

Your home and your vehicle are the two most common spaces exempt from statewide anti-smoking bans. They say ETS (Environmental Tobacco Smoke) can linger in a smoker's home up to six months after moving out and likely to be longer for the interior of a vehicle because of the more concentrated exposure in a smaller space. Many findings have proven that cigarette smoke can trigger an inflammatory response and can be a catalyst for an asthma attack.

We have compiled some tips to remove cigarette smoke, cooking fumes, and fire-burning odors and residue in your home and vehicle.

Many times, replacing furniture or repainting your entire home is not an option. Before you toss out furniture, linens, carpets, or area rugs, consider cleaning and deodorizing with Powerizer Complete odor removing formula contains Sodium Percarbonate, which reacts with water to create hydrogen peroxide, which is the color-safe oxygen bleach ingredient. Even though Powerizer has not earned it's certification as a disinfectant; the CDC recognizes hydrogen peroxide as an effective disinfectant. Therefore, let Powerizer Complete be your first and only choice for removing thirdhand smoke from the surfaces and fabrics.

Assemble Supplies
Powerizer Complete Pods or Powder	Step Ladder
Flat Mop (WonderWedgie Microfiber Mop)	Tools to Remove Blinds and Rods
Rags or Sponges	For Soaking Sink | Tub | Large Bin
Microfiber Cloths	Carpet Shampoo Machine
Scrub Brush	Vacuum
Gloves	Dishwasher
2 Large Buckets	Laundry Machine
Spray Bottle	Drop Cloth

 

Removing Cigarette Smoke From Stained Ceilings and Walls

Thirdhand smoke can leave your home with nicotine residue and odor. For non-smokers, lingering odors can cause immediate headaches for relatives or neighbors visiting your home. Maintaining an odor-free home is essential. Repainting your home could get very expensive. Kilz paint primer covers smoke stains and is a great alternative, but it is pretty expensive. Once you prime your ceiling and walls, you will need to apply a coat of paint. Which is another expense. Save the money and #PowerizeIt. 

Tackling these areas will be the most time-consuming, but it will be all worth it in the end. 

Powerizer Thirdhand Smoke Cleaning Solution 

• Mix in two (2) Water Soluble Pods or one (1) scoop of Powerizer Power Detergent with one (1) gallon of the hottest water you can stand in one bucket. If the surfaces are nasty, either double the dosage or use less water to make it more concentrated. Powerizer breaks down the nicotine and tar quicker in hotter water temperatures. 
• Add warm water to another bucket.
• Cover furniture with a drop cloth (optional) 
• Start from the farthest corner and work your way to the front. Starting with the ceiling first since the water will run down the walls.  
• Incorporating a WonderWedgie Mop would be ideal. This is the best mop for cleaning ceilings. It will defiantly make the daunting chore go faster, and it will save your body from aches and pains later.  How to use WonderWedgie Mop.
• Saturate a few cloths in the bucket of solution. 
• Attach the cloth to the mop and run the mop along the ceiling. In most cases, it will require more than one pass. Some areas may have more residue than others.  
• Rinse the cloths. Remove the cloth from the mop and rinse it off in the plain water. Remove as much of the residue and wring out.  
• Start the process over. Take the cloth and submerge the cloth in the Powerizer solution and start the process again. You may need to dump out the water several times and make another batch of solution. 
• Rinse the ceiling. Once you have cleaned the entire ceiling, take one more pass at it with just plain water. I would suggest using a new cloth for this step. You can use a spray bottle to lightly mist the ceilings and walls and run the cloth over them. 
• Repeat the process for the walls. You may decide to use a sponge or cloth and hand wipe the walls down. We found that the WonderWedgie does wonders on the wall as well. 

 Remove and Clean Hanging Items 

Powerizer is an eco-friendly, non-toxic, color-safe bleach detergent that powers through to whiten and brightens. It effectively cleans linens, plastic shower curtains, counter-top holders or artificial flowers, and knickknacks. Do not submerge wood items in water for long periods. Doing so may cause warping or compromise the finish. Instead, wipe the surfaces down with a damp cloth using the soak solution described above and always rinse with plain water.

Smoke travels throughout the home and will settle in or on just about anything. It is essential to remove hanging items and cleanse them thoroughly.

There are a few easy, effective ways to do so. 

Make a Soak, start with placing items into the tub, large bin, or in the washing machine. Place items in and fill the hot water with hot water. Add one scoop or two Powerizer Complete pods into the water. Let them sit for at least 10 minutes. If you think the fabrics will bleed, use warm water instead.  

Wash Items in the Dishwasher. Glass, metal, ceramic, and some plastic items can be tossed into the dishwasher while cleaning the walls and soaking other items. Multitasking with Powerizer makes cleaning easy. Place large items on the bottom and small and delicate items on top. Drop a pod in or 3/4 scoop of the powder. We suggest using the heavy-duty and heat-dry options. 

