One of the more complex clean-up jobs is getting rid of the smell of cigarette smoke in a Dr. Phillips rental home. Whether you allow your tenants to smoke, didn’t know to include your smoking policy in the lease, or if you did and had a strict no-smoking policy, you certainly may still be left to deal with the smelly undertaking of cleaning up the terrible 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 induce a health risk to future tenants and must be taken very seriously.
To help make your clean-up job as gainful as possible, here are some cleaning tips stated by the pros.
Air it Out
The best place to start when you’re all set 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 into service the fans or an air purifier to circulate the air. There are air purifiers mainly designed to resolve the smell of cigarette smoke from the air. If your budget allows, this would be a rather good option. In any case, you may need to leave the fans running for as long as possible – perhaps even for several days – to make sure to alleviate the smell.
Wipe Everything Down
As you are airing out your rental, your next step is to wipe down every surface in every room – starting with the ceilings. Making use of 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 easily spray on the whole surface.
And don’t forget, working on the ceilings, have in mind to clean the light fixtures and ceiling fans up there, too! Wipe the tops and bottoms of ceiling fan blades to make sure 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. Warrant to clean the tops of the door trim, baseboard, and other nooks and crannies.
But on the flip side, it’s necessary to mention that just cleaning the walls often really won’t get rid of the smell. And paint will help, but it won’t take out the smell, either. To sufficiently remove the cigarette smoke smell, you will need to find a use for an odor-sealing primer, then a good quality paint over the top.
Wash the Windows
Along with the walls, it’s significant to give all of the windows and window coverings in your rental property a deep clean. If you have blinds, that means wiping down each piece of the blinds on both sides. Clean the windows with your chosen glass cleaner, then wipe down the frames and sills.
If your rental has fabric shades or curtains, check to see if you can wash them in a washing machine. If not, you may want to consider replacing them wholly. Cigarette smoke is very taxing to get out of fabric.
Sanitize Cabinets and Counters
Make sure to clean the inside and outside of kitchen and bathroom cabinets, closets, and drawers. Go through each one, take out any debris, and then wipe down both inside and out with a cleaning solution. For countertops and islands, make use 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 even a few days. This may help clear away 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 whole carpet, let it sit for at least an hour, and then vacuum. Quite a lot of Dr. Phillips property managers like to hire professional carpet cleaners if and when they are preparing a rental for a new tenant. They may be able to take out the odor from the carpet. Ordinarily, however, the best option is to replace the carpets and pad completely.
For hard surface floors, clean thoroughly by mopping with a competent disinfectant. If you’ve got numerous floors to clean, change your mop water often to guarantee that the smoke smell isn’t just getting spread back around.
Although labor-intensive and time-consuming, by taking these steps, you can purge the smell of cigarette smoke and get it back to a clean, fresh-smelling rental.
Still, if certainly, deep cleaning your rental property is something other than what you’d care to spend your time on, mull over giving the professionals at Real Property Management South Orlando a call. We can help with everything from cleaning services to finding the ideal new tenant for you – and much more! Contact us online today to see what we can do for you.
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