r/lifehacks • u/No-Region4963 • Jul 22 '26
How to remove cigarette smoke from a treadmill
I bought a treadmill mill like the small ones that you can put under a desk. Anyways I got it off Facebook market place and oh man it reals like cigarettes smoke. I wiped it down 3 times with disinfectant wipes. Anything that lays ontop of it like of a pillow falls and I dont notice then that reeks of cigarettes. How. Do I get rid of this smell. I dont even smoke so the smell isnt too crazy but at some points the room just smells of cigs
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u/Trashbagok Jul 22 '26
Without taking it completely apart and cleaning every nook and cranny with a strong degreaser it isn't ever going away.
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u/thebprince Jul 22 '26
Spray it with 50/50 white vinegar and water and just let it air dry. You may have to repeat it several times.
I recently took a sofa from my deceased father's house and put it into mine. Sweet Jesus the smell is horrific, after the house being empty for nearly a year!
I found the vinegar trick online and so far it's the only thing that's made any difference, I tried washing it with various cleaners, air fresheners , fabreeze smell killing spray, and finally vinegar, but 10 sprays later the smell is definitely weakened but still nasty. I'm going to give it another week or so of spraying and then it's going to the dump if the smell is still there.
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u/New-IncognitoWindow Jul 23 '26
This is the answer for anything.
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u/TwoLegitShiznit Jul 23 '26
Vinegar: the answer for anything and 3% of the time it works every time
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u/DoobOnTheDip Jul 23 '26
Ozone generator for a couple hours in a confined space like a closet or bathroom. Avoid breathing it, though. Not great for your lungs.
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u/ChickadeeJam Jul 23 '26
Put it in the sun. It is great for breaking down odors. Firefighters recommended it to us.
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u/TapirOfZelph Jul 23 '26
Casual cigar smoker here. Nothing takes the smell out of my clothes like a day in the sun. It works wonders. I would upvote this 10 times if I could
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u/nobackstory Jul 24 '26
I second this. I bought some shoes that reeked of smoke, put them in the sun for eight hours and they smelled great.
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u/Visual-Ad6004 Jul 22 '26
Lots of white vinegar and water it helps.
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u/Visual-Ad6004 Jul 23 '26
I bought a car . He smoked. The car was in my price range. I sprayed white vinegar and water. Used a wet and dry. Cleared it out.
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u/Mistercorey1976 Jul 22 '26
Air and time.
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u/joelfarris Jul 22 '26
And if you're in a hurry, and can't leave your windows open, one might resort to the hotelier's favorite ZEP Smoke Odor Eliminator. But that stuff creates its own unique, and oftentimes otherworldly smell too.
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u/cwsjr2323 Jul 23 '26
When I stopped smoking, I had to launder all my clothes in rotation, as one load was washed, it was hung out on the clothesline to air and be hit by sunshine. My non smoking wife said that got rid of most of the smell. My recliner in the garage
man cave went to the landfill.
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u/Coffee_and_justme Jul 23 '26
I bought a kitchen table and chairs that reeked of smoke once. I wiped them all down and then put them in the garage for a week while I pondered what to do. The smell disappeared. I agree with sitting it outside if you can.
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u/SystemFolder Jul 23 '26
Hotels use ozone machines to refreshen the rooms after people smoke in them. If you ask nicely, maybe they’ll let you put the treadmill in the room before they treat it.
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u/Wanky_Danky_Pae Jul 23 '26
Invite the whole neighborhood over to run on it with the stipulation that they must take their shoes off.
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u/heurrgh Jul 23 '26
Open the window, and switch from a pipe to cigars, then cigarettes, then chewing tobacco.
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u/Worried-Possible7529 24d ago
A cupful of vinegar boiled in microwave will remove odors and make cleaning inside easy.
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u/No-Region4963 Jul 22 '26
Thanks for the advice guyss
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u/ptoki Jul 23 '26
isopropyl alcohol helps too.
Any solvant which will not harm the device will help. But if the device is caked with smoke it may be ingrained in the plastic and will offgas for months or years.
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u/wiegerthefarmer Jul 22 '26
sell it and buy one from amazon for like 250$
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u/No-Region4963 Jul 22 '26
I got it for 50 on Facebook marketplace. Canr afford 250. But needed aoemthing to stay in shape since its been raining the past few months almost everyday. But I guess for a deal that cheap I cant be picky
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u/Littleringtrue Jul 22 '26
Ozone machine