OMG! Is that what I smelled like?

[Knightmare]

Currently I am on Day 3 of being a non-smoker. I had my last cigarette Sunday night, right before bed time. I am using the transdermal patch; so far, it's been pretty easy. Not like last time.

I've had one major craving, and one point where I got really snappy (at my supervisor, no less! :doh: ) But all was cool. He is a former smoker so he knows what I'm going through.

Em is very happy that I decided to quit. It was another birthday present for her, and an early one for myself.

Now, as for the title. I can't believe that I smelled like that! I had no idea how strongly stale cigarettes smell. My house reeks of it. My car reeks of it. My clothes.. ugh. I didn't smoke inside, except in the back sunroom, door closed, windows open. When Em was here, I always went outside. But that smell still permeated every room in the house. Now I have some major wall scrubbing to do. And floor. And ceiling. Maybe I'll just burn incense...

So everyone, wish me luck. Wish me patience. Wish me a smoke-free life. This time, I really feel like I'm going to do it!

[FuzzyKitten99]

my grandma smoked (and still does a little) for all her life, and they lived in the house that I live in now, for 25 years. You cannot scrub it out. You have to have your furniture/carpet professionally cleaned, and repaint your walls, first using Kilz primer, and recoating in your color of choice.

If you want the smell out of your car, tack that cost onto whatever you pay for everything else professionally done. Some furniture/carpet places can do autos too. DIY products may help, but don't really work as well as they say on the label.

Since we bought their home, essentially saving them money on a realtor, grandma & grandpa paid my uncle, who does remodeling and restoration work, to get the house completely done inside for us. The layer of residue that was on the walls was even more apparent when my uncle took down the vertical blinds, track and all, to primer it. You could see the outline, very clearly.

[Rahmota]

Congratulations on taking charge of that. My dad used to smoke pipe (and I do on the very rare occasion) so the smell wasn't as bad. Cherry blend is actually quite nice. My uncle did cigars so the smell was different. I'll agree though that everyone who smokes cigarettes winds up with that "lovely" aroma.

as for you house and car. Like fuzzy said its going to be a real pain to get that smell out without it just wearing off over a long time. Lets try a couple years in some cases if not longer for thigns that are not open to the air. Bleach cuts it somewhat. but then you hav that lovely chlorine aroma.

as for the car forget the smell the film that accumulates on the windows is the most disgusting nasty thing I have ever encountered. Workign at the dealership even if we couldnt smell anythign we could always tell a smokers car when we turned on the defrosters as the windshield got this smokey gray/blue haze from the smoke permeating the defroster vents and the entire environmental systems. Especially if the car had a recycle interior air feature.

Usually we would shampoo the interior seats, carpet and ceiling as best we could, wipe everythign down and hope the person who bought it didnt flip out when the haze came back. My own personal cars i've bought off smokers have taken several weeks before the haze stopped coming back.

But anyhow good luck and hope it works out for you.

[lordlundar]

To start of with good luck and well wishes to you.:yourock:

Second of all, it really is a shock huh? I remember when my mom and dad quit smoking. I was used to the stale smell as I was the only non smoker. Now my sister is the only one that smokes and I can tell a smoker from a good 20 feet because it is such a slap to the face.

Do remember another good incentive to quitting. Not only do you smell better, so does other things. Food, flowers, perfumes, etc. Once you realize this more and more, the easier it is.

[Shabo]

And as your sense of smell returns, you'll notice that things start tasting better (or worse, depending on what you're eating). I bought a car from someone who smoked once, and I will never ever do it again. When I first got the car, I could smell the smoke any time I turned on the fans. The entire time I owned the car, it would still smell like smoke, but it got fainter over the years. In addition, there were burn marks on the seat. And yes, smokers do smell. If you are not a smoker, you'll be able to pick them out so fast it's not even funny.

Good luck with quitting! It's not easy to do, but stick with it!

[Jester]

I can't believe that I smelled like that!

You did. You really really did.

I can tell a smoker from several paces away usually. Even if they don' think I can.

My mother smoked for 30+ years. Shortly after my father died, she quit. And became one of the most militant anti-smokers around, at least as far as her own house was concerned. Trust me when I tell you that my mother could walk into the house and immediately know that someone had been smoking, even if it was my sister and her friends upstairs and out the window....she could smell it.

