Smoking Indoors

It’s no secret that cigars can be somewhat stinky when smoked in enclosed areas. Depending on the size of the cigar, how long it’s smoked, and the conditions where it’s smoked, the smell—or fragrance, depending on which side of this particular fence you sit—can linger for days. The lingering aroma is what forces many cigar smokers to limit their enjoyment of their favorite sticks to the great outdoors. But what if the weather’s nasty or you simply feel like kicking back and savoring your cigar inside. Can it be done? Absolutely. And, better yet, you can do it without having a specially outfitted smoking room with industrial-strength fans or fancy air-exchange systems built in. There are two factors to keep in mind when smoking indoors—ventilation and residual effect. If you smoke in a room with poor or no ventilation, the smoke has nowhere to go than into the air around you. If allowed to sit there, even for a short period of time, it will get stale. But there’s more to cigar smoke than this. Smoke contains tars and oils—they’re what give smoke its smell. Again, if allowed to sit in an unvented area, these substances will settle on soft surfaces—carpet, upholstery, curtains. As they do, stale smells will accumulate and create a residual effect that can be very hard to get rid of. So, ventilation is key, but you need to do more than just open a window. You have to physically remove the smoke. The cheapest and easiest way to do this is to put a fan in that window. Start it up before you start smoking and keep it running the entire time you smoke and for as long as necessary to clear the smoke away after you’re done. If it’s cold outside you might have to bundle up a bit as turning on central heating can pull the cigar smoke back into the room and into your heating system, which pretty much defeats the open window and fan setup. When you’re done smoking, get rid of the left-over cigar and the ashes as soon as you can, as they also contribute to the residual effect that you want to avoid. Some smokers use air cleaners of various types, and with various results. Some manufacturers state that their air purifiers aren’t effective at clearing smoke as the particles in the smoke can clog the filters in their units. But there are also products that are specially designed for clearing the smoke from the air around you—some dedicated smokers depend on products from Csonka for keeping the air cigar-smoke free when they’re enjoyed indoors.