My house stