One of the more complex clean-up jobs is getting rid of the smell of cigarette smoke in a Southwest Waterfront rental home. Whether you allow your tenants to smoke, didn’t think of including your smoking policy in the lease, or if you did and had a strict no-smoking policy, you may indeed still be left to deal with the smelly assignment of cleaning up the foul odors left behind. And it’s not just about the smell; cigarette smoke leaves residual contamination on walls, fabrics, and other surfaces. Known as “thirdhand smoke,” this residue could set off a health risk to future tenants and must be taken very seriously.
To help make your clean-up job as useful as possible, here are some cleaning tips shared by the pros.
Air it Out
The best place to start when preparing to clean up after cigarette smoke is to air out every room in your rental house. Open all windows and doors to let in the fresh air, and put on fans or an air purifier to circulate the air. There are air purifiers especially configured to get the smell of cigarette smoke from the air. If your budget allows, this might be a really good option. In any way, you may need to leave the fans running for as long as possible – conceivably even for several days – to assist in alleviating the smell.
Wipe Everything Down
Simultaneously, while airing out your rental, your next step is to wipe down every surface in every room – starting with the ceilings. Putting to use the cleaning product of your choice, wipe down smooth ceilings with a wet cloth. For popcorn ceilings, put your cleaning solution in a spray bottle and just lightly spray the whole surface.
Also take note, while working on the ceilings, always remember to clean the light fixtures and ceiling fans up there, too! Wipe the tops and bottoms of ceiling fan blades to be certain that the odor isn’t being recirculated back into the house.
Working your way downward, clean walls with the same cleaning product and a cloth. Completely make sure to clean the tops of the door trim, baseboard, and other nooks and crannies.
Aside from that, it’s vital to also take note that just cleaning the walls many times won’t get rid of the smell. And paint will help, but it won’t dispose of the smell, either. To adequately remove the cigarette smoke smell, you will need to put on an odor-sealing primer, then a good quality paint over the top.
Wash the Windows
Along with the walls, it’s also very important to supply all of the windows and window coverings in your rental property with a deep clean. If you have blinds, that conveys wiping down each piece of the blinds on both sides. Clean the windows with the glass cleaner you like, then wipe down the frames and sills.
If your rental has fabric shades or curtains, check closely to see if you can wash them in a washing machine. If not, you may want to consider replacing them completely. Cigarette smoke is very tricky to get out of fabrics.
Sanitize Cabinets and Counters
Make sure to clean the inside and outside of kitchen and bathroom cabinets, closets, and drawers. Go through each one, do away with any debris, and then wipe down both inside and out with a cleaning solution. For countertops and islands, take advantage of a sanitizing cleaner to rid them of smoke residue. If the smoke smell persists, try putting a bowl of dry coffee grounds or white vinegar inside the smelly cabinet or drawer and leaving it there for a few days. This may help resolve the cigarette smell.
Deodorize Floors
Once you’ve cleaned everything above floor level, it’s time to deal with your carpets and hard surface floors. One way to help remove the smoke smell from carpets is to sprinkle baking soda over the entire carpet, let it sit for at least an hour, and then vacuum. Many Southwest Waterfront property managers settle upon hiring professional carpet cleaners whenever they’re preparing a rental for a new tenant. They may be able to purge the odor from the carpet. Usually, however, the best option is to replace the carpets and pad all the way.
For hard surface floors, clean thoroughly by mopping with a really good disinfectant. If you’ve got quite a lot of floors to clean, change your mop water often to make it a point that the smoke smell isn’t just getting spread back around.
Although labor-intensive and time-consuming, by taking these steps, you can get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke and get it back to a clean, fresh-smelling rental.
Still, if you know that deep cleaning your rental property is something other than what you’d like to spend your time on, take into consideration giving the professionals at Real Property Management DC Metro a call. We can certainly help with everything from cleaning services to finding a pleasant new tenant for you – and much more! Contact us online today to see what we can do for you.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
