Bowls of white vinegar or baking soda placed around the room, alongside good old-fashioned open windows, are the most reliable household fixes for bakhoor smoke that’s built up too strongly.

Why these simple things work

Vinegar and baking soda are both mild odour absorbers rather than fragrances themselves, so they pull smoke particles out of the air without adding a competing scent. Activated charcoal, if you have any from a water filter or similar, works on the same absorption principle and can be left in a dish in the room overnight. Boiling water with citrus peel can help freshen the air afterwards once the heavier smoke smell has eased, though it won’t do much on its own against a thick cloud of bakhoor smoke.

  • Open windows and doors for cross-ventilation first
  • Place small bowls of vinegar or baking soda around the room
  • Leave overnight if the smell is stubborn, then air the room again in the morning

A small electric fan aimed toward an open window speeds the whole process up considerably, since bakhoor smoke tends to hang in still air far longer than most people expect, especially in a room with soft furnishings.

A small fan left running overnight in the affected room, pointed toward a cracked window, can make a genuine difference by the time you wake up.

For guidance on burning bakhoor without overdoing it in the first place, see our complete guide to bakhoor and our complete guide to perfume.