Getting smoke smell out of a property - ? (for sale, apartments)

[Brookside]

We are putting my mother's home up for sale (she is finally ready to downsize at age 81!)

Problem is -- she was a heavy smoker until she stopped five years ago, and the house unfortunately retains a strong smoke odor.

What are we looking at to get the smoke smell out? It's a given that the carpet will have to be replaced, and the air ducts cleaned. I'm thinking we will need to seal and paint the walls, too.

In addition, my mother-in-law had her home "ozoned" after she stopped smoking. Can anyone recommend the name of a reputable company that will do this (pm is fine)?

Thanks!

[Handsome Stranger]

Painting the walls/ceilings and replacing the carpet will take care of most of the smell. I opened windows when weather permitted. Put dryer sheets, such as Bounce, in the closets..they seem to take the smell away in closed places. That's what I did, but it takes time. Good luck!

[jaime_mac]

I smoke in my apartment, and although it doesn't smell to my landlord it smells to me, perhaps its because of my couches, but I did some research online and came across this page.

Healthy Home and Auto

I haven't purchased this yet because I'm not due to move out until June, but I did tell my landlord about it and she seemed to be interested in them. I'm also going to try these on my car.

Hope that helps a little. I'm not sure that just painting really gets rid of much smell. I've moved into apartments before where I was well aware the previous tenant smoked and they changed the carpets and repainted and you could still smell it. I think you really have to scrub the walls as well as repaint because the tar and nicotine sticks to the walls/ceilings/etc. I would try these out as it seems to clean everything....kind of like when you bug bomb a home.

[BigDGeek]

I got rid of the smoke smell in my condo by repainting the living room, having the carpets and floors deep cleaned, and by putting bowls of vinegar everywhere.

[qazzaq9]

Another vote for vinegar. Cheapest fix I know. I was skeptical at first, but it worked better than anything I tried. I actually was looking for a way to clean an apt. toilet that had the worst buildup I had ever seen. The harshest chemicals I could find did nothing. I let vinegar set for 10 min. and the bowl was like new. So then I used it for everything. It took tar stains off the blinds. Smoke smell out of the carpet. And boiling it on the stove will do wonders for the air. So if other things fail, give vinegar a try. Good luck!

[thatsong64]

There is special paint to prevent smoke stains from coming through to the new paint. My landlord used it when we moved in. There were 3 smokers living here and a cat in a one bedroom apartment! He did not allow smokers or cats and only okayed 2 of the people to be living here. :/ Sorry I don't know the name or brand of the paint and I know you're looking for smell reduction but I thought this was something you should consider, too. Maybe ask Home Depot about the paint?

[MurphyPl1]

Mom always used vinegar to get rid of odors. We've also used charcoal. Which even worked after we'd moved out of our old house and a mama raccoon moved in to the chimney and gave birth to two pups before she was "trapped and relocated" and we unfortunately didn't find out until too late.

[frankscott147]

To smoke without any bad smell, you can smoke with the electronic cigarettes which does not provide any odor. So you can smell good and the place and property around you does not stink.

[jeffari-al-texani]

Originally Posted by frankscott147

To smoke without any bad smell, you can smoke with the electronic cigarettes which does not provide any odor. So you can smell good and the place and property around you does not stink.

I think the problem is that mom's already smoked in this place for years...little late for the electronic cigarettes..

[LV702]

Before I bought my previous house the previous occuptuants (tenants from hell.. lets just say the neighbors THANKED me for moving in, as the tenants racked up $1k in HOA fines) smoked everything and anything in my house. I had all the walls repainted, and replaced the carpets and all was well. I didn't bother with the air ducts.