Monday, November 29 1999
Q. My husband and I own a beautiful furnished condo in Las Vegas which we are trying to sell. Meanwhile, though we have a "no smoking" clause in the lease, we ended up with very strong cigar smell from a renter in the apt., which we can't get rid of. Any advice?
- Julie G.
A. That's awful, and you have my sincere sympathy. I say, throw the whole arsenal at the problem, and make sure you royally charge the former tenant.
- Start with some plug-in air fresheners, or the models that spray, to at least get a more pleasant scent in the rooms.
- "Febreze" the sofas, chairs, drapes, anything made of fabric that's been exposed to the smoke. You may even have to have the drapes and other window treatments dry-cleaned.
- Shampoo and/or steam-clean the rugs. The smoke really gets into the nap and this will help a lot.
- Wash down all the walls, cabinets, etc with a good disinfectant that won't harm the paint or finishes. The walls may even have to be repainted.
If all else fails, call SERVPRO.
