Once the smoke has permeated your living spaces, you have a serious problem. You must deal with this as quickly as possible. The longer the smoke sits in the apartment, the harder it’s going to be to get out. You need to know how to get rid of smoke smell in apartment. And, by dealing with it right away, you greatly minimize the possibility of having to bring in a professional and handing out cash.
Here are a few tips.
- Apply a little vinegar to the fabric. If this is impractical (sometimes an entire chair or couch can be the problem), remove any and all fabrics that have the smoky odor. This can include pillows, blankets, curtains, sheets, etc. Throw them in a washing machine for a cold wash cycle. On top of the usual detergents, add two cups of vinegar.
If there are smells in your walls, you can wipe them down with vinegar as well.
- Smoke can get into the carpets, mattresses, rugs and even on furnishings, especially if there’s been long time exposure. Usually, the softer the surface, the easier it is for odors to settle. If you want to know how to get rid of smoke smell in apartment, a little baking soda will be beneficial.Sprinkle generous amounts of baking soda on surfaces. For even dispersion, use a colander, creating a film of snow. Let the baking soda sit anywhere up to an hour. To help the process, walk on the carpet or rug with socks to push the baking soda in deep. Rub the baking soda into mattresses and fabrics. Make sure, whatever you do, the baking soda stays dry. Otherwise, you’ll create a paste that’s useless for removing odors and will be hard to clean.Vacuum baking soda up. Repeat process, if necessary.
- When odors are tough, see about renting an Ozone machine. These devices use ozone molecules to collect offensive odor-creating contaminants and dissipate them. These machines should only be utilized in empty rooms. Once the machine has finished its work, immediately open windows. You don’t want to expose yourself to super-oxygenated air and a serious attack of mucous and coughing.
Knowing how to get rid of smoke smell in apartment means starting with the least expensive options and working your way up to rental devices. You may ultimately need professional dry cleaning or a cleaning service, but not until you’re sure you’ve done everything you could first.
