How to Get Rid of Cigar Breath

Share it!

Cigar breath … also called cigar mouth. One of the few drawbacks of smoking stogies, it’s something all of us have experienced at one time or another. It’s bad enough when that taste sticks in your mouth after you smoke, but even worse when you brush and floss and use your mouthwash, wake up the next morning, and it’s still there. And worse, you lean over to kiss your wife and she turns the other way and gags.

Not good.

Why Does Cigar Breath Happen?

First things first. Let’s talk about why cigar mouth happens. I’ve actually heard a number of theories on the topic. It’s my guess that each of them is a contributing factor. For starters, let’s say you smoke a badly made or poorly aged cigar that has a lot of bitter flavors and ammonia. A cigar like that is going to leave some unpleasant flavors lingering on your palate. So what you smoke is a factor.

How you smoke may have an impact as well. If you’re smoking really fast, you can release a lot of bitter tars which can stick on the palate for hours. Smoking more slowly and keeping the stogie from burning too hot can make a big difference. Certain cigars also should not be smoked down to the nub, because they can get bitter and harsh at the end, which may linger on your palate.

One last factor is unavoidable, and that is the fact that the tobacco smoke in your mouth dries out your saliva. Your saliva is necessary for clearing out bacteria. When your mouth is dry, microbes multiply. As a result, you get bad breath.

What Can You Do About It?

Okay, now that we know why cigar breath occurs, we can talk about preventing it or getting rid of it.

When smoking:
  • Avoid bitter or ammonia-rich cigars. Cigars that are aged less than 6 months are particularly likely to fall into this unwanted category.
  • Avoid burning too hot or smoking too fast.
  • Do not smoke cigars down to the nub that you know get harsh down there.
After smoking:
  • Brushing, flossing, and mouthwash do help. You may also want to pick up a tongue scraper. You can grab one for around $5. They are specially designed to get rid of bacteria and kill bad breath. There are also specialized mouthwashes commercially produced to get rid of cigar mouth and similar problems. These include Smart Mouth, Targon, and Cigar Clear.
  • Chomp on some parsley, or any other chlorophyll-rich vegetable. Parsley is one of the best all-around remedies you are going to find. As a bonus, it has health benefits.
  • Time your smoking right. If you smoke before dinner so that you follow up your stogie with some food and drink, that is a great tactic for getting the aftertaste out quickly.
  • Drinking while you are smoking is wise too. Vodka and tonic are a great choice for killing odors. You can also choose any beverage with citrus in it—orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, whatever.
Not going to work:
  • Breath mints. These will just mask the odors you are trying to get rid of, or add a minty edge to them. They will not actually get rid of them.

There you go. Cigar breath happens to all of us at times, but it is something you can learn how to prevent and get rid of fast. Choose quality, well-aged cigars, smoke them slowly, avoid the nub on cigars you know get harsh at the end, and time your smoking well with eating and drinking. Chew some parsley and drink some citrus juice or vodka. If you need to, grab a tongue scraper and some specialized mouth wash. You’ll be glad you did. So will anybody who lives or works with you!

Got some more advice on this topic? Please share it in the comment area below!

9 thoughts on “How to Get Rid of Cigar Breath

  1. SmartMouth works great but doesn’t travel well. The bottle doesn’t seal and leaks everywhere.

  2. I noticed the statement about drinking citrus with your cigar. Never! Citrus is acidic and conflicts with the alkaline of the tobacco. Citrus makes cigars taste horrible!

  3. I have found that chocolate works great for cleansing the palate after any cigar!!!!!

  4. Great article, loved the info as this has been a frustrating thing for me. I’ll try the suggestions. Thanks! #CIGARLOVERS

  5. Chew on a few pieces of black licorice for about 10 minutes.works every time.

  6. good article, but I will stick to fennel seeds as well, work every time!

  7. @Wrendad
    Indeed, and here is the article!

  8. You guys had a article a couple of years ago that suggested chewing a handful of fennel seeds. I have used this trick and it works well to clean the palate.

  9. I have found that the Parsley works well; but, I also gargle with a mouthful of Peroxide Grocery store variety). And, use the tongue scraper. This works well…

Leave a Reply