State Specific Question About: MASSACHUSETTS (MA)

Tenants have left, but it appears that each room has a distinctive smell from a tenant. One room has a cologne smell, the other smells like make up. What is a good way to get rid of the smells? The rooms are carpeted, so I will be getting them shampooed soon but are there other things that could work? Looking for aroma free products, as I don't want to replace one smell with another. So far, the rooms were vacuumed and I have opened a window and will be putting a box fan to vent the air.

Put a bowl of baking soda in the room.

This tip from AC man has worked wonders for these occasions:

Get a can of ZEP Smoke Eliminator of Lysol and run the AC while removing the filter and spraying the can into the return.

There is a product called Odoban, I think, that they sell at Home Depot.

I just had this problem---couldn't figure out what it was. I thought it was BO at first.

As it turns out, it was the roller shade I installed years ago. It reeked. I threw it out and smell went away.

Vinegar in shallow pans or saucers have worked for me on certain odors.

Ozone generator for the really tough organic odors.

Odors stay in fat deposits on walls. Those fat or oil deposits can come from cooking oil or those plug in scent dispensers that the sell now or from scented candles.

Those plug in things can make a wall not accept paint.

You can wash the walls with an oil remover like TSP which is a detergent in a small box found at the hardware store and which removes nicotine smell, trisodium phosphate. It's cheap. Wear gloves and you can use a clean floor mop on walls and put plastic over the carpet. Do that before cleaning the carpet.

Here, we are required to repaint after every moveout and there is a Certificate of Occupancy inspection which I have to pay for.

Vee is spot on.

The condition of the carpet padding and the floor below

need to be inspected.

They lies your corporate decision.

Mike,

Thanks for reminding my why we have a NO CARPET IN RENTALS policy!

Either you have a very sensitive nose, like me

OR...

Your former residents tried to cover up something stinky like urine.

Febreeze is very popular, comes in various flavors, and people think it kills odors. Not so. It's a perfume.

Consider using this as an excuse to remove the carpet. If the odor is cologne spilled into the carpet, the shampoo will help but not eliminate the odor. It will resurface.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Yes, having carpets is one of those things...

I have had great results from an Ozone generator but not everyone does. Turn it on and leave for 24 hrs. Oxidizes organic matter.

I like to use coffee. I buy it fresh and place it in small plastic bowls throughout to absorb the smell. Charcoal also works.