OT: Anybody had any success in getting rid of cigarrette smell from a home?

[bearishgurl]

[quote=jimminycrikut]Thanks bearishgurl. This is helpful. Should we also clean the ventilation/duct system?[/quote]

Yes, but you will probably have to pay a service to do this as it requires specialized equipment.

[dbapig]

Don’t mean to hijack the thread but at least the previous residents were normal people.

I never understood why some smokers would come out of their home to patio/yard to smoke and let all the smoke escape. I always wondered wouldn’t smoking in enclosed place (own house/apt/car) be better as it will allow them to get more enjoyment out of their expensive cigarettes….

[dbapig]

Don’t mean to hijack the thread but at least the previous residents were normal people.

I never understood why some smokers would come out of their home to patio/yard to smoke and let all the smoke escape. I always wondered wouldn’t smoking in enclosed place (own house/apt/car) be better as it will allow them to get more enjoyment out of their expensive cigarettes….

[dbapig]

Don’t mean to hijack the thread but at least the previous residents were normal people.

I never understood why some smokers would come out of their home to patio/yard to smoke and let all the smoke escape. I always wondered wouldn’t smoking in enclosed place (own house/apt/car) be better as it will allow them to get more enjoyment out of their expensive cigarettes….

[dbapig]

Don’t mean to hijack the thread but at least the previous residents were normal people.

I never understood why some smokers would come out of their home to patio/yard to smoke and let all the smoke escape. I always wondered wouldn’t smoking in enclosed place (own house/apt/car) be better as it will allow them to get more enjoyment out of their expensive cigarettes….

[dbapig]

Don’t mean to hijack the thread but at least the previous residents were normal people.

I never understood why some smokers would come out of their home to patio/yard to smoke and let all the smoke escape. I always wondered wouldn’t smoking in enclosed place (own house/apt/car) be better as it will allow them to get more enjoyment out of their expensive cigarettes….

[sdduuuude]

It is not an impossible problem, but one to take seriously.

I have a secret formula that works very well. This has worked on two houses for me, including my current residence.

Three aspects to formula:

1) Change out all the soft materials – carpet, drapes, etc. (no secret there)

2) Clean everything with a strong ammonia-based solution. We renovated our current home in 1998. Smoke residue was caked on every wall of the house. The aluminum window frames were badly yellowed. I tried everything – comet, bleach, paint thinner, engine cleaner, lacquer thinner. Even with elbow grease, walls and windows were yellow. One easy wipe with ammmonia left me with a yellow rag and shiny new aluminum. Same with the panelling/walls.

3) Oil-based primer and only oil-based primer. My first try, I put on three coats of water-based primer. I believe Kilz brand has both water and oil-based. The water-based one won’t work. Yellow stains leaked through every time, even on ammonia-wiped walls. Oil-based primer does much better. Some walls still needed two oil-based coats.

Duct-cleaning service may not work, either. Those services are designed to remove dust, not caked-on smoke residue. I would go in with ammonia and clean what you can by hand. That probably isn’t a big source of the smell, though.

Good luck.

[sdduuuude]

It is not an impossible problem, but one to take seriously.

I have a secret formula that works very well. This has worked on two houses for me, including my current residence.

Three aspects to formula:

1) Change out all the soft materials – carpet, drapes, etc. (no secret there)

2) Clean everything with a strong ammonia-based solution. We renovated our current home in 1998. Smoke residue was caked on every wall of the house. The aluminum window frames were badly yellowed. I tried everything – comet, bleach, paint thinner, engine cleaner, lacquer thinner. Even with elbow grease, walls and windows were yellow. One easy wipe with ammmonia left me with a yellow rag and shiny new aluminum. Same with the panelling/walls.

3) Oil-based primer and only oil-based primer. My first try, I put on three coats of water-based primer. I believe Kilz brand has both water and oil-based. The water-based one won’t work. Yellow stains leaked through every time, even on ammonia-wiped walls. Oil-based primer does much better. Some walls still needed two oil-based coats.

Duct-cleaning service may not work, either. Those services are designed to remove dust, not caked-on smoke residue. I would go in with ammonia and clean what you can by hand. That probably isn’t a big source of the smell, though.

