How to get smoke smell out of apartment

[*blackrose]

My apartment stinks. I wouldn't mind it so much, but it is making my clothes stink. And when my clothes stink, I feel dirty and gross. I've tried all I know to do, so I'm hoping someone else will have a bright idea to help!

I think the people prior were smokers, as when I moved in the apartment had a definite odor to it. Then I was given an entire kitchen, end table, and couch from Mike after his uncle passed away and they came from a house whose residents were very heavy smokers. So that didn't help.

I've cleaned the dishwear and attacked the carpet and the couch with a carpet cleaner. The couch now smells fine and the apartment smells much better. I've left my windows open with fans running for an entire day (but due to the area I'm in, I'm not really comfortable leaving them open unsupervised for long periods of time.) I bought a cheap little air freshner thing, and sprayed my Nature's Maricle stuff all over the place. But whenever I wear clothes out, they still stink!

I'm going to get some incense sticks next...but I'm not really sure what else I should be doing. Potpourri in my closet/desser, maybe? I just hate smelling dirty.

 

[stardogs]

If the prior tenant smoked, it's prob in the paint - could you talk to your landlord about perhaps getting some $$$ off of your rent in exchange for repainting with Killz or something similar?

 

[Kilter]

Wash the walls with TSP or something, that might help. Painting for sure.

Boil vinegar or invest in a berger lamp, they are awesome.

 

[Bahamutt99]

I've heard about the vinegar thing. My dad set out a bowl of vinegar once to get a smoke smell out of his house.

I don't like smoke, but for some reason the smell of smoke in clothes doesn't bother me. I think it's because I've dated some smokers. [/OT]

 

[Romy]

If they smoked inside, it's on the walls and ceiling. Kilz will cover it. We used straight vinegar at my old work, when my boss bought an old house from smokers to convert into a preschool. It was GROSS. There was an huge cross on the wall, and when we took it off there was a giant brown cross stain around the spot. Euargh.

 

[*blackrose]

I'm pretty sure the apartment was repainted before I moved in. But I will definitely try the vinager idea.