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Anonymous
Anonymous asked in Home & GardenCleaning & Laundry · 1 decade ago

NEED A GUARANTEED FAST WAY TO GET SMOKE SMELL OFF WALLS!?

Ok so heres the story... i moved out to my own apt a few years ago, was stupid and young and thought because i was out on my own i could do whatever i wanted and no one would know... so i regret to say i started smoking cigarettes..as time went on, the more i smoked. I never wanted my parents to find out....they never came over and i smoked inside.

about a month or maybe 2 ago i was in the emergency room , found out i have a major medical issue with my stomach (thats another story in itself) but bottom line is i have to have a pretty big surgery where i will be in recovery for 3 months with someone to take care of me, so i have to move back home with my parents.... luckily new years day i quit smoking cold turkey... but my apartment reeks of it of course.... i believe its on the walls. my parents arent smokers and they are going to be the ones cleaning out my apartment and moving me out in the next month or so, I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE THEM FIND OUT I SMOKED EVERRRR... i am ashamed of it and i know it would disappoint them, so i have only a few weeks so what i need from you guys is....

a guaranteed way to remove old smoke smells from my apartment, like painted walls and doors and stuff....im going to get the carpet shampooed so i hope that takes care of the carpet, if you guys know of anything better please share. and dont say paint the walls, i am going to be doing this fast quick de-smoke smelling alone, myself the whole apartment, and i need to do it fast. the air and walls are my main concern. please help me so i dont have to disappoint my parents and have them find out i smoked, i would be devastated. i stopped smoking so i need to get the evidence of smoke out of my apartment and fast! without painting!!

please help!!

Update:

I CURSE THE DAY I EVER STARTED SMOKING ITS GROSS AND VILE. AND THE AFTER MATH IS NOT WORTH IT!!

Update 2:

JUDY---- does that ruin or peel the paint on the walls? it sounds like a great method, and i will try it if it wont ruin pain

thanks!

12 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    You are in luck with this cleaning method. My husband and I are both awful smokers. Yes it stains the walls, and everything and smells. But I often clean all of my walls and carpets to freshen and make smell clean. I have a great cleaning book using baking soda and the recipes for cleaning really awful stains. The best I know is using 2 or 3 cups of ammonia, 2 cups white vinegar, 1 cup baking soda and mix into a gallon container. fill the rest with water. Yes it will fizz a little using the soda and white vinegar. Just start cleaning from the bottom up on the walls in small areas. You can use a mop and that work well also. Do this before you have your carpets cleaned as you will see the brown rolls of stain roll off the walls. It will give the appearances as though they have just been repainted and fresh and clean. Continue all around each room. If you are still energetic you can do another rinse with white vinegar and water after the walls are cleaned. The white vinegar will remove the smells of smoking plus remove any trace of stain. Dry with some old towels or paper towels. You will be happy to see the results. Don't forget to wash curtains or drapery's and windows. I am so thankful this recipe is so great. I hope you will agree.

  • ?
    Lv 4
    4 years ago

    Cleaning Smoke Off Walls

  • Anonymous
    6 years ago

    Heyy. What's up? My name's Rachel, let me tell you a brief story about myself which I believe may be of some Help to you...

    I am a lung cancer Survivor. I remember when I was diagnosed back in 2012, and they told me I had to quit otherwise I would not make it another 2 years. I told them, "If I'm going to die, I'd like to die Happy with a cigarette in my mouth". Stupid yes, but it's how I felt. I was stubborn, and did not believe that it could happen to me. I am only 32 years old, been smoking since I was 16... but the idea of Death at age 32 feels very foreign, almost surreal. However, when I began to notice a constant shortness of breath, and even coughing up blood- I decided something had to be done. I tried really hard to quit a couple of times, but could never resist the urges and temptation. Anyone who has ever tried quitting cold turkey, or by using one of those worthless patches/gums, will know what I'm talking about.