Good luck.

[sdduuuude]

It is not an impossible problem, but one to take seriously.

I have a secret formula that works very well. This has worked on two houses for me, including my current residence.

Three aspects to formula:

1) Change out all the soft materials – carpet, drapes, etc. (no secret there)

2) Clean everything with a strong ammonia-based solution. We renovated our current home in 1998. Smoke residue was caked on every wall of the house. The aluminum window frames were badly yellowed. I tried everything – comet, bleach, paint thinner, engine cleaner, lacquer thinner. Even with elbow grease, walls and windows were yellow. One easy wipe with ammmonia left me with a yellow rag and shiny new aluminum. Same with the panelling/walls.

3) Oil-based primer and only oil-based primer. My first try, I put on three coats of water-based primer. I believe Kilz brand has both water and oil-based. The water-based one won’t work. Yellow stains leaked through every time, even on ammonia-wiped walls. Oil-based primer does much better. Some walls still needed two oil-based coats.

Duct-cleaning service may not work, either. Those services are designed to remove dust, not caked-on smoke residue. I would go in with ammonia and clean what you can by hand. That probably isn’t a big source of the smell, though.

Good luck.

[sdduuuude]

It is not an impossible problem, but one to take seriously.

I have a secret formula that works very well. This has worked on two houses for me, including my current residence.

Three aspects to formula:

1) Change out all the soft materials – carpet, drapes, etc. (no secret there)

2) Clean everything with a strong ammonia-based solution. We renovated our current home in 1998. Smoke residue was caked on every wall of the house. The aluminum window frames were badly yellowed. I tried everything – comet, bleach, paint thinner, engine cleaner, lacquer thinner. Even with elbow grease, walls and windows were yellow. One easy wipe with ammmonia left me with a yellow rag and shiny new aluminum. Same with the panelling/walls.

3) Oil-based primer and only oil-based primer. My first try, I put on three coats of water-based primer. I believe Kilz brand has both water and oil-based. The water-based one won’t work. Yellow stains leaked through every time, even on ammonia-wiped walls. Oil-based primer does much better. Some walls still needed two oil-based coats.

Duct-cleaning service may not work, either. Those services are designed to remove dust, not caked-on smoke residue. I would go in with ammonia and clean what you can by hand. That probably isn’t a big source of the smell, though.

Good luck.

[sdduuuude]

It is not an impossible problem, but one to take seriously.

I have a secret formula that works very well. This has worked on two houses for me, including my current residence.

Three aspects to formula:

1) Change out all the soft materials – carpet, drapes, etc. (no secret there)

2) Clean everything with a strong ammonia-based solution. We renovated our current home in 1998. Smoke residue was caked on every wall of the house. The aluminum window frames were badly yellowed. I tried everything – comet, bleach, paint thinner, engine cleaner, lacquer thinner. Even with elbow grease, walls and windows were yellow. One easy wipe with ammmonia left me with a yellow rag and shiny new aluminum. Same with the panelling/walls.

3) Oil-based primer and only oil-based primer. My first try, I put on three coats of water-based primer. I believe Kilz brand has both water and oil-based. The water-based one won’t work. Yellow stains leaked through every time, even on ammonia-wiped walls. Oil-based primer does much better. Some walls still needed two oil-based coats.

Duct-cleaning service may not work, either. Those services are designed to remove dust, not caked-on smoke residue. I would go in with ammonia and clean what you can by hand. That probably isn’t a big source of the smell, though.

Good luck.

[jimminycrikut]

Thanks sdduuuude. Should I also clean the kitchen cabinets/doors using the same solution and replace the baseboards/crown moldings?

[jimminycrikut]

Thanks sdduuuude. Should I also clean the kitchen cabinets/doors using the same solution and replace the baseboards/crown moldings?

[jimminycrikut]

Thanks sdduuuude. Should I also clean the kitchen cabinets/doors using the same solution and replace the baseboards/crown moldings?

[jimminycrikut]

Thanks sdduuuude. Should I also clean the kitchen cabinets/doors using the same solution and replace the baseboards/crown moldings?

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