Getting ready to try and un-smoke an apartment next week.

Fortunately, depending on how you look at it, I have another place to finish up before I get to this one.

Plan after I remove the carpet and pad is to run the ozone machines as much as possible. I will also spray OdorXit on the walls, ceilings, floors and cabinets if I keep them.

Will the ozone kill the OdorXit I wonder? I will send an inquiry to see what Deb says.

Any other thoughts on how to get rid or the smell before I start sealing the place with the urethane based primer?

Hi Zero. We were in your spot years ago. We scrubbed walls with TSP several times until we felt the tobacco was as gone as it would get. Then we used the oil based Kilz, three times. Then we painted with the regular paint, two coats. Then the carpet was cleaned.

No smell to this day.

On the last place I only used one coat of oil Killz then two coats of latex paint. It was fine for a bit then the smell crept back in.

I purchased some AQM packets from OdorXit. It is a small apartment, under 1k. I ran two of the bigger AQM packets, with fan and proper humidity, to no avail.

I did not use actual TSP to clean the walls. Maybe that is it? We did get everything off the walls using spic-n-span and Awesome. It seemed to me that the smell was bleeding back thru. No visuals just smells.

I really need to get a cleaning crew lined up.

Thanks for the tips.

PLENTY: Yep

ZERO: We were much younger when we did that job. What sticks with me is how high breathing the Kilz fumes.. It was winter when we did it; we were so hot and high we took a break in the cold, propping our bodies up against the garage door and giggling.

We'd like to meet up with some folks near a great driving destination...

If any of you use TSP, be sure to protect the windows. We got some on one and it etched the window.

plenty, that makes sense. Wouldn't run an ozone machine first with dog poo in the room.

Simple things evade me at times.

Ken, I had considered keeping this duplex as a smoking allowed version. There are still a lot of smokers out there. The problem becomes that everything is basically trashed. A pain to clean the tar off so it all looks dingy.

I will consider it tho. But I had plans to bring it up to a higher standard now that she is out. No sense in making it all beautiful only to fill it with uncaring smokers.

Decided to stop by on the way to lunch and see the unit I am working on now. It still had a little wet dog smell yesterday morning.

After TSP scrubbing, run an ozone generator in the unit for a couple days. Does a great job.

TSP on the walls and ceiling using a floor mop. TSP is some tough stuff and will eat your hands. Put tarps on the floors. What it removes it plan old nasty.

Good info to have about the TSP. I think the real deal is no longer available in my state.

Since I will be replacing all the flooring and painting everything else I guess I don't have to worry about the tarps as much.

I had a rehab in the hood .... cleaning up after 5 chain smokers for 17 years. Kilz oil literally dripped off the walls discolored by tar. Took 4 coats to cover the smell.

Sold the house to a non smoker a couple years latter.

That's a lot of work for sure. I put two coats of oil based Kilz on an apartment and the smell came back. I even put it on the ceiling.

I talked to Deb at OdorXit this week. I ordered some more of the AQM packets from her for this place. Carpets and pad get yanked next week. Should get the packets then as well.

I will put one on each floor with fans going and proper humidity. The hope is that since I have not painted the walls maybe the gas will take care of what needs done. She was guessing within 10 days I should be good, even though the packets work for 30 days.

Checking on that now with Amazon.

Only a few places had true TSP. Of those there were a lot of complaints about effectiveness.

Guess I need to study up some more.

Otherwise I will try blue dawn.