The dangers of smoking inside the house
The health risks of tobacco are already well known. But you might not be aware that smoking inside your home can exacerbate them and create new hazards.
ICE Cleaning is a specialist cleaning company that provides high-quality smoke odour removal to make your home clean and safe again. Its technicians are available nationwide, 24/7 to remove what is causing the smell and neutralise it.
In this article, the experts explain why smoking in a property can be perilous.
It increases the chances of health problems
When you smoke inside an enclosed space, like a house or a car, the second-hand smoke can’t blow away. It sticks around for up to five hours and can be breathed in by you and others in your house.
The toxin-filled fumes can cause headaches, nausea, and respiratory problems, even for the people not smoking. This is especially dangerous for children as they breathe in twice as much as adults, and have undeveloped lungs and immune systems.
It will eventually dissipate, but third-hand smoke does not budge so easily. This is when the pollutants in tobacco, like nicotine and cancer-causing chemicals, settle indoors and embed themselves in soft surfaces. This is what can make smokers’ houses smell strongly of cigarettes.
These particles continue to release noxious gases over time, and if you touch a surface coated in the chemicals, you are exposed to them. Young children, in particular, are at risk as they might put contaminated items in their mouth.
Unfortunately, getting rid of these particles is very difficult. Soft surfaces must be deep-cleaned and the odour neutralised to remove the harmful substances.
There is a greater fire risk
Smoking indoors is one of the biggest causes of house fire fatalities. This is because there are lots of flammable materials.
Upholstered furniture, for example, can catch on fire easily and provide substantial fuel for a fire should a cigarette brush against or fall onto it. Instead of ashtrays, some might use bins which, depending on the contents, can be tinderboxes. If a still-lit butt or smouldering ash is put in one, it can start a fire.
Smoking in bed is another perilous habit as you’re likely to fall asleep and your bedsheets, duvet, and mattress are highly combustible. The sheer size of them would be perfect fuel for a fire and enable it to spread rapidly.
The prospect of a fire is not the only problem, however. If one does break out, the resulting smoke damage and odour can affect your health just as much as a cigarette. The tiny particles left behind contain toxins and heavy metals which can cause coronary heart disease, asthma, and other respiratory illnesses.
ICE Cleaning’s technicians have extensive experience deep-cleaning properties to remove any hazardous particles, and can clean up soot or ash in your home.
Find out more about ICE Cleaning’s services by clicking here.
