Let’s face it. Knowing how to clean your speakers appropriately plays a significant part in maintaining them. However, as much as removing dust and debris from any speakers can be an easy job, removing cigarette smell poses a massive challenge for most people.
If, let’s say, you buy a pair of speakers from a smoker, or you or someone that lives with you smokes, the smoke exhaled fills the room and lands on anything it finds in the room, including your speakers. It then finds its way into the interior parts of the speakers, including the speaker cone and so forth.
Eliminating this smell can be difficult. Therefore, what should you do? Should you just leave it that way and endure using the speakers that way? Definitely, no, and it’s something we would never recommend.
Here are some tips to remove that annoying cigarette smell from used speakers. These are just general ideas to help point you in the right direction. Because different types of speakers come with different types of build materials, you have to be careful with the cleaning methods and solvents to use. Use these tips at your own risk and responsibility. Let’s jump right in.
How do you get cigarette smell out of speakers?
Cleaning a speaker with dust and debris on its surface might be easier than cigarette smoke. You can just use a dry microfiber cloth or blow it off, and all the dirt will be gone. But when the smoke enters the speaker, it forms a sticky substance, which can be challenging to clean.
Therefore, here are safe solutions you should use if you want to remove this odor from the speaker without having to replace anything.
1. Air it Out
The easiest way to get rid of this odor is to air out your speakers. Disassemble the entire unit, and put them outdoors for several hours. This is because fresh air is a safe ‘tool’ for removing the odor naturally.
When airing out the internal parts of the speaker, cover them with an umbrella or put them under a shade if it’s sunny to avoid damaging them. Also, if the speaker was exposed to too much cigarette smoke, you may have to do this for several days to remove the smell entirely.
2. Vinegar and Warm Water
Apart from cleaning your cutlery, laundry, and countertops, vinegar can also remove stubborn stains and grime on electronics. By the way, they are a safe and eco-friendly solution compared to most cleaners in the market.
Mix vinegar with water in equal amounts and pour the solution into a spray bottle. The solution will neutralize the smoke smell immediately once you wipe it away using a dry microfiber cloth. If you don’t want the vinegar smell sticking on your speaker, add lemon oil or lavender oil to mask it.
3. Use Baking Soda
Baking soda (popularly known as sodium bicarbonate) is a reliable cleaning agent and can neutralize smells in shoes and different electronics such as your speakers.
You can use the substance in two ways. The first way is to mix it with water and vinegar if you plan to clean it with water. Secondly, you can place the box of baking soda inside the unit. It will slowly absorb the odor, and you won’t have to worry about destroying the internal parts of your speaker.
4. Rubbing alcohol on the surfaces
Alcohol and mineral spirits are efficient and safe solutions for cleaning electronics in your home. To remove odor from the speaker surfaces, you have to rub small amounts of highly concentrated alcohol. Note that diluting the alcohol below 70% will reduce its effectiveness.
Use a dry microfiber cloth or cotton swabs to do the job. Don’t use paper towels, as they can scratch the sensitive parts of your speakers. Also, avoid spraying the solution on the speakers. Rubbing it is enough.
5. Using safe cleaning solutions
Other than vinegar, you can also use cleaning solutions that are not harsh to the components of the speaker. For instance, look for oil soaps, lemon oils, and cleaning solutions that don’t have ammonia.
We recommend this option if the odor is on the exterior parts only. Identify the materials used to make the exterior of the speaker first to help you decide on the best solution to use.
6. Air fresheners
Air fresheners may not be the most recommended option to use on your speaker or any electronic device because they don’t remove the odor permanently. They only cover it. However, they can be a temporary solution, and if you spray the solution severally on the speaker, the cigarette smell will vanish.
Before buying any air fresheners, know the ingredients used to manufacture them, as some chemicals can harm your speaker’s components. The speaker’s user manual as well may contain information on what chemicals might destroy the speaker.
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Relevant FAQ you may have.
Can smoke be permanently removed from a speaker?
Yes, it’s possible. Using the proper cleaning solutions will remove the smoke residue from your speakers. You might have to clean the speaker several times if the speaker had a lot of smoke. However, before cleaning your speaker, ensure that you use safe solutions (some chemicals can cause rusting and discoloring of your speaker components) and soft fabrics.