Having never had a single puff off of a cigarette (though I have had the occasional cigar), I can tell you that that cigarette smoke smell is very discernible to us non-smokers from a good distance away. There is a reason why I don't allow smoking in either my residence or my vehicle. (Current Jestermobile only had two owners before me, both non-smokers.)

Oddly, about half the girls I have been involved with were smokers, including my only fiancee, The Brit. You want an interesting experience? Now that you're smoke free, kiss a non-smoker, then a smoker, and see if you can't tell immediately the difference. Nasty, huh? My father (who smoked his entire adult life, but had a sense of humor about everything) had a lovely phrase that he put in his book:

"Kissing a smoker is like licking a dirty ashtray. YUCK!"

Welcome to the smoke-free world. I suggest buying some gum or suckers or something, as while you may not crave the tobacco itself, psychologically you are still going to be looking for an oral activity. Gum got my mom through the early times of quitting. I know people have used lollipops, suckers, etc. But it is good to have something to keep your mouth occupied as it looks for something to "do."

I'm afraid I don't have many more helpful suggestions, being a lifelong non-smoker, but I would suggest you go out and have a good meal....and marvel at what food REALLY tastes like again! :D

[Emrld]

Yes, a house that has had someone smoking in the house for years will take a lot of work to get the smell out.
However if you were in the sunroom with vents and doors closed . . .yes, some will have permiated into the house. It may not be necessary to go to the extreme of Kilz and painting the house.

I do reccomend a good deep cleaning . . .shampoo the carpets . . .get a "magic Eraser" and wash the walls . . .keep the windows of the sun room open for a few days . . .if you can find the lava rock odor absorber/ odor eliminator and place some around the house. . . .even fresh ground coffee beans in bowls can help with some of the odor absorption (if you don't have a problem with the smell of coffee)

As for the car . . .a good through deep detail with shampoo of the fabrics will be a big help. It is in the ac/heat system and it will take a while to get it out. Buy a bottle of Febreeze for strong odors and keep it in the car . . .spray down the car every time you leave it . . .especially if you have been running air/ heat. It will help keep anything the system "spit out" from really getting into the fabric.

Hang in there . . .you can do this . . .and you have a whole lot of support.

[Chazzie]

Congrats on deciding to quit.

My mother smokes, so I thought I'd try burning some incense. Now my room smells pretty good. Though every time I step downstairs I get the full-frontal attack of stale cigarette smoke.

I had no idea it was so bad either. o.o

[FuzzyKitten99]

Yes, a house that has had someone smoking in the house for years will take a lot of work to get the smell out.
However if you were in the sunroom with vents and doors closed . . .yes, some will have permiated into the house. It may not be necessary to go to the extreme of Kilz and painting the house.

*MOD EDIT - It's not necessary to quote the entire post. We have already read it. Please edit quotes.

If he has been in the place longer than 3 years, he will likely need to Kilz & repaint. There is just too much residue build-up to scrub off without eventually taking the current paint off. It would take less work and less time to Kilz & repaint. The smell (and brown haze that is there, just not immediately visible) will NOT go away with just scrubbing the walls and deep shampooing. He may be able to save money buy renting a RugDoctor and using the special odor-removing shampoo, but that will run upwards of $80, once all is said and done with as much as he will need to buy. Professionals can get the whole house for not much more, and results are guaranteed, when DIY machines are not. Sometimes they offer discounts if you add in your upholstery. Some places even do cars, but likely that will need to be done at a detail shop. They specialize in getting stuff like this out.

[Emrld]

Fuzzy Kitten 99 - If you read my first line it says if you have been smoking for years . . . .
One of my jobs is in Real Estate. I am very familiar with what has to be done and how deep/ far you have to go when someone has smoked in a house.
A box of Magic Eraser's is under $10 and on one occassion was able to remove the bit of haze that entered a house that had a non vented sun room where the owners had smoked for two years.

I do agree with you that hiring a company to do the deep clean/ shampoo of the carpet would be worth the expense.

