General

[Mayvik]

Don't do anything, make your apartment manager take care of it. It's their responsibility to maintain their property, clean between tenants, and to make the previous tenant pay for excessive cleaning out of their security deposit.

This of course assumes you didn't get to see the apartment before you signed on, or it was being ventilated when it was shown to you. If you were aware of the smoke smell then bad on you for not having it taken care of before you moved in.

[Titus]

I'm very surprised that the apt management didn't do a walk through with you before you signed anything. Did they?

Apt Management should be held accountable to have the apt move in ready, which means even the smell of smoke. If you have a child or children, that can be bad for their health.

Before doing anything, find out what the apt management will do for you.

Now if it's past that point/you don't care and just want it gone... Febreze works wonders. Baking soda for the carpet, steam clean the carpets & curtains and leave the windows open to allow fresh air in.

To mask the smell, Coffee beans, put them in a plastic zip lock bag, freeze it, then pop about a dozen holes in the bag and place the bag somewhere in the home, works great for cars too.

[Azzy]

Originally Posted by Sir Brass

.. If the smell is still there, then I'd just suggest keeping the place well-ventillated and use air cleaners like those along the lines of the ionic breeze.

...

Or you can just toss loads of dollar bills onto the ground, smash them into the carpet to absorb the small, and then burn them.

Actually might give you a result.

Oh, and those carpet powders will work, they will however cause your hepa filtered vacuum cleaner to do nothing but clog for the next 10 cleans.

use one or the other. Try fa breeze.

[RealtorTommy]

Wow some thing I know about.....
First off did you do a walk through and sign off on any paperwork? check off sheet and Lease?
Second...Is this the apartment you wanted or the only one?....See if you can switch to another apartment.

Other posters gave you some good advice....A cleaning top to bottom....If the ceiling and the walls are painted in a flat base paint this will act as a sponge.....If really bad you may have to clean and repaint to seal in the smoke smell. Use eggshell to semi-gloss paint where you can....

I have used a company to clean with a ionizer machine with mixed results.....may be operator or the amount of smoke....Some homes it worked well in some others not so well..But always an improvement.

If cleaning with bleach water....be careful or you might be buying new carpet when you move out....Also be careful from any cleaning fumes as they may burn your lungs,eyes or worse....

[AmyTheGirl]

I agree with Mayvik, I wouldnt do anything! I know its been awhile since I rented but what happened to the days of repainting and carpeting between tenants? Am I old or naive?
Amy

[Chaos]

After Fire Odor Control Bomb! I use them at work and they work great...they smell like bubblegum

[Harbinger[TG]]

New paint and carpet

Originally Posted by Chaos

After Fire Odor Control Bomb! I use them at work and they work great...they smell like bubblegum

wth? got a link

[stupiddogg]

dryer sheets in the heat/ac vents
Elecrostatic(reuseable) filter for the AC/Heater intake system (homedepot)
open windows
Coffee on a few well placed locations (coffee filters work well)
Get a couple of bottles of vinegar and open them and place through out the apartment(helps neutralize)
Fabreeze
baking soda and vacuum


And Im sorry, as a previous Apartment manager, why is the apt not freshly painted and carpets cleaned/replaced being ready for move in???

SD

[Chaos]

Originally Posted by Harbinger[TG]

New paint and carpet


wth? got a link

I'll grab one from work and find out.

[Harbinger[TG]]

Thanks