Des Moines Air Duct Cleaning is often contacted by landlords, agents and managers of apartments looking for someone who can remove the cigarette odor from their property. It can take a lot work to get rid of, depending on how long it has been there.
You can eliminate the cigarette smoke smell from you home with many options. These include air purifiers, ozone generators, and others to be discovered here.
You may need to replace the carpet and/or blinds
It can be very difficult to get the smoke smell out from carpets and blinds, depending on how old they are and how long the residents have been smoking.
If you are looking to replace your blinds, we suggest that you do so. They will usually be discolored from smoke so it is easier and cheaper to replace them.
The baking soda can be applied to the carpet and left to rest for a few more days. The baking soda will absorb the smoke smell. If it removes the smoke smell, then vacuum and shampoo your carpets. If it doesn’t, you will need new padding and carpet.
Paint and clean the walls and ceiling
You may notice discoloration on the ceilings or walls, as well as a thick layer nicotine covering them. Intek Cleaning & Restoration recommends a number of cleaning solutions that will suit your needs. You can choose from white vinegar or ammonia as well as trisodiumphosphate and other cleaning solutions. It is best to research your specific situation.
The basic idea is to use a towel, soak it in the cleaning solution, and then scrub the ceilings and walls for 16-20 square feet. Use a towel to clean up the surface. The surfaces can be dried with a dry towel.
It’s now time to paint. It is possible to get ceilings and walls looking nice, but it is very rare to get them looking amazing. Painting is recommended.
Clean the air vents
Now it’s time for the air vents to be cleaned. The HVAC system has circulated cigarette smoke through the house. It is evident that the inside of the vent lines have become painted with smoke. Des Moines Air Duct Cleaning can assist you with this part.
There should be dust covering the ductwork and the air vent lines, before the smoke has been distributed. This will make it easier for you to clean. It is impossible to clean smoke from metal ductwork if it isn’t physically scrubbed. To accomplish this, you will need to disassemble and reassemble the system. That’s not going to happen. It would cost too much.
You can mask the smell with a sanitizer, but the scent will soon fade and be revealed again. Des Moines Air Duct Cleaning believes that you should clean the ducts as you would any normal dirty system. Next, run our commercial-grade Ozone machines. We find that ozone is the most effective way to eliminate cigarette smoke.
Use charcoal furnace filters
After you have cleaned the air ducts and run the ozone machines you will be able to use a charcoal furnace filtrate. It does a great job of trapping odor-causing molecules. Some of our customers have purchased them online at Air Filters USA.
Although charcoal filters may be more expensive that regular air duct filters, it is still worth it to breathe fresh air.
Run a quality air purifier
After you have cleaned the ducts, and put in a good charcoal filter, run an HEPA-filtered air purifier. This can remove odors as it can filter out molecules as tiny as 0.1 microns.
Des Moines Air Duct Cleaning finds that many customers are using air purifiers. Some homes have one for each level of the house.
Generators of Ozone
An ozone Generator is a device which can remove any smell or smoke odor from your home. These devices can eliminate any lingering odors.
You can use Ozone to get rid of many contaminants. Ozone can also used to remove bad odors within and outside buildings. Ozone is not as toxic as other pest or mold killers, and may not cause the same harm as other chemicals.
The unique property of Ozone is to alter the molecular structure and odor-causing compounds. It can saturate or spread and sterilize any material it comes in contact. When it is added to a room, ozone kills viruses, bacteria, and odors.
Our Des Moines Air Duct Cleaning Ozone Machines are of commercial quality and are highly effective at eliminating odors, including cigarette odor. There are some precautions you should take when using high-powered machines.
First, keep in mind the three P’s – No pets, plants, or people. Because of the danger of high levels of ozone, it is important that all pets and humans are removed from the area where the machines are used.
Second, make sure you only go back to your home after the ozone machines are turned off. It takes that much time for the air to return safely to normal. It may take several hours or even days for the air to smell fresh again.
Because the high concentrations can bleach carpet, it is best to limit the time you run the ozone machine. We’ve found that the machines can be used for up to four hours and should be allowed to rest for at least eight hours before being run again.
Depending upon how strong the smell is at the beginning, the ozone machine may need to be used twice per day for three to four days.
Last, ozone should be run through an HVAC system that is set in the “on” position. This will allow the ozone to circulate throughout the HVAC system. We then remove the filter. This allows the oxygen to circulate evenly through the house.
Summary
Cigarette smoking is one of most difficult odors you can get rid of. It is difficult to clean blinds or replace carpets. Clean your HVAC system and run the ozone machine. You should also use charcoal furnace filters.
After removing smoke odors, running an air purifier is a smart idea to keep the air fresh. You can use charcoal filters to filter each room.
Des Moines Air Duct Cleaning specializes in the removal and cleanup of cigarette smoke. Please give us call if we can help you.