My imagination?

Not sure about this one. D and her partner both smoke which they do in the garden, never indoors as our house is a smoke free zone. I have never detected smoke smell on either of them.
D's ex smoked and smelt like an old ashtray. However I never smelt anything indoors after he had visited.

Last message got lost! Yes, tiny particles transfer, and people not normally around smokers notice.
I don't think air freshener helps. Vacuuming and airing does - if it's as nice at yours as here, I'd take cushions into the garden.
1-2 days it lasts in my experience. If gritting your teeth, then think she must enjoy your company a great deal to not have a cigarette over her coffee. I almost never have all but the lightest smokers in my house now,; and how I miss my dear BiL who only ever smoked outside, and never realised how the house smelled after he left, but his fantastic company made up for it!

I think it's highly unlikely that you can still smell smoke Oldwoman.
I have regular visits from a friend who has mental health problems and in addition to being a heavy smoker he rarely takes care of personal hygiene. To be honest he often smells rank (sometimes he asks me if he smells and I'm always honest with him) and as soon as he leaves I do all the things you describe. It can take several hours of having the window open, but certainly by the next day there are no lingering smells.

I am only guessing here, but perhaps it depends on how ingrained the smoker's clothing is with smoke particles. combined with how 'absorbent' the furniture is that they were sitting on!

Or could it be that you are overly sensitive to smoking / the residual smell? I know I am and find even a little hint really unpleasant and I do seem to detect it a mile off!

My father was a chain smoker and died from lung-cancer so I have been anti for a very long time.

It is very possible that your neighbour exuded a cigarette smoke smell as it would be on her clothes and even on her skin, and breath.

Maybe stand a drier with freshly washed washing in the room near the open window to add some freshness to the air. Unless is's so bad that you think the washing will end up smelling of smoke, too!

I remember going in the lift at work after a smoker had been in it, horrible. It wouldn't surprise me if it hung around for quite a while. I would open all windows even if it is cold for as long as you can bear it. Do you have a diffuser? They can be quite pleasant. M & S sell them.

You are definitely not imagining it oldwomen the particles from smoking get everywhere she may have had a cig just before she came in knowing she wouldn't get one for a while the said particles will be carried by her and deposited on your sofa or soft furnishings
I don't agree that smells don't linger what happens is our senses get used to it
I d do all the airing and opening that others have spoken of but add a neutraliser spray
I have a family of smokers next to me and one (unused) bedroom always smells it must come down the chimney (I have Victorian fireplaces in my bedrooms )

Ah yes! Just realised you only opened the windows today, in which case you could well have still been smelling smoke. I always open windows and vacuum straight away after my visitor goes. It's a horrible smell - yuck!

DGD and her partner both smoke, though not in my house. But when they paid a visit, it took me 24 hours, at least, to dispel the smell of tobacco. I hear from DS1 that they have now taken up 'vaping' which can at least emit an agreeable aroma, though I doubt if it's any better for their health.

I think the chemicals from smoke can linger quite a while. Also, the smell can sort of get into your nostrils and although the actual smell has gone, your sense of smell still has the memory imprinted on it.

I often pass people in shops, on buses, or out walking, who smell heavily of cigarette smoke. They are generally not smoking at the time. Their clothes and even skin must reek of smoke, therefore this must easily transfer to soft furnishings. Just as you can tell when entering a house that they have a dog, you can always tell a smoker

I can smell it at home if a smoker has been in the room.

Smoke does hang around a long time, and its pervasive.
The other gran is ( or was, she now has copd!) a heavy smoker and when gd was born sent a bag of gifts to the hospital. All were in individual plastic bags, then gift wrapped sepRTely, and then all placed in another bag. I happened to be there and as they opened the presents the pungent smell of smoke knocked us out! Even after the clothes were washed, they still smelled of smoke!

When I gave up smoking (last time!) the smell of smoke was very strong around my flat. I could smell it even just standing near my front door. Most unpleasant. It only disappeared when I started smoking again!

Ha ha, you did it again MA.

Also, the smell can sort of get into your nostrils and although the actual smell has gone, your sense of smell still has the memory imprinted on it. There is probably a lot of truth in that. We went on a steam train last week - there were about seven of us in a small compartmentless carriage and because it was warm we had the windows open and train smoke inevitably came in. A couple of days later we were out walking and I said to DH "I know this is probably impossible, but I can still smell train smoke, as if it's in my nostrils!" My BiL, who drives steam engines for a railway society, says it is perfectly possible for the smell of smoke to stay with you. So perhaps not just train smoke.

Before I retired I worked with a lovely man who had a very sad life story. He was an alcoholic in very poor health and had terrible breath and body odour. Many a time when I got home I could still smell him for hours afterwards. As Sudonim said, the memory of the smell seems to stay in your nostrils. Sadly he collapsed and died about a year ago.

I got a charity shop bargain, very expensive waterprroof jacket for £ 20 should have cost £200, however previous owner smoked.

I spreyed it liberally with Fabrreeze and left it outside for a week.

Non smelly jacket. thank goodness

Maybe meet your friend at a cafe in future, oldwoman.

My hubby kept some things from his mum when she died in January and they stink. I've put them in a cupboard and every time I open the door it's all I can smell.
When we had visited his folks and returned home we would all go straight upstairs to shower and change and put washing on before we could sit down. Dirty ashtray smell , hate it .
It was never just fag smells though , it was fried food and stale air as they never opened doors or Windows in case a fly came in.
When they had been to visit us I opened all doors and Windows for hours and wiped down everything they had touched . Sofas , cushions ,dining chairs all got a hot soapy going over.

The answer is yes it can transfer. My daughter is heavy smoker and As I have Power of Attornery I often have to take home paperwork from her house and I can smell the smoke, it's horrible. Also all her clothes smell of smoke and I just hate going there.

Febreeze fabric spray , not air spray, is very good. U only need to do it once, as soon as they leave, then windows open, a really good candle burning, u can also get candles specially to absorb smoke smells .

Yes definitely use Fabreze on your furnishings. I used it and it worked. We had somebody standing at the door smoking and the smell got in the house and we couldn't get rid of it for over a day.

I am an asthma sufferer, and as such no one ever smokes in my house. I am extremely sensitive to cigarette smoke (among other things) and I do notice even the slightest odour, and usually have an immediate coughing fit and tightening of breathing tubes, so I believe the odour can linger despite a thorough cleaning regime. I have had a severe attack of coughing/tube tightening on a bus when a lady got on and sat in front of me, she wasn't smoking then (obviously not allowed on buses) but her clothes were so heavily impregnated with cigarette fumes that she might as well have been smoking! When I started coughing and wheezing she got up and moved, much to my relief, and then gave me a filthy look, as if to say that I may give her some dreadful bug. Oh, the irony! My friend retorted to her 'It's asthma!' but I doubt the woman realised she was the cause of my difficulties!