Not everyone can afford the luxury where they can see the beach standing in the balcony while enjoying the freshness of the sea breeze hitting our face. Since the population is mushrooming so, are the apartment facilities. These apartments have everything we need from a perfect bedroom to a complete kitchen just waiting to be used.
Unfortunately, moving into old, raggedy apartments there is always a major concern; the smell. The awful or unpleasant smell is due to the building’s age and, due to the smoke sweeping in our apartments through ventilation systems internally, externally. Also, it can be through the walls due to the presence of tiny cracks or even through the sockets all over the apartment. Issues such as these are quite common in old homes and apartments due to the gradual settling of the house.
If you are facing this challenge of keeping the awful smell away from your apartments, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will ask you to modify your apartment step-by-step. These are easy and quite simple, and the best part about them is affordable. You don’t even have to take the help of a professional.
Step 1: Figure Out the Hidden Places in the House
Whether a person smoking somewhere in the hallways or even next doors, you can smell it can’t you? Even if a person cooks, you can smell it. Obviously, the smoke either created due to cigarettes, laundry room downstairs, someone cooking next door can be distracting and quite a nuisance, isn’t it? With all this, you need to start figuring out where the smoke is coming from.
Smoke can enter your apartment through windows, door space either on the sides or even under, plumping systems and even, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning).
Step 2: Seal the Spaces or Gaps
When it comes to HVAC, you can change the air filters. Changing air filters can get rid of the smoke or any kind of unpleasant smell. You can either do it yourself or just in case, consult with a professional. You can even just ask the customer service to have a look.
Now when it comes to windows or the doors as mentioned earlier, the best way, of course, is by sealing them. You can use expanding foam or silicone caulk to seal them. If there are cracks in the walls, you can seal them by using ordinary chalk. If the cracks are big, then you can repair them by using stress crack tape or self-adhesive fiberglass mesh tape. Applying these tapes to the cracks will reinforce the joints and hence, prevent future cracks. You can then apply a thin coat of drywall joint compound. Hence, it will completely cover it up.
And yes, the best of all in some cases is the all famous silicone glue. These are perfect to fill in the gaps, cracks in the walls and doors. They are less expensive and works like a charm.
Step 3: Change the Flooring
In some cases, the apartment below can also be the reason why your apartment smells horrible. It is due to the flooring. As said earlier, since the house gets old it tends to start having some cracks here and there. So, if you have carpets in the house. You can start shifting your furniture in any room. Take the carpet out. Observe the floor carefully for any cracks. If you find them, you can either use the silicone glue or just get a new flooring tile. The latter does need a professional for he/she can make the place far better with experience.
Step 4: Home Remedies
There is nothing like old home remedies to keep the situation under control for time being at least. While you are cleaning the house, you can always use baking soda. They easily get rid of the digesting smell in the house. And yes, you can sprinkle some of them near the door and window cracks.
You can always use the citrus rinds. They are great in eliminating the bad odors, easily. You can have some in a bowl and keep in the room on the nightstand. It may look a little weird, but trust me, they work wonders.
Have you heard of odor eliminator gels? You can easily buy them online. Unlike the normal air fresheners that just mask smells, odor eliminators neutralize and remove the scent from your home. Isn’t that better than air fresheners? These gels made up of the jelly-like component that absorbs odor molecules from the air within seconds. You can even pour the gel into a container then place it near the source of the odor, like near the door, windows, kitchen or bathroom sink. This so-called gel evaporates, taking the odor with it. This is an ideal option if you want to eliminate odors from your apartment.
Other things, like activated charcoal, enzymes like protease and amylase can also work quite well. Activated charcoal is a common ingredient in odor eliminators. Charcoal is said to be porous, hence, it absorbs odors from the air. It easily freshens up your home. Enzymes as mentioned, start a chemical reaction which easily neutralizes the air. These so-called enzymes break down the proteins in the odor, hence, removing the bacteria that creates a foul odor.
You can, use a large glass container and fill it with water. You can add natural oil like lemon, tea tree, lime, clove, pine, cedarwood. These are just brilliant in eliminating bad odors while giving out a pleasant odor. They are absolute, perfect for someone who loves the natural smell in the house.
