How to Smoke in Your House Without Your Parents Finding Out

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Last Updated: October 27, 2024

Smoking produces a distinctive odor. The second you light a clove or cigarette, the odor sticks to the furniture, your clothing, and in your hair. Reducing this odor is incredibly important if you’re still living with your parents and they are against smoking. Taking pre-emptive action can keep your parents from finding out that about your smoking. If you need help to quit smoking, read How to Quit Smoking or visit the CDC website.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Containing the Smell

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1
Find a private place to smoke it. If at all possible, make it an outdoor spot. Part of the garage, or an area under your deck are both good choices. If an outdoor spot isn’t an option, you can use the bathroom.
- A bedroom isn’t a great spot to smoke if you’re trying to hide it. There are a lot of fabrics that will soak in the smoke and it will be hard to mask the smell.
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Timing your smoke breaks. If you’re disappearing to smoke every hour, your parents will get suspicious. Time your breaks wisely. Use other excuses to get a moment away.
- Before you shower.
- Using the bathroom after a meal.
- Nightly phone call from your boyfriend/girlfriend.
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Using a towel, plug the cracks between the door frame and the door. Freshly laundered towels will produce a more pleasant smell as air moves through them. If you’re outside or using a garage, don’t worry about this.
If you’re inside, be sure to exhale through an open window. Not only will this force the majority of the smell outside, but it will help aerate the smell that’s inside.
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Use a fan. Having ventilation planned is key to hiding the smell of smoke. Placing a portable fan at a window can help control air flow and diffuse the hazy, smelly cloud of smoke.
- Use a room that already has a fan. Carrying a fan around with you is suspicious.

Part 2

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Masking the Scent

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Using a lightweight jacket, sweatshirt, or long sleeve shirt will help keep the smoke from clinging to your clothes. Leave this cover-up in your smoking spot. ^{[1]
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A smudge stick is basically a bundle of dried herbs. It acts as a heavy duty incense stick. This will not only mask the scent, but also make any escaped smoke less suspicious.^{[2]
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Spray these before and after you smoke. This way, you don’t overuse it and cause your parents to be skeptical. You don’t want them wondering why it smells like you took a bath in it.^{[3]
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Ozium is an odor neutralizer that inhibits the ability of the nose to smell anything other than the neutralizer. This is commonly used to produce the “new car smell” and can fix many other problem smells. Spray according to the directions and only use it directly before you leave the room.

Part 3

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Deodorizing Yourself

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Brush your teeth immediately after smoking. If your smoking spot is outside and you have to cross your parents before getting into the bathroom, use chewing gum to freshen your breath. You can also hide the smell by eating something with a strong odor, like onions or garlic. Of course, if you go this route, you’ll smell like onions or garlic, but that might be better than smelling like smoke. ^{[4]
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Using a strong scented soap, wash your hands as thoroughly as possible. If this is not enough, you can also use a scented moisturizer or scented hand sanitizer. You can also mask the scent on your hands by eating an orange. Peeling the orange will leave the juice and scent of oranges on your hands.^{[5]
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You can clean any tar on your skin with rubbing alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol can be safely applied to skin. It will dry out your skin so be sure to have scented moisturizer with you as well. ^{[6]
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Your hair absorbs the smell of cigarette smoke because it is porous and absorbs the particles of smoke. This smell is retained for a long time. The only way to get the smell out of your hair is to take a shower and use a good shampoo. Using a coconut shampoo and scented hair styling product will help mask the smell. ^{[7]
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Tips

Switch to E-Cigarettes. This will help you completely avoid that tobacco smell. You’ll still get your nicotine fix, but won’t smell. ^{[8]
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Nonsmokers have a much better sense of smell than smokers do. Even if you think you’ve gotten rid of the smell, they might be able to detect it. If you can smell it at all, they will absolutely be able to smell it.^{[9]
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The only way to put an absolute end to the smell is to stop smoking.

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The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Stuff dryer sheets in a toilet paper tube and blow through that to disguise the scent. You can also put iodized charcoal (sold with fish supplies) between the dryer sheets to absorb more of the odor.
Smoke in the bathroom with the exhaust fan on. You can also run the shower for some steam and squirt some shower gel under the water to cover the smell of smoke.

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Warnings

Menthols smell just as much as regular cigarettes.

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Minors should not smoke, as it is extremely hazardous to their developing bodies.

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Smoking is hazardous to your health. Sooner or later, your body will take its toll.

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Tar is sticky and difficult to remove.

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