    I went and saw a specialist, a physician who is reputed to be very successful in helping people quit. Among other practical advise, he referred me to a World-class Vapor E-Cig @ https://tryvaporcigs.im/ .. It is an electronic cigarette that heats "liquid nicotine" into a Safe water vapor which you inhale. No toxic smoke. I was told by my physician that this is something the tobacco industry does not want us to know about. It smells Clean, leaving no odor... and gives that relaxing "nicotine fix" we get from the regular, mundane cigarette. Being odorless, it can be smoked anywhere- even indoors. I have social anxiety, so a problem I do have with it is people always approaching me; telling me how cool it looks and asking a million questions when I'm seen Vaping in malls or restaurants. But yeah, my condition seems to be getting much better since I quit "smoking". I believe they still send out a completely Free Trial kit, only asking that you cover their cost of shipping.

    Anyways, Take care! I hope I was of some help.. <3

    Source(s): Personal experience with https://tryvaporcigs.im/
  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Wipe down your walls with a solution of Pinesol and water, using a piece of old towel. You will notice that it will remove a yellowish/brown smoke film that has built up on them from several years of smoke.

    It is good that you are getting the carpets cleaned since that should help with the odors. Maybe you could ask the cleaners to use any special additives for odor control to the cleaning solution as well.

    Use Febreze spray on all your upholstered furniture and air them out, but it would be better if you could have them cleaned as well. Also air out and Febreze the mattress set.

    All of your clothing, bedding, towels, etc. should be laundered.

    Any curtains in the apartment should be taken down and laundered.

    I realize this is quite a bit of cleaning, but is all quite necessary to remove smoke odors. If your parents are non-smokers, they will be able to detect even a hint of smoke odors.

    A day or two before they will be in your apartment, plug in fresh wall plug-in dedorizers (available at the supermarket and most stores) in each and every room in the apartment to help mask the still lingering odors. If it is warm enough outdoors and it wouldn't compromise the security of your apartment, leave all the windows open a tad to circulate the indoor air.

    To give a really delightfully clean smell through the apartment, fill the kitchen sink with water and add a cup of bleach and let it sit overnight. Also add bleach to your toilet bowl water and let it sit overnight. If you have a clothes washer inside your apartment, fill the washer with water and two cups of bleach, leave the cover open and let it sit overnight. Wipe down all kitchen counter surfaces and bathroom surfaces with a solution of water, dish soap and bleach. In the shower area spray Tilex which gives a strong clean smell as well as taking care of any mold, mildew and smoke odors.

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  • 1 decade ago

    Ok, shampooing the carpet is a good start. Wash any fabrics you can (curtains if you have them) Fabreeze is wonderful for upholstery. Then wipe down the walls with hot water and just a couple tablespoons of lysol (the lemon scent is nice), don't overdo the lysol or it will leave a residue. A sponge mop will make the job go much quicker. Open a few boxes of arm & hammer and leave them around the apartment. Make sure to wash all your clothes and bedding, even the ones that were in drawers.

    Good Luck!

  • 1 decade ago

    White vinegar and baking soda are deodorizing MIRACLES!!!!

    Also try getting an ionizer and run it constantly, switching from room to room. It will help to neutralize the smoke particles that are causing the smell to stick to the walls, carpet, etc.

    Make sure to ventilate the apartment as much as possible while cleaning . . . open all windows, doors too if possible (screen doors?), even better if you can have open windows at opposite ends of the room/ apartment. Put a fan in a window at one end facing INTO the apartment to pull fresh air in, and another fan in a window at the opposite end facing OUTSIDE to draw the smelly air out.

  • 1 decade ago

    My best guess is that it isn't IN the walls. Probably all over your furniture. Open up ALL your windows, doors and vents. Febreeze the HELL out of the furniture and anything that could possibly absorb the smell. Get air freshners and place them all over the house. Be sure to clean everything thoroughly. If worse comes to worse... repaint =[

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    you are going to have to scrub the walls then paint them shampoo the carpet and use tons of air spray. Like fabress air effects or something for when you've had a fire in the house. just cut it a little close on time before you paint the walls because even if you scrub them the gunk could still bleed through.

  • 1 decade ago

    Maybe if you wash it down with something like 409. Shampoo the carpet. If they did find out it wouldn't be the end of the world really, we all do dumb things..good you stopped. Good luck on your surgery..I am sure they will care much more about that anyway. Take care!

  • Anonymous
    6 years ago
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