Magic Erasers are awesome for cleaning walls (and surfaces).

As far as smells, I guess it depends on what is causing the smell but airing the place out and cleaning all the surfaces should do a lot for it. When you get it cleaned up and you're moved in candles will help or you'll get used to the smell and won't notice it anymore, LOL.

I am a fan of bleach, Anywhere Spray (bleach spray), Mop & Glow, Windex, Pledge wipes, and MAGIC ERASERS.

Oh, here's something I've done, too...I put the Yankee candle car fresheners (not the dry kind, the gel kind) in closets and it really makes them smell great. The clean cotton scent is good for that, but you could use whatever scent you like.

My linen closet always smelled stale until I hung one of those on the door handle. Now the closet smells so clean and fresh.

I forgot about Magic Erasers! Maybe we can use those to clean instead of paint.

I'm all about bleach, too. I love the smell--it's just the "ultimate clean.

I like your ideas about the gel car fresheners, too! So smart you are, TW! Thanks for your suggestions! I can't wait to defunk the place and get moved in.

Never forget magic erasers! Also, repainting is a good idea anyway. Too bad the apartment isn't kept up. Glad you found one, though. Once you're in check the local laws and see if you can withhold rent until things get fixed. (Just remember that you still owe the rent, keep it in a separate account, leave notice of why you're not paying rent, and they won't be able to evict you - again, all this would be in the local laws) Of course, try just asking first. A couple times. But when a month has gone by and you can't open a window, it's time to get it fixed, however the landlord wants to go about it.

Good luck with your new life, and I hope everything goes well for you both.

since they are willing to let you paint it white, you should ask if you could paint it light colors as long as you prime it and paint it white again when you move out. it's amazing how a little coat of paint can really make a place feel like it's yours.

good luck.

Remember to clean the appliances and around and under them.  Also, clean the drains.  A lot of smell comes from poorly cared for plumbing.

When you clean the carpets, use the hypoallergenic soap.  It puts a hypoallergenic coating on the fibers and will trap in a lot of smell (not dirt).

Scrubbing the walls is almost as much work as painting them.  Just painting over walls will decrease the smells.

since they are willing to let you paint it white, you should ask if you could paint it light colors as long as you prime it and paint it white again when you move out. it's amazing how a little coat of paint can really make a place feel like it's yours.

Well thats a good idea...it would just be time consuming. But I figure if we can just repaint everything white...it will do. Plus we have a lot of pictures and paintings and such we wanto to hang up on the walls. I think that just repainting the place will make it look 10 times better.

Remember to clean the appliances and around and under them. Also, clean the drains. A lot of smell comes from poorly cared for plumbing.

Exactly...I need to clean out the dishwasher drain as well...the place doesnt look like it was cleaned at all by the owners.

When you clean the carpets, use the hypoallergenic soap. It puts a hypoallergenic coating on the fibers and will trap in a lot of smell (not dirt). Scrubbing the walls is almost as much work as painting them. Just painting over walls will decrease the smells.

We are going to zip over there today and rent a carpet cleaner for the day and just go nuts. Ill have to see if they have that hypo stuff.

As far as the walls. Im not sure when we will paint them. I think we will just move our junk over there after cleaning and then maybe work on one room at at time. I have to get the tools to work on the holes and such as well.

Baking soda isn't just good for absorbing smells in the fridge, it's good for smells all over the place.  One of the cabinets in our home, the one that the drinking glasses are in, smelled funny and made all the drinking glasses smell funny too until we put a box of baking soda in it. 

The best way to de-smell a house is to clean it, and that includes the carpets.  The only concern I have with your carpets is that you can't open the windows and encourage the carpets to dry - and that might encourage some mildew growth, especially if you're using a rug-doctor.  Those things SAY they're good, but having used them in the past I can tell you they aint that great.  They just don't have the necessary power to suck all the dirty water up and out of the fibers.

Oh, and magic erasers are fab.  I don't know what I ever did without mine.

Most lingering household odors are in fabrics such as carpets. I'd suggest giving them a good cleaning and follow that up with a good treatment with Febreeze. That stuff really is amazing for getting out tough odors.

Do NOT use bleach on the carpets, that's a really bad idea.

The best way to de-smell a house is to clean it, and that includes the carpets. The only concern I have with your carpets is that you can't open the windows and encourage the carpets to dry - and that might encourage some mildew growth, especially if you're using a rug-doctor. Those things SAY they're good, but having used them in the past I can tell you they aint that great. They just don't have the necessary power to suck all the dirty water up and out of the fibers.

You are right...hmm we might end up buying a dehumidifier too. We both had a weird feeling it smelled damp, but couldn't put our finger on it. And another thing with the windows is that they dont even have screens so you can't really get fresh air in the house with the cats ...maybe I can jerry rig something up.

I'd suggest giving them a good cleaning and follow that up with a good treatment with Febreeze. That stuff really is amazing for getting out tough odors.

Oh yeah...forgot about the Febreeze, good idea, thanks!

Let the cats jump out the windows. They won't do it twice.

Pull out your refrigerator and see what is behind and underneath it. The same with the stove if its not gas.

I wouldn't recommend cleaning the carpets yourself. A professional service isn't terribly expensive and they have more powerful equipment than you can rent. Also a lot of companies will give you a half price cleaning next time if you re-use them again in the same year.

Drains are horrible places for stinky germs to hide. I recommend bleach down the drains over night, just a little. Include any overflow drains, basement drains, washtubs, etc.

Start by removing yourself from it. just kidding, couldn't resist.



Are they really magical?

Hope you like the places. I know what it's like moving from one place to another, I'm actually gonna be doing that in about 2 weeks. I have moved at least once a year for the past 10 years. Yikes!

"Start by removing yourself from it."

The joke that everybody could resist except you, Charles. You should be proud.

Hope you like the places. I know what it's like moving from one place to another, I'm actually gonna be doing that in about 2 weeks. I have moved at least once a year for the past 10 years. Yikes!

I've been in the same boat sort of...moved from my home town to the twin cities, then across the street, then back to my hometown, then back and forth to college, then my own apt for my senior year, then vegas, MN, and WY. Uffda.

As we went there yesterday, we saw the place again and I just looked around...trying to figure out what to work on. Windows wont open, woodrot. Molding around one of the doors is bad / woodrot and missing. Patchjobs galore on the walls along with a patchwork of painting jobs. Their new carpet was dirty beyond words. But thats ok...gave us time to clean up the place...Ill be posting another blog here in a few.

Well I've moved from NJ to Puerto Rico, then from Puerto Rico to Miami, then from Miami to NJ, then back to Miami, been from apt to apt about 6 times, then back to Puerto Rico, from house to house about 2 times, moved back to West Palm Beach and now will be moving to a new apt. I really need to settle down for a while. Keep in mind I've been doing all this since I was 8 years old.