[Amethyst Hunter]

Nicorette gum, I've heard, is supposed to be good. YMMV. Good luck in kicking the butt for good! :applause: :respect:

I can tell a smoker from several paces away usually. Even if they don' think I can...Having never had a single puff off of a cigarette (though I have had the occasional cigar), I can tell you that that cigarette smoke smell is very discernible to us non-smokers from a good distance away.

OH YES. This is truer than most smokers realize. I catch hell for it all the time from my folks (both longtime smokers; my dad managed to quit for about ten years before taking it up again last year due to some family-related stress - to date, he's still doing it) because when one of them lights up, the stench makes me sick. Even just a whiff of it can set me off on a coughing fit (and it doesn't help that I have a touch of asthma) if I get a good blast. :cry: It's the most disgusting smell...I HATE cigarettes like you would not believe. If I could torture and kill the person that invented them, I so would in a heartbeat.

And cigars are WORSE. Cigars make me want to throw up on the spot. I remember when I was about 18 - 19 and working my first job in a local hardware store. The owner let his customers walk in there with lit cigarettes/cigars all the damn time (really smart, when you carry a lot of FLAMMABLE substances like paint thinner and propane!!), and one guy would come in every now and then that would just make me cringe. I got a dose of his cigar smoke once and it was all I could do not to visibly gag and toss cookies in front of him!

I've completely given up on any hope that my parents (especially my mom) will ever quit the habit entirely. I only hope that I don't wind up with lung cancer or something (I suspect that it's the reason why I have allergies; I don't know for sure whether or not my mom smoked when she was pregnant with me but I can NOT remember a time when my mother did NOT smoke, ever).

"Kissing a smoker is like licking a dirty ashtray. YUCK!"

*nods* If I ever date (I don't - personal preferences), I will NOT go out with a smoker. End of story. Yes, I'm picky. No, I don't care. It's my air, after all.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Yeah, me too. When I was dating, I wouldn't date a smoker. Wouldn't even consider it. In fact, because my now-husband was in a band a hung out in a lot of clubs, he always reeked of smoke. His stuff tended to reek of smoke, too, as it was in his boots and his bag and his hair, which, like me, he only washes about once or twice a week.

In the early stage of our relationship, I told him flat out that if it turned out he was hiding the fact he was a smoker from me, I would break up with him. Nothing personal, but it just wasn't open to debate.

Smokers don't realize how bad they smell to non-smokers. One of my brother in laws smokes, and he would come stay in my house and it would smell like a nightclub when he left. He never, ever smoked in my house. The stuff was in his lungs, and after a day or two of him breathing in the close confines of my tiny little place, his exhalations would stink the place up like you wouldn't believe.

If the humidity and wind is right, I can smell the stuff in the next car over with the windows up at the red light.

And yeah, you will find that food tastes a lot better. My grandfather (dying of emphysema in the hospital) swore the hospital food was absolutely delicious (because he hadn't smoked for a couple weeks). Trust me, it wasn't. He hadn't tasted food for most of his adult life. Which was terribly ironic, because my grandmother was a legendary cook. :(

[Jester]

...before taking it up again last year due to some family-related stress...

Yesterday, as I was dealing (or not dealing) with the situation of my niece needing brain surgery, I commented to a few people, "Ya know, if ever I was going to take up smoking, today would be the day!" More than one of them offered me a cigarette.

I still have not had a single puff, thank you very much. :lol:

[Knightmare]

Thanks for the support everyone! You guys kick ass!

Day 5 now. And it's actually getting easier. Everyone is telling me how difficult it would be. It's actually going very well. Still only one major craving, and one snappy moment.

Today though.. ugh.. Driving my daughter to school. I pass the store where I frequently buy smokes. I thought "Maybe I should go in and buy just a pack. One won't hurt. Who would know?"

Then I came to my senses and said "I would know! No cigarettes!"

Em looked at me and said "Who are you talking to, daddy?"

Yup. Said that out loud. Didn't even realize it.

And so far, I don't need anything to keep my hands or mouth busy (get your minds outta the gutter people!). I don't need any candy or sweets or straws. I've tried to quit many times before, and I did need something at those times. But not now.

One of the supervisors at work quit the same time I did. He has had 2 cigs so far, and is on Chantix. Me + the patch = no cigs. But it's nice having a little support group at work. No one is teasing me about quitting, and no one is offering me cigarettes.

I'll keep you posted on my progress!