Change HVAC filter, clean the ducts, clean the coils.

Clean everything basically. What did you wash the walls with?

Did you primmer before painting?

Thanks . Will check on Zep product

Thanks . Primed before painting. Will check ducts and filter.

Lease says no smoking , I think tenant wasn’t truthful. Imagine that.

Larry,

Also clean light bulbs. light shades, ceiling fan motor bodies, and air ducts/vent covers. They are also coated with nicotine and will smell when they warm up.

Miniblinds hold the odor.

I watched a demo on YouTube wear she had to wet mop the floor 3-4 times until the rinse water was clear.

OdorXit sell a powder in a packet, mix with water to eliminate nicotine odor. Check for it on this site.

Working on an apartment where he smoked and she never cleaned.

I ran the ozone machine. Washed the walls down. Oil Kilz on ceilings and in rooms where he smoked most. Forgot to run the machine at the air intake with the fan running, that helps a lot as well.

I used Awesome to clean the registers and light fixtures. I tossed out the bulbs and put new LEDs in. Scrubbed the doors down all sides and edges. Pulled the carpet and the pad. One ceiling fan in there and I am removing it as well.

I smoked for years and never in the house once I was married. Made a promise to the wife and kept it.

Spent many cold hours standing outside in the snow during Indiana winters.

What the outside smokers don't realize is that once they open the door the smoke usually gets sucked into the house. So they are still smoking inside. I had to make sure all the smoke was dissipated before I went back in. Every year I said I was going to quit before the weather changed.

I did. But I do not see it happening among my tenants that smoked.

It is possible to get past it. I had a heavy smoker in one of my apartments that I endured because he was a senior and paid rent on time and didn't cause trouble or other property damage- which is hard to find in this neighborhood.

I have an ozone machine which I ran a couple days after he had vacated. However you will want to wipe the walls with Trisodium Phosphate bucket and rag and repaint. Shampoo all carpets and pay attention to any heat registers these will suck up smoke. I have a non-smoking tenant in there now years on and can't smell any smoke at all anymore.

Its amazing how fickle tenants noses are when looking at apartments to rent, they all want them squeaky clean and make a big deal complaining about white walls that are even a little darker due to smoke from a previous tenant. Then they move in and fill them with their own smoke and grease.

Makes no sense but thats how it goes.

My experience is there are no shortcuts to cigarette smoke remediation. Ozone machine, opening windows, etc help, but are of miniscule value if the unit is bad. You’ll need to wash all surfaces with TSP (walls, ceilings, doors, light fixtures, outlet covers, etc). Then you’ll have to prime everything with a sealer. And count yourself lucky if you’re able to save a carpet and pad. If the unit is bad, don’t even waste your time cleaning the carpet - just get a new one. Because you’re gonna wind up having to do that anyway.

Is there still a place that true TSP can be bought? I tried finding some and it is outlawed here. They have substitutes but not the real thing.