Soak and Wash Fabrics in Wash Machine. Whether you decide to soak your fabrics in the tub, it's always best to run a complete wash cycle. Another option is to use the soak option on your wash machine. Depending on your machine, you can set additional time of just include it before washing. We suggest if it's heavily saturated with smoke odors to soak in the tub first. This process will allow it to expand more freely to release the residue. However, the blanket will be weighty and wet. Remove as much water as possible by wringing it out a few times. Transfer the wet blanket in a bin to the washing machine. Optional set on soak cycle again or wash as usual and use 1 to 2 scoops or 4-6 pods. Always pour the powder or pods into the drum before inserting the item. 

Tip: Less water will make your solution more concentrated. More water will dilute the concentration. 

Light Bulbs	Window Covering Blinds, Curtains & Rods
*Light Covering	Pictures & *Figurines
*Air Vents	*Shelving

 *items you can wash in your dishwasher  

Cleaning Thirdhand Smoke From Furniture 

Limiting the exposure of thirdhand smoke, you need to thoroughly clean furniture items. Since many smokers sit in their chairs or couch to smoke leisurely, these areas can accumulate residual smoke odors and residue. Everyday cleaning may not be enough unless you are using ingredients that break down the odors and toxins. Powerizer can be used for everyday cleaning and combatting the number of residual smoking leaves behind. It's too expensive to replace furniture, so maintain your furniture. Depending on the type of materials your furniture is, routinely wiping it down may be enough. Other furniture may require a deep clean. If there's an odor, there is residue. Remove the source, not just the smell.  

How to Remove Smoke Smell From Furniture 

• Wipe Down furniture; begin mixing the Powerizer pods or powder to make a solution to remove the smoke smell from furniture. Saturate the surfaces with the solution. Wipe the access solution and then apply a rinse to the furniture. 
• Deep Clean and Deodorize Smoke Smell from Upholstered Furniture; Tobacco residue and the smoke smell get trapped in fabric fibers. Other methods other than deep cleaning only mask the odors for a short time. The best way to eliminate the odors and residue is to rent a steam cleaning machine and use Powerizer Complete to break down the residue and odors by pretreating your furniture. Saturate the Furniture with Powerizer, canvas the furniture with the sprayer from the machine, and let the solution sit for a few minutes to penetrate the fibers. Use a scrub brush or microfiber cloth if needed to lift stains. Work in small sections to remove and go over the area a few times with the suction only to pull the access water. Repeat the process until the entire surface is clean. 
• Freshen up Pillows and Blankets; whether you choose to hand wash or machine wash your throw pillows and blankets, Powerizer again can remove the smelly smoke odors. Depending on the type of pillow, some can't be tossed into the washing machine. Hand wash throw pillows in either a sink or tub with warm water and add 1 scoop of Powerizer or 2 Complete Pods. Submerge the pillows in the water and squeeze them a few times to work the detergent into them. Finally, rinse them in cool water and squeeze the access water out of them. Repeat this process if the water is still discolored.  

How to Get Smoke Smell Out of A Car 

Whether you received grandpas truck or purchased a used vehicle, sometimes removing the cigarette smoke odors can be daunting. Since a vehicle's cabin is a condensed area, the smoke gets trapped inside the vehicle and can linger longer. Hiring a professional to detail the inside of your car can be expensive; why not do it yourself with Powerizer. 

What you will need to replace or deep clean in your new ride

*Air Cabin Filter	Dashboard | Door Panels | Steering Wheel
Auto Glass	Trunk | Glove Compartment
Upholstery	Center Console | Cup Holders
Carpets | Car Mats	Headliner | Sun Visor

*Must be purchase from an auto parts store 

Intend to thoroughly clean the hood liner and the carpet in your vehicle since they can not be easily removed or replaced. Spot treating will only leave an obvious clean versus dirty dry line, and you won't be removing all of the smoke debris either. Start with the hood liner and end with cleaning the carpets last. Since the water will drip from the hood liner may drip on the inside of the vehicle. You may need to make a few Powerizer solutions to cleaning everything.  

Replace In-Cabin Air Filter. The filter catches the airborne debris from cigarette smoke, dust, and pollens. Depending on the model of the car, they should be replaced every 12,000 - 15,000 miles. However, in this case, the sooner you replace the filter, the better your car will smell. You can replace it yourself or take it to the dealership. 

Lift Stains: Use a damp microfiber cloth to ensure you don't snag the fibers in the hood liner and seats.

Scrub: Use a hand dish scrubber for more durable surface cleaning like carpet and car mats.

Rinse: The rinse process in a vehicle doesn't allow you to pour water and watch it drain away. Instead, it requires applying water using one microfiber cloth and another one to absorb the water from the surfaces. Repeat until the liquid absorbed is just as clean as the water applied. Powerizer's microfiber cleaning cloths are capable of absorbing liquids seven times their weight when dry. Cleaning with these special cloths and plain water removes up to 98% of bacteria and 93% of viruses. If possible, use a shop vac to suck up excess water from the surfaces to speed things up.

Let it Dry, knowing it's Fresh and Clean. The last step is to be sure all the surfaces dry thoroughly. Powerizer's Sunny Citrus fragrance is a partially synthetic blend that does not contain any essential oils that leave no lingering odors or residues. Roll down the windows, leave mats out to dry.