Really bad smelling room!

[HarelessMiffy]

I need recommendations for an air freshener or odour neutraliser for a smelly room.
My son has just moved into a shared house for 2nd year at Uni. It's clear the that previous occupant smoked in there. Landlord has put in new carpet, but the tobacco smell lingers.
He's not allowed candles, joss sticks or plug-in air fresheners. So what is the most effective thing we can do?
I've heard saucers of white vinegar can help, but is that an old wives tale?

Smoke can get into the fabric of the house. Were the walls/ceiling repainted or sugarsoaped down? If not then contact the landlord for him to do that. A new carpet alone is not good enough.

Is there a wardrobe in the room? He could try putting a tray of scented cat litter in the bottom of it to see if that helps.

Otherwise, Neutradol air freshener is supposed to be good for getting rid of smoky smells.

It's all very clean looking, but I don't know if it was washed down exactly. He's going to febreeze the curtains, but they don't actually smell.

Thanks -I shall send him to get that

Hadn't thought about cat litter!

It probably won't help. We live in a 1920s built house and there hasn't been a smoker in the home for over 25 years but the wood on the mantelpiece still emits a smoke smell. We've had the carpets replaced, the walls replastered and the wood stripped and painted. It's still there.

You're going to have to mask it if the occupant only just moved out and it's rented

Wow! That's some tenacious tobacco!

Why the holy living fuck can't he have a plug-in?

Just get a plug-in.

Could he try a reed diffuser? Readily available, loads of scents to choose from, relatively inexpensive, no power being used.

If the walls are plaster/paint he could try using sugar soap but he should try a discreet area first to make sure the paint doesn't wipe off too (it shouldn't but you know, cheap landlords and all that). If it's wallpapered then he can't. However he should clean the skirting boards thoroughly etc.

It would be better if he washed the curtains rather than fabreezed them tbh, you shouldn't be adding more chemicals into the mix. Could try the old hints for absorbing paint odours like a bowl of salt left out, or a cut in half onion.

They're awful for the air quality.

Opening the windows as much as possible is the best bet.

Air purifier with a carbon filter

Landlord won't allow candles or plug inside but allows smoking? Guess your son needs to start "smoking" incense.

Old wives tale but my grandma used to swear by cutting up fresh onions and placing them in a bowl with some water. She said it would take away the smell of paint/varnish etc. may be worth a try

Some companies do nice room sprays in lovely scents. We use them in the bathroom and they’re not like cheap supermarket air fresheners. Currently love this:

heylandandwhittle.co.uk/collections/classic-room-sprays/products/classic-clementine-prosecco-room-spray-100ml

Bicarbonate of soda absorbs smells, so a couple of dishes of that should help things along.

They can be both a health and fire hazard. We used to have one and it shorted the electricity, black around the socket.They get overheated, melt the plastic and start a fire. plus can cause respiratory irritation if used for a long time. I know the well known manufacturers
say they’re safe but it’s not worth the risk, so it’s understandable that landlords ban them.

See if you can find a local car detailer. They use ozone generators to clear smells out of cars, however they need to be used carefully as the room will need ventilating after treatment before you can use it. Ozone kills all smells and will do the necessary for you.

@Bignanna Thank you for that information, that's really interesting. I had no idea.

Edited because my first reply sounded really sarcastic 😳

The smokers lungs will be in a worse state than the room, the council could tarmac the pavement with them eventually.

Air purifier.

You want to remove toxins, not just mask the smell.

I recommend an Ona block. Absorbs smells really well, although I haven't tried it on tobacco.