How do I eliminate Cigarette smoke from my half of my duplex?

Question

I recently bought a half duplex 6 months ago and my next door neighbore is a smoker. I only smell the smoke in my bedroom which is connected to hers too. The weird thing is that the cigarette smell is coming through my return vent in my bedroom. When I bought the house I replaced the old carpet, painted the walls, and replaced the heating system. I need some suggestions because I'm tired of waking up and going to bed with the smell of cigarette smoke. Again, I can only smell the smoke from my bedroom and nowhere else in the house. Please help!!!!

Answer 1

I have sooo lived this. I sealed every tiny crack in the floors and walls and around pipes in my little NYC apartment and the smoke came through the electrical outlets! (I put covers on them)

If you can't disconnect the vent and seal it up, the only thing to do is get a nice air filter. There are attractive models and for one room it can be quite small. It will get all sorts of other things out of the air too, so your health should improve too.

I am actually allergic to smoke so I can tell (by my eyes and throat) at 200 meters if someone is smoking... walking the streets of the City in summer I automatically hold my breath and go more quickly when I pass a smoker, or stop and wait for a smoker ahead of me to get far enough away.

So you might guess I tried a lot of other options. Of course if it's just the smell you don't like, incense or something will make it smell better-- but that's more indoor air pollution instead of less. An air filter makes a huge difference. I tried leaving mine off for a day once... and what a difference, not even talking smoke. It's so nice to breathe cleaner air.

Good health to you!

Natasha

ps you can also put smoking self-help books and information anonymously in your neighbor's mailbox!

Answer 2

Watch the movie "Duplex". It is like your situation, but with an old lady as the problem. It's funny...

Sorry, I have no help other than that. Make sure you close the vent at night. Try fabreeze to get some leftover odor out. Maybe tell them and they can smoke elsewhere than the connected room...good luck!

Answer 3

if this is a side by side duplex - go into the attic above the garage area - see if there is a divider between the two spaces....this will let air get into your side. you can ask them to refrain from smoking in the bedroom, or if you rent, you can ask your landlord to see if there is a different - non - smoking duplex that you can change to....use air filters (it does work) and you should be okay....I also got those air freshners that have the fan in them to make the air smell good....this completely masked the cig smoke too in my bedroom.....roses/flowers seem to do the trick..... good luck!!

Answer 4

i would check out the air flow/ return vent thing...but in the mean time to help you survive pleasantly, try some lysol disinfectant spray (worked in college when my roommate was less than ..um...well, had a problem of not showering..) OR you can get those OUST battery operated air fresheners and they are great...they cycle on every fifteen minutes for five minutes and then shut off...they have a little fan and it makes your room smell great all the time! hope the situation improves soon!~

Answer 5

LOOK FOR AN AEROSOL AIR FRESHENER THAT HAS A HIGH DEGREE OF ALCOHOL---THAT WILL NEUTRALIZE SMOKE ODOR----ON TV YHEY'RE USING FABREZE IT HAS SOME ALCOHOL---THE REALLY FAMOUS LYSOL HAS ALCOHOL---READ LABEL TO GET HIGHER PERCENTAGE.............

Answer 6

Buy a really good air filter.

Answer 7

sounds like the A/C installers goofed and ran your vent from her unit. You could have it checked out. You could block it off.

Answer 8

you can put some charcual briquettes in a pan by your vent .......they soak up odors.........also spray febreze in and around area.......its really good stuff on odors........