Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Raptor on August 13, 2009, 08:42:08 PM
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I just moved into my new apartment. The people that lived here before me were heavy smokers. The carpet was replaced and the apartment has been painted, yet it still smells like smoke. I have had the windows and doors open trying to air it out, I bought a plant to help clean the air a little, I have a couple air fresheners scattered throughout the apartment... yet there doesn't seem to be any result. Considering the apartment has been painted and the carpet is brand new, I do not know what to clean. Does anyone have any recommendations or proven home remedies?
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http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/odor-removal/how-to-get-rid-of-smoke-smell/ (http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/odor-removal/how-to-get-rid-of-smoke-smell/)
The activated charcoal bit looks like something to try.
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Well, I guess you could start smoking to mask the old smell of cigarettes with the new smell of cigarettes therefor defeating your problem. The only setback is heart disease, cancer etc....
In all honesty, I am not sure if there is a tried and true way since that is a tough smell to get rid of. More than likely the tar has leached into the walls making it a permanent resident. I would buy a bunch of febreeze and go wild on the place. If the stench is still there then complain to the landlords and they might let you move into a new unit.
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I didn't watch mensa180's video yet, but I'll check it out.
We had the same problem in our last apartment. The management brought in a device that ionized the air and ran it for three days while we were out of town. It didn't completely rid the oder, but it was order of magnitude better. I think car detailers sometimes use these devices too. Anyone know what they are called?
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Raptor,
There is a product on the market that may help!
they are used to remove odor,from solvents, paint and smoke damage.
Interestingly enough they can be found at headshops and magazines that cater to the use and growth of a certain green substance.
They are available in small puck shaped cans,worth a look.....
:salute
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If it's grimed up all the walls & ceiling, won't a coat of KILZ take care of that? Of course, then you'd have to paint over it, then the house would smell like paint instead of cigarettes.
Oh, but I think I just saw a commercial for paint w/KILZ mixed in it... that would take just one coat. I'd make the overlord pay for professionals to come in & do it though, instead of you. :)
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I'd buy some cheap hand towels and hit the walls, then Kilz them after removing what you could on the "once-over".
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I had a fire in my guesthouse last year. So, it stunk heavily, and I needed the stink out right away so I wouldn't have to re-route all the tourists that were booked.
Since I knew of no specialized product that would take care of it, we did lots of cooking in there (roast lamb etc) to hijack the smell, - so to speak. It worked.
Lots of washing and drying the laundry inside helps as well. Airing also helps. Painting helps.
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I don't know how well it will vork in an apartment, but a bowl of strong vineager usually does the trick in cars.
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Try washing the walls with vinegar and baking soda, Put a rag with vanilla extract in the vents. It will go away eventually. Maybe get a clean air machine. Good luck!
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There are commercial smell removers that are pretty effective.
I have a spray bottle that will remove almost any odor with a couple puffs. Some anti-odor products are non toxic and actually used mixed to cattle food in some places.
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I just moved into my new apartment. The people that lived here before me were heavy smokers. The carpet was replaced and the apartment has been painted, yet it still smells like smoke. I have had the windows and doors open trying to air it out, I bought a plant to help clean the air a little, I have a couple air fresheners scattered throughout the apartment... yet there doesn't seem to be any result. Considering the apartment has been painted and the carpet is brand new, I do not know what to clean. Does anyone have any recommendations or proven home remedies?
Is the woodwork painted or natural? What about the cabinetry? New carpet and paint should have solved the problem unless the trim or cabinets were left untouched.
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Get a cat; get LOTS of cats. This will render your smoke smell issue null and void.
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You gotta get the ducts cleaned.
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Your nose isn't lying to you. While you figure out how to get rid of the smell, you're inhaling whatever compounds are responsible for it.
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Curval hit the nail on the head!
Change all filters for the HVAC unit or units. Pull the vents and wash them thoroughly. The smell of smoke has gotten into the vents and will hang around for a long time. Get the stench out of the vents, and the apartment will smell better in a matter of hours.
If you don't have the ducting cleaned...................Wel l change your CPID to Smokey!
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sometimes even painting over will not get rid of the smell .. what I did was primer with kilz2 then painted and it was alot better
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sometimes even painting over will not get rid of the smell .. what I did was primer with kilz2 then painted and it was alot better
But "masking it" doesn't help. Which is why a damp towel will get most of the residue.
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Rent a carpet cleaner and give the carpets a good whack.
