“Help! I moved into a new place and it REEKS of cigarettes!”

It happens all the time — people move into a new place and only realize as they’re settling in that their new home smells very, very,  v e r y  strongly of cigarettes. What can be done to mitigate this odor?

1. Open up some windows!

This won’t solve the problem on its own but it’s a heck of a good start! Get that air flowing and start airing out that smoke odor.

2. Clean EVERYTHING!

Like opening windows, this won’t solve the problem on its own but hey, you gotta start somewhere, right? Soap and water and/or vinegar to every surface you can clean! And this is a great time to consider giving us a call — we’ll leave the rest of these steps to you but if you need a house or apartment wiped-down and cleaned, we are here for you!

3. Consider removing all carpet, curtains, and furniture.

This is a doozy, we know! But it’s the fabric in all these above-mentioned items that reeeally traps in the smoke odor. If the place you moved into has a lot of carpet or even has old furniture, it may be time to consider removing all of it.

4. Replace air filters and consider having ductwork professionally cleaned

The air filters are easy to replace and, if they need to be replaced anyway, could be a source of smoke odor contaminants being recirculated into your home. The more difficult thing to consider, though, is the possibility of having the ductwork in your home air conditioning system professionally cleaned.

5. It’s’ time to break out the Kilz!

Ok, folks, THIS is going to be a large part of the solution to your problem. We’ve done our research and professional and layman alike all agree — Kilz primer is the way to go! Scrub those walls, hit ’em with this primer, and paint over top of that. That should effectively seal in that smoke residue/odor that is lingering in the old paint. 

Alright, folks! Follow these tips and you should be well on your way to a smoke odor-free home! Feel free to give us a call if you need a hand with that smoke odor scrub, we’ll help you get a head start!

With our help, you’ll say goodbye to cigarette odor!