Hey everyone! My partner and I just moved into a duplex that needs some serious TLC in the coming months. The unit we're in used to have smokers and a cat, and now the walls smell pretty awful. I'm looking for advice on how to effectively clean these walls. What products do you recommend or think I should avoid? Any tips would be hugely appreciated! Thanks!
3 Answers
For tackling cat urine, enzyme-based cleaners can work wonders if the smell has soaked into the flooring. Also, since it sounds like you're dealing with a lot of nicotine from the smokers, it's best to remove any carpets and curtains as they hold onto smells really well. After cleaning the walls, priming and painting everything is essential!
I’ve had success using a product called Degrease All for smoke damage; it works super well! For the cat odor, I've heard that using a good sealing primer can really help block out any lingering smells after you clean the walls. Definitely consider layering that over the cleaned surfaces.
You really want to use a sealing primer (like BIN or KILZ) so the smoke doesn’t seep back through the paint after you’ve cleaned everything. Make sure you wash the walls down first with something like TSP if they’re yellowed from smoke— it can help a ton!
Thanks for the tips! I’ll definitely look into using TSP before priming.
I hadn’t thought about curtains and carpets! Thanks for the heads-up!