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I got my money on the screens on your windows (and screen door if aplicable) to your apartment beign laced with cigarrete nastyness. Also the filter in your AC (or the air intake and vents if it's a central system) will need to be cleaned out. Replace them if necessary but some diligent cleaning with water, some rags and some cleaning product of your choice should do the trick.
The smell should/will go away, but fresh smoke is very resinous and sticks to things that it passes through. That resin smells horribley and needs to be cleaned for the smell to disapear.
I'm back to smoking myself lately, but I can't stand how dirty of a habit it is and I don't like my place smelling like an ashtray, so I keep ontop of it. I clean my screens and AC filter regularly and it makes a huge difference.
Checkout your bathroom too if it has a vent. I don't smoke when I'm in the bathroom taking care of buisness, but a lot of smokers do, includign the previous tenant of my apatment. I found after I vacumed the vent out and wiped the motor unit mostly clean that the heavy smoke smell started to go away and was gone within a week.
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But "masking it" doesn't help. Which is why a damp towel will get most of the residue.
Our apartment was rented by heavy smokers before us. We steam clean all of the walls, which all have two coats of Kilz on them. They still ooze yellow goo. It's wonderful.
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As a thought you can go to Home Depot or Lowe's and buy a freshener for your A/C filter that will really help out with odors and these really work . they cost like 2 or 3 bucks and change your A/C filters at least every 2 weeks until it gets better than change them out once a month . It also helps keep dust to a minimum and helps with the air you breathe . If its really horrible and you repaint Killz's is the best for anything like that and will do the trick . If possible call a duct cleaning company and have them sweep out the system if its central air , that also cuts down dust and odors like you would not believe .
Nutte :salute
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Dude, sniff before you rent. Failing that, one word: ARSON!
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Hello Raptor,
I worked for a large (smoke, fire, water and mold ) restoration company prior to becoming a Sr. Large Loss Property adjuster for an insurance company, and have been working with getting rid of bad odors ( smoke, fire, water,body decomposition etc) for around 20years, and have some suggestions for you.
With regards to changing filters and cleaning the ducts, this is a must as the only way to get rid of an odor, is to remove the source. Make sure that the duct cleaning company is aware of your concerns, as they have ways of spraying deodorizers (spelling?) into the ducts once they are cleaned. Also i have attached a link to a product that we use to use in the business, when we were looking to get rid of residual odors, place some of these in the ducts, they are called bad odor sponges, and they absorb the odors. Changing the filter is also a big help
This is the cheapest way to get rid of the problem. The average cost of duct cleaning a normal 3br home ( in my area eastern PA )is approx $400.00, deodorization may be a little extra.
Bad Air Sponge link
http://www.thebadairsponge.com/cigarette_odor_remover.html
Now the bad news, or better yet lets say the worse case scenario,
As you have found, painting may not work,as the smoke may have worked its way into the wall cavities of the home. No worries though, there is a way to take care of it. Any local Property damage restoration company should have a machine called an Ozone machine. Without getting all scientific on you, basically it is brought into a home along with a couple of airmovers ( fans help pressurize the home and pushes the Ozone behind the walls) What this machine does is uses electricity across metal coated porcelain plates, and takes the oxygen in the home and turns it into Ozone. Ozone is the best system out there to remove odors from a house. Think of the nice clean smell after a lightning storm, what has happened is the lightning turned the oxygen in the air to Ozone. Bars use to use them also to help get rid of the smells that bars get, smoke,stale beer, vomit etc etc. I once used Ozone to remove the odor in a home caused by a body decomposing for approx 2 months in 90degree heat. A good clean up did not work, removing the contaminated building componants did not work. After running the Ozone machine for 3 days, no odor. I mean nothing. The process is not all that expensive also, the down side is that you ( or your pets ) cant be in the home when they are doing it. ( no oxygen )
When the process is done, the home will have an odd odor, what it is is the lack of odor. I know that sounds weird but every home has a smell. A lived in, cooked in smell. What you will smell after the process is the lack of the homes normal lived in odor, but better yet the smoke smell will be gone. A couple of days of living in the home and cooking in the home and things will be right as rain again.
If you PM me your city, town and state i would be glad to see who is available in your area, and touch base with some of my fellow adjusters to see who could take care of you the best ( and most reasonable )
I was certified by the IICRC ( Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification, http://www.iicrc.org/home.shtml) for the mitigation of odors, and many other insurance related restoration trades, and will be glad to help you in any way that i can.
If i had the time i would tell you about the lady that i had ( when i was a restoration contractor ) that had approx 15 cats, and used a childs plastic pool for the litter box, and hadn't changed the litter for 2 years, but that story is for another day ( btw, i got all the odor out of that house too :D )
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lite up! :rofl
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thanks bailey, thats good advice, i will file it for future reference if i every need it. I have two rental houses.
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Tell the landlord that the smell is unacceptable, and they either get it fixed or move you to a new unit.
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Id get another unit if available. No need living in that stench. Id get another apt. regardless if a new location.
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Like MBaily said, get someone to bring in an Ozone generator.
This stuff is badazz, so be prepared to stay out of the house for 24 hrs.
House must be completely aired out before you re-enter.
I use one of these in my basement once a year. :rock
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Tell the landlord that the smell is unacceptable, and they either get it fixed or move you to a new unit.
I'd do what Dago says or tell 'em you want all your money back..
They should've asked you if you are a smoker.. Most places ask so they can put in a place that's been smoked in already..
Sounds like your property management are idiots..
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I just moved into my new apartment. The people that lived here before me were heavy smokers. The carpet was replaced and the apartment has been painted, yet it still smells like smoke. I have had the windows and doors open trying to air it out, I bought a plant to help clean the air a little, I have a couple air fresheners scattered throughout the apartment... yet there doesn't seem to be any result. Considering the apartment has been painted and the carpet is brand new, I do not know what to clean. Does anyone have any recommendations or proven home remedies?
try a air purifier....seems like the paint and new carpet would have taken that smell out, not sure what else to try
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Try giving it a real paint job rather then the one they supposedly gave you before you moved in.
Common things done to apartments.
Whack attack -Take 1 gallon of water and add it to 5 gallons of paint. spray it on and what you end up with is an apartment that looks oober clean but in reality only has the thinnest of coats on it.
This isnt always entirely the painters fault. Typically this is often the result of ever escalating labor and material costs (even the wetbacks wont work cheap anymore) and the property owner refusing to agree top a higher price or gets someone who is cheaper. and there is ALWAYS someone who is cheaper. who usually either do the same thing from the get go. Or do a "splash and dash" job then bill for the apt as though the entire thing was painted
typically the spash N dash paint job. they come in and just hit the walls and doors & frames that look bad.
so rather then loose the contract to the complex. they are forced to cheat too. Heh. Its even worse if the complex''s own maintenance crew does the painting as they usually try to get away with even more.
Now to be fair, not all apartment complexes are like that. There are a few around here that both the contractors involved and the complex itself is very dedicated to keeping the apartments in near pristine conditions
Ask your landlord or at the leasing office for a small container of touch up paint. Provide em with a coffee can and they usually oblige.
Then go around with a Wiz roller and hit a spot on each wall and see what it looks like when it dries.
( note it might not be absolutely exact because of application difference but it should be barely noticeable and only when looking at it from certain angles)If they dont blend in near perfectly when loooking at it straight on. Then what you got was a splash & dash paintjob
Also. look around the wall plates. do you see a noticable square around them?
Thats another sign that your apartment was only "touched up" and not fully painted.
Another part of your "smoke" problem might be in the air vents Try popping off the vent covers and see if thats where the smell is coming from.
Might wanna check the air filters too and see if they were changed
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Mbailey,that "badair sponge" is the product I was refering to!
I've heard it works well for the staement I made above. :aok
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I didn't watch mensa180's video yet, but I'll check it out.
We had the same problem in our last apartment. The management brought in a device that ionized the air and ran it for three days while we were out of town. It didn't completely rid the oder, but it was order of magnitude better. I think car detailers sometimes use these devices too. Anyone know what they are called?
Yeah, it is an Ozone machine. It makes your ride smell funky, but gets rid of the smoke smells.
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2 things.......
Did they paint the ceilings as well? If the walls/ceilings were not scrubbed/sanded before re-painting, you have the old walls "breathing" on you. Some 409 on them to get dirt off isn't going to do it.
They ripped up the old carpet you say? Or they put carpet over flooring?
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I'm a huge believer in Ozone machines. Dad brought home our first one in the 60s. I even had one on my swimming pool and it reduced chemical use by over half.
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Call the housing commission. File a complaint the landlord will place you in a habitable apt.
KAM