Why closed spaces hold on longest
Cabinet and closet interiors trade air with the room only when the door opens, so residue that drifted in over the years is never diluted or aired out. Many of these surfaces are also less finished than the outside of the cabinet: raw particleboard edges, unsealed shelf tops, bare pine closet shelving and the backs of drawer boxes. Those materials absorb odor rather than letting it sit on top.
Kitchen cabinets add a second problem. Cooking grease and tobacco film combine into a tacky layer on cabinet faces and especially on the underside of upper cabinets and the range hood. In a Cherry Creek condo with an open kitchen facing the living room, those upper cabinets often sat right in the path of the smoke.
Closets in bedrooms where someone smoked can be the strongest-smelling spaces in the home. Clothing absorbs smoke, then hangs there for years, slowly passing odor into the shelf, rod and walls.
Spots people forget
Open every door and drawer and check these one by one.
- Underside of upper kitchen cabinets and the range hood filter
- Inside the cabinet over the refrigerator
- Refrigerator and freezer door gaskets
- Pantry shelves and the back wall of the pantry
- Bathroom vanity and medicine cabinet interiors
- Closet shelf tops, rods and the wall above the shelf
- Linen closet shelving
- Drawer boxes and drawer bottoms in bedroom built-ins
- Coat closet near the entry, where smoking jackets and coats hung
- Garage or basement storage cabinets
Cleaning and sealing storage spaces
Empty everything
Remove shelf liners, which absorb odor, and throw them away. Take out removable shelves and drawers.
Degrease finished surfaces
Wash cabinet faces and interiors with a cleaner meant for grease and smoke film, then rinse. Work in small sections so cleaner does not sit on wood.
Clean hardware and hinges
Residue builds up around hinges and pulls. Small brushes help.
Let it air with doors open
Leave doors and drawers open for a few days and smell each space again.
Seal raw wood that still smells
Shelf tops, drawer boxes and closet shelving that hold odor after cleaning can be sealed with a shellac-based primer. Allow full curing before reloading.
Replace what cannot be saved
Particleboard shelves with swollen or crumbling edges and cheap closet shelving are often easier to replace than rescue.
General information for Cherry Creek, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.