smoke

July 28, 2012 2:45 PM

yet another smoke stink question. I looked for answers and found some that would be helpful, BUT...

My neighbor smokes a lot on his own property, pretty much all day. He also BBQs steak every night over mesquite wood. (I know that sounds good, but it gets old fast, especially if it not your dinner.) Good for him, I wish him a long and healthy life. Only problem is my house smells like cigarette smoked BBQ smoke, and it it horrible. I would close the windows and put in a air purifier, if I had windows to close. I live in the tropics and my windows are screens. We donʻt actually close our windows here; we pretty much are outside even when we are inside. (I donʻt know how you folks with A/C and closed windows all summer stand it.) What alternate smell can I use to counteract this smell? Since we have electricity, I tried a few plug in air fresheners, and they smelled was horrid. Incense is smoke and makes my house smell like I smoke a lot of weed. Fabreze spray is nice, but it does not last. I would like something to neutralize the burnt wood-tobacco-beef smell. Any suggestions?

posted by fifilaru to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

Coffee beans are a good odor neutralizer.
posted by cazoo at 2:55 PM on July 28, 2012

Have you tried spraying odor neutralizing air freshener?
posted by J. Wilson at 3:03 PM on July 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

If you can't keep the smoke out, it seems like you need to mask the smell with other scents. What about fragrant plants? Gardenias, jasmine, whatever grows in your undisclosed location, may help to counteract some of the smell and should not dissipate the way that spray air freshener does.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 3:39 PM on July 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

Following on ActingTheGoat's suggestion, maybe you could put lots of tallish fragrant plants in windowboxes outside your screens, to act as an odour trap/filter for the smoke.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 3:45 PM on July 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

Best answer: After getting tired of incense, my mom burned regular, non-scented candles whenever she cooked something on high heat or that was particularly pungent. I just remembered that trick the other day after cooking something and it worked. Not sure what it will do for cigarette smoke.
posted by waterandrock at 5:38 PM on July 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

Best answer: My Mom has this same issue and even with windows with storms, fireplace and BBQ smoke from others can still get in and irritate her asthma, so I can only imagine how pervasive your neighbor's smoke generating activities can be. Not sure if this would do anything, but hanging odor neutralizer packets near your windows might do the trick without actually adding another unpleasant smell to your environment. That link isn't a specific recommendation, just an example. It's usually clear volcanic rocks in some sort of mesh bag, and they make large ones for basement/attic spaces. I know you said you tried fragranced neutralizers and it was awful, but Citrus Magic has a few options and tends to be more pleasant than your garden variety fragrance air freshening options. Plus, it doesn't require electricity. Also, even though you don't have windows to close, an air purifier/ionizer might still be helpful, not as an eliminator but as a reducer. Lastly, I'm sure you have thought of this, but if your neighbor shifted his smoking and BBQ activities to a different area of your property would the smell be less intrusive? If so, I'd nicely chat with him about it and see if he's willing to make a change. Good luck!
posted by katemcd at 6:23 PM on July 28, 2012

I don't believe any of the odor-masking ideas are going to work at all.

Can you do anything with airflow? Even a small fan to direct air in from the opposite side of the house and out toward Mr. Smokey's house might minimize the amount of smoke that comes your way.
posted by mmoncur at 9:25 PM on July 29, 2012