It’s occasionally said that the smell of lit cigar is heaven, but the lingering smell of a cigar long after it’s been smoked is hell.

Without taking proper steps before and after enjoying cigars, things like your hair, face and breath can be negatively affected by cigar smoke. Clothing, upholstery and other things can also be affected by the unpleasant essence of an ‘old cigar’.

Thankfully, there’s plenty that can be done to eliminate the negative effects of old cigar smoke entirely. In this piece we’ll outline how to effectively deal with the potentially stinky essence of an ‘old cigar’. The following piece consists of a big handful of tried and tested solutions to overcome the essence of a long-since smoked cigar, as well as the best steps to cleanse and refresh your palate post-smoke.

The Right Attire

It starts with a little preparation. Wearing articles of clothing that aren’t washed all that frequently need to be kept away from cigar smoke. Here we’re talking largely about jackets, hats and coats. If you do wear these items, try to wear ones that you can designate specifically for cigar smoking that can be easily changed out of afterwards and can ideally placed outside to properly air out between sessions. 

Fabrics that aren’t washed easily or at all should be steered away from as well. Here I’m talking about delicate luxury items like suede and leather. Truth be told, leather and suede don’t hold on to odor as long as other fabrics do – but the problem is that you can’t just toss them in the wash like you can a simple t shirt. If smoking in any such fabric, apply a fabric deodorizer like Febreeze afterwards and the smell will disappear in a day or two. Just don’t put them back in your closet while they’re airing out, let them breathe awhile, hung away from clean clothes.

A good quality steamer can also work wonders on rejuvenating clothes after having being worn for a bout of cigar smoking. 

Certain sweater fabrics like wool, cashmere or angora that often need dry cleaning typically can’t just be tossed in the wash either and should be avoided altogether. These fabrics effectively trap in smoke and then release it back into the air over a long period of time, creating an ongoing unpleasant essence of old odor – basically meaning, they can reek for weeks.

Skip on wearing that cable knit sweater when smoking a cigar.

Pass on fabrics like wool when lighting ’em up

Cotton also locks odor in. Though cotton does hold on odor, many cotton fabrics can be easily, stripped off, tossed in the hamper post-cigar and then washed. For cooler climes, synthetic fabrics like polyester or polar fleece have been said to be quite resistant to holding on to odors and can be easily washed as an added plus, thus we recommend you designate yourself a few articles of ‘smoking clothes’ that can be kept separate from your everyday wear attire and won’t offend others long after you’ve been around cigars.

Location, Location, Location

Actor, former California governor and long-time cigar aficionado Arnold Schwarzenegger vehemently despises indoor cigar smoking of any kind. To minimize the likelihood of cigar smoke becoming embedded into you, aim to do as much of your cigar smoking in outdoor settings. Of course, living in California like Arnold makes outdoor smoking much more feasible. Unfortunately for others stuck in colder climates like say Minnesota or Buffalo, such an option doesn’t exist year-round. Thus, indoor cigar smoking is certainly required at times, and for such occasions a spacious, well-ventilated cigar lounge will do (among our favorite, most most well-equipped cigar lounges is Buffalo Cigars).

For less lingering odor, aim to smoke cigars outdoors whenever humanly possible

For this, we recommend enjoying cigars within an indoor spot outfitted with predominantly leather upholstery that has an effective ventilation system to minimize the effects of the smoke becoming embedded into your clothing and your furniture. High ceilings also help, giving the smoke a place to lift to away from you and ideally be ventilated out out of the room. Smoking cigars in a tightly-enclosed space like your car is not advised, especially in cold weather where can’t roll down your windows. To minimize old cigar smell, aim to smoke outdoors or in a well-ventilated open space with high ceilings and windows when smoking inside (to read up on a well-ventilated cigar man cave done right, read here).

An area outfitted with leather upholstery is best when smoking indoors

Also, spraying Febreeze or applying other odor neutralizing products like baking soda can work to remove the smell of old cigar from carpets, upholstery and clothing. Baking soda can be lightly sprinkled on carpets and upholstery and can be vacuumed off afterwards to destroy odors. 

Tidying Up

We view proper cleanup of one’s self after a cigar along the same lines as after participating in sports or working out. Of course physical activities like working out often provide a great benefit of improving mood and well being – just like cigar smoking! Amazing. 

Working out however, can create a quick stench by ramping up sweat and body odor production. Like smoking cigars, steps must be taken post-workout to quickly eradicate odor, refresh and renew. A good shower and washing your hair is typically a must unless you want to offend others.

If this seems like common sense, why not take the same approach to cigar smoking? ‘Atta boy!

A quick shower and face wash can work wonders for you body and your mug post cigar

For this we recommend a good antibacterial mouthwash gargle followed by brushing your teeth with a baking soda-formulated toothpaste to take care of your breath.  The baking soda found in brands like Arm & Hammer work great to neutralize the effect a cigar has on your palate. 

While smoking a cigar it’s essential to stay hydrated and to wet down and cool your mouth with sips of water. Sparkling water can also refresh and energize your palette in between puffs, ramping up your ability to appreciate your cigar. After smoking, we also recommend eating an apple or some citrus fruit to refresh your palate after the bold heat of a cigar. Citrus can neutralize the cloying effect of hot cigar smoke of your palate. Other handy items like gum, breath strips and mints are also effective in fostering clean and pleasant breath free of cigar taste and odor – which is never pleasant. 

Foremost, a quick shower and face wash is highly recommended. We advise using something with texture like a loofah with an exfoliating body wash. Using a facial moisturizer and beard or moustache oil afterwards also helps to eradicate the essence of cigar on your mug and generally leaves you smelling oh so fine. 

CONCLUSION

Cigars are great, but the smell of a long-since smoked stogie on you and in your surroundings generally isn’t. Taking the initiative to mitigate and overcome the potential lingering smell of cigars is always a great idea, and is also one that might greatly assist in a woman not only tolerating, but actually developing a genuine appreciation of your beloved hobby.

Employ these key steps pre- and post-cigar to leave your surroundings as well as your clothing, face and body smelling clean, fresh and always inviting for the opposite sex to get up in your mix and interact with. 

– Kurt Bradley