I put together a strategy to remove this smoke smell that is about to tarnish my reputation
During my internship period away from town, I had to let my apartment out to a friend, who was a chronic smoker. My guest had to stayed about 3 months in that apartment. Well, completely ignoring the “No Smoking inside” instruction I constantly gave when we communicate on the phone. When I got back, I told my sister I was around. Immediately, she joyfully told me she was coming over in 2 days, I knew I had to get that smoke smell out before she arrived.
I had some ideas and did some research. I put together a strategy to remove this smoke smell that is about to tarnish my reputation. I worked on my apartment using the 6 steps I’m going to share with you. I can guarantee that within about 48 hours, the smoke smell was completely gone from the house.
Wipe down all hard surfaces with a vinegar and water solution. Placing bowls of white vinegar or coffee grounds in affected rooms will also help neutralize the smell
You can use either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, which are non-toxic and environmentally friendly. There are a few different ways to use vinegar to neutralize and remove bad odors like cigarette smoke: Boil some vinegar and allow it to diffuse through the house. You can also use the boiling vinegar to steam your clothes by placing smelly clothes above the heated vinegar.
Then, mix 2 cups of vinegar in a gallon of warm water, soak a clean rag in it, and scrub down smelly surfaces, including walls, ceilings, floors, counters, and furniture. You can also wave the rag in the air to capture new odors. Place small bowls of vinegar around the house or in your car to draw out bad odours.
Remove and wash any smoke infused bedding, cushions, furniture covers, and curtains. For the best results, I recommend that you have larger items washed by a professional dry cleaner
Remove surface smoke odor from the walls and ceilings with a solvent-based cleaning mixture or white vinegar solution. You can then trap any residual smell in the wall with a sealant prior to painting.
Furthermore, you wash the curtains and all furniture covers in the house to be permanently sure of the smell. Add half a cup of vinegar to your laundry instead of your usual detergent. Not only will this remove bad odors, but it will also leave your clothes brighter and cleaner!
Placing your mattress and cushion furniture outside in the sun will also help with ventilating. It also kills odour causing bacteria in mattress fibres. If none of these methods work for you, try sprinkling some odour-neutralizing bicarbonate soda over the mattress. After 36 hours, vacuum the excess powder off and re-evaluate the strength of the smoke smell.
Sprinkle baking soda on affected carpeted areas and leave overnight (or for as long as possible)
Baking soda is great for absorbing odours and drawing out excess moisture from the air. You can also use scented baking soda for some added freshness. Dust baking soda on your carpets, rugs, furniture, and car seats.
Leave it on overnight up to 24 hours, depending on how strong the smell is. This gives the baking soda time to neutralize the smoke smell and other unpleasant odours. Vacuum it up thoroughly. If the smell isn’t gone after a day, repeat the process. Keep repeating until the smoke smell is gone.
Another way to deodorize is to place small containers or open boxes of baking soda in problem areas to soak up the odour.
Install an industrial-grade HEPA air purifier in your home
They are actually less economical than the other methods. Air purifiers with activated carbon-based filters will remove all traces of smoke smell and other odours from the air. Make sure that you get an air purifier with a carbon filter.
Even HEPA filters alone are only designed to remove particles as small as 0.1 microns. This includes dust mites, mould spores, and allergens such as pollen and pet dander. However, they cannot effectively remove odours and chemical vapours, which are smaller than 0.1 microns. That is why most HEPA filters also have a carbon filtration layer to remove odours like cigarette smoke.
Use fragrant indoor plants to produce more pleasant interior odours
Having a nice smelling house can help keep you relaxed and even impress houseguests. You don’t have to turn to synthetic air fresheners or scented candles to enjoy a fragrant household. Many indoor plants produce beautiful smells that you can enjoy the all-natural way. Hence, keeping these around your house can replace the need for any scented products.
If you want to make your home smell nice, try growing one of these seven fragrant houseplants: Jasmine, gardenia, scented germanium, citrus, tea rose begonia, lavender, and orchid.
Use an ozone machine for tough smoke smell
If your labor didn’t remove the smoke odor, it’s time to bust out the big guns. These businesses specialize in removing odors from homes, and the primary piece of equipment they use is an Ozone machine.
You can call a restoration company and ask to rent one of their machines for a day. Also, you can check out your favorite online retailer, where you can buy your own for about the same price. I opted to purchase an Ozone machine for under $300, because it’s likely that I’ll have another guest smoker in my apartment in the future.
These magic machines emit ozone molecules that attach themselves to the surfaces in the room. Think of them as little bubbles; when they “pop,” they dissipate the offensive odors with them.
Note, however, that ozone is not necessarily safe for humans or pets, so you have to leave these machines running in empty rooms. When you return after the machine completes its cycle, you’ll likely get a breath of super-oxygenated air. Hence, make sure you open up the windows as soon as possible – or you may also get a blast of mucous and cough.
Now if you do all these, you can be rest assured of a smoke smelling free home. Goodluck trying to get smoke smells from your apartment.
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