Stale cigarette smoke can linger in the home, especially if a heavy smoker lives there. Scientists are concerned about that stale cigarette residue that clings to walls, carpets and the dust in your home. They call it 3rd hand smoking exposure. Not only is the cigarette smell annoying, experts say, it can also pose a health risk to young children and other vulnerable people.

So how do you keep carpets from reeking of stogies when you live with a heavy smoker?

1) Try a smokeless ashtray..

Because cigarette smoke dissipates throughout a room, it enters every crack, and even finds its way to other rooms. That's why walls, lightbulbs, books, clothes and carpet end up retaining the stale odor.

To keep the smoke from spreading throughout the room, try using a smokeless ashtray. These devices pull most of the cigarette smoke inside and filter it before releasing the drawn air. While they don't pull the smoke in as well when a smoker has a lit cigarette held to their face or away from the ashtray, they can cut down on the smoke that actually enters your space, reducing the strength of odors in your carpet.

2) Filtration can help clean air.

Cigarette smoke permeates everything, including your central heat and air systems. Then the smell is blown back out into your home when you turn on the heat or AC.

To minimize this problem, have a very strict regimen of filter change outs. There are many excellent filters out there that are designed to capture even smoke particles, so get the best furnace filter you can find and make sure to change it as often as possible. Think about using washable, reusable filters if cost is an issue.

Also have your duct work cleaned, as the dust particles inside your HVAC ducts carry some of the smell and residue. Regularly dust and vacuum your home to minimize the dust that enters your heating and cooling system. This will also help with odors on carpets.

3) Purchase an air purifier.

There are a myriad of air purifiers on the market. They draw in room air and filter it. Some are portable and others work with your home's HVAC system to improve the whole house's air quality.

Some are humidifiers and have water reservoirs that you fill to add moisture to the room. These devices generally have filters that must be changed. An alarm or indicator on the machine will alert you when the filters need replacing. Some air purifiers have washable stainless steel filters to cut the expense of filter replacement.

You may not be able to keep your carpets completely odor free if you live with a heavy smoker, but the tips above should help minimize the smells that accompany cigarette smoking. A carpet cleaning professional, like those at Clean Sweep Professional Cleaning Service, can advise you on the best way to remove a strong cigarette smell from carpet if the odors have become overwhelming.