How to Remove Smoke Odor From a Rental Apartment

Many people live in rented apartments and have no issues, but occasionally the person who lived in the apartment before you might have had some smelly habits that left lingering odors. This is a common problem in apartment complexes that allow residents to smoke indoors. Getting rid of a smoke odor from your apartment might seem like an impossible task, but you can get rid of the smell on your own with a bit of time and patience.

Things You'll Need

• 2 cups white vinegar
• Tea tree oil
• Spray bottle
• 1 cup of baking soda
• Sponge
• Vacuum

Instructions

1. Fill a spray bottle with 2 cups of white vinegar. Add about 6 drops of tea tree oil to the vinegar, and shake the bottle vigorously to combine the ingredients. You can buy tea tree oil at most health stores and pharmacies. You can double or triple this recipe for larger apartments.

2. Spray the carpets, upholstery, curtains and any other fabrics generously with the vinegar mixture. All your fabric surfaces should be slightly damp when you are finished.

3. Allow the fabrics to dry completely. The odor of vinegar might seem strong initially, but it will fade along with the smoke odor as it dries. Open up some windows if possible to help speed up the drying process.

4. Mix 1 cup of baking soda with enough tea tree oil to make a paste.

5. Use a damp sponge to scrub the baking soda paste onto any painted walls in your apartment. The baking soda absorbs any odors that have become embedded in your walls.

6. Allow the baking soda paste to dry, and then remove it from the walls using your vacuum cleaner's brush attachment.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also try cutting up fresh apples and leaving them in bowls around your apartment. Apples are known to absorb odors and can help rid your apartment of the smell of smoke.

References

• thriftyfun.com