Home reeks of cigarette smoke
Q: Before we bought our home, the sellers kept flowery room deodorizers throughout the house. We didn't think much about it at the time. But since moving in, we've become increasingly aware of the rank smell of cigarettes that permeates the interior.
Our home inspector has no suggestions for getting rid of this awfulness and we're wondering what, if anything, can be done about it. We suspect that the sellers deliberately concealed this smell — a suspicion that has been confirmed by some of our new neighbors. What, if anything, can be done to remedy this condition, and how should we communicate our displeasure with the sellers?
A: For those who do not smoke, the ashtray atmosphere of a smoker's house can be exceedingly unpleasant. The search for a cure-all to cigarette odor is like the quest for the Holy Grail. Though sought and hoped for by many, it remains, as yet, unattained. Products and techniques compete in the marketplace, each professing to be the answer. At best, they can minimize cigarette odors, but none has earned the popular acclaim that would accompany a truly successful treatment.
There are environmental contractors who employ ozone generators and hot air treatments to eradicate smoke smells, and there are various chemical products, each alleging to be the great smoke-smell panacea. These have been successful to greater or lesser degrees, but the reviews have been mixed. Some users have hailed their effectiveness, while others have been less than satisfied with the results.
A Google search of "cigarette odor" renders innumerable websites. Many promote the sale of "miracle" products, each promising to be the great odor eradicator. Some may weaken the impact of offensive smoke odors, but none has delivered the final knockout punch. Satisfied product users may disagree with this assessment and proclaim the efficacy of one concoction or another. If any of these inventions were proven to be fully effective, the hotel industry would be its greatest customer.
The most reliable short-term approach to the smoke odor problem involves total repainting of walls and ceilings, complete replacement of carpets and draperies, and extensive cleanup of everything else. Another problem area that warrants attention and is often overlooked is the interior of forced air heating ducts. These can emit odors every time the heating or air conditioning is operated. Some kinds of air ducts can be cleaned, while others must be replaced.
The most reliable long-term remedy, however, is the one usually mentioned as a final footnote. It is the simple passage of time. If you live in your home long enough, the cigarette odors will gradually but surely become a vague remembrance.
As for the sellers of your home, they may or may not have deliberately masked the smoke smells. You can pursue them with various means of formal and legal complaint, or you can simply let the memory of their offense fade with the receding essence of their final departing smoke.
• Questions to Barry Stone can be emailed to barry@housedetective.com.
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