My sister move to an apartment ,were the people before her were smokers ,we painted the walls ,?

Question

shampoo the carpets ,bought a hepa filter but not luck,She has a baby and we are concerned about second hand smoke ..any ideas ,how to get rid of the smell? help!!

Answer 1

Once the smell permeates the drywall/plaster and the flooring, it's virtually IMPOSSIBLE to get rid of! Good luck.

To neutralize the smoke smell, place saucers of white vinegar around the room and near affected furniture. Charcoal or baking powder has a similar effect. Leave it in the room overnight or for several days, preferably with the room closed off. Then thoroughly air out the room again.
Sprinkle the carpet with a mixture of 1 cup Borax and 2 cups cornmeal, wait an hour, and then vacuum.
If the odor has really sunk in and these tricks don't help, you'll need to wash all the surfaces of the room thoroughly. Smoke can leave a residue that causes the smell to linger, so you need to wash it away. For painted walls and ceilings, try a solution of 1 gallon of warm water, 1/2 cup plain ammonia, 1/4 cup white vinegar, and 1/4 cup washing soda (which can be found in the laundry additives area of supermarkets). Refresh this solution frequently while washing, and you won't need to rinse. Start at the bottom of a wall and work your way up.

Answer 2

There is nothing worse than getting rid of the smell of smoke! I see you have done almost everything possible but you never mentioned cleaning and painting the ceilings too.

I bought an old farm house a while back and the previous owners not only smoked but had installed a wood burning stove incorrectly. The exhaust from the stove was never attached to the chimney so the fumes were let into the upstairs. We spent a few months scrubbing our arms off using every cleaning agent I know of and scrubbed everything at least twice! We also ended up removing all carpeting and re sealing all cracks in walls and ceilings before painting everything with 2-3 coats of paint. It is a beautiful home now that has no remaining nasty smells.

I also wonder if any other apartments in the building are occupied by smokers? If so it will be a lost cause to fight cuz most are all connected by the same venting systems. I am assuming your sister is renting, if so her landlord should be responsible for this issue, not her!

Good Luck to you!

Answer 3

second hand smoke is only dangerous while the smoke is in the air. There would be no danger if someone was not actively smoking in the apartment.
The walls should have been cleaned well before painting, and you can try to get the carpet professionally cleaned.
If the smell still won't go away, open all the windows, and leave a few fans running while you go away for the weekend.

Answer 4

These are some great answers, but I am not sure if I saw mention of the carpet. Even though you shampoo the carpet it only cleans the top layers. it does not get to the liner under teh carpet. If the people were there for years the order could be deep in the carpets. I hate to say this, but I bet if you changed the carpets out you would notice the difference right away. I also hate smoke in my house. When I moved to my last apartment the first thing I did was replace all of the carpets. then cleaned the air system out.

Answer 5

The left-over scent of smoke isn't bad, it's just the actual smoke that's bad. If it's just drenched into the walls and stuff, the smell won't hurt the baby (or anyone else) at all, it will just get annoying. Just keep cleaning the walls and carpets every couple days, keep the filter running, keep the windows open as much as possible, and get a bunch of cans of "Oust" smoke buster spray and air freshener. The only thing you can really do is wait it out. It will air itself out soon enough. You can also get this powder that you rub into the rug to absorb smells. It's usually for pet odors, but it would probably work to smoke too. Just shake it all over the floor then vaccum it up a couple days later, then do it again.

Good luck!

Answer 6

I have submitted this answer before for cigarette smoke. For yrs. I have put little "bowls" of ammonia all through the house. No one knows they are there because I hide them, on a windowsill, up on a shelf, etc. It works on all odors, regardless of what it is. I change it every 2 wks. It is a strong scent the first day, but after that it is not noticeable. I have been doing this for yrs. and it really works. There used to be 3 smokers in the house, and I have 2 dogs. People have remarked how clean my house smells all the time, and they would never have guessed I have 2 dogs. I am also OCD about my home, always cleaning, so when I say this works, it works. Good luck. Let me know how you make out.

Answer 7

The most effective and least expensive way to remove the odors and the chemicals that cause them is the DuctwoRx , which installs above the air handler in the duct system. Go to www.ecoquestintl.com for information. This product uses a new technology called radiant catalytic ionization, first developed by N.A.S.A. for use in space stations. I install about 6 a month, and have had incredible results.

Let me add after reading some of the above answers, conventional wisdom and home remedies are of no avail when the cigarette smoke has permeated your air distribution system. Any cleansing of the living surfaces become instantly recontaminated as the chemicals cascade out of the air vents and insinuate themselves into the various surface materials.

I don't want to sound like a know-it-all, but this is in fact what I do for a living, and you deserve to know that there is a way to address the issue in a comprehensive and realistic manner.

And, let me further add that duct cleaning is totally ineffective for the removal of odors from smoking.

And, let me further add that ammonia is a toxic, caustic and potentially lethal gas, at least according to this website:

http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/CHEMWEEK/Ammonia/AMMONIA.html

Answer 8

The retched smell of tobacco left behind by previous tenants is not what they mean by second hand smoke. There is a product called Pure Ayre that is made from plant enzymes that is a liquid spray that helps with odors (can be purchased over the Internet). It's better to just move to a different apartment and this time make sure there weren't smokers in it before.

Answer 9

i am a smoker.. even though i dont smoke inside i know why it still smells. the smoke smell is coming from the air ducts that air condition the apartment. nicotine and tar are clinging to the ducts. the only thing you can do is to ask the management to clean the ducts (which is very expensive) or ask for a new apartment. you shouldnt have to live in an apartment that smells that bad. good luck to you and sorry for you sister's bad luck

Answer 10

Depends on your lease. If it is tasteful and the landlords don't mind you leaving it as is, they will probably not require you to repaint it. With my tenants, I have the option of requiring them to remove all wallpaper and repaint a neutral color. But, if the current color is tasteful and "in style" then I just let them leave it as is. A tastefully painted apartment/house will re-rent faster than builder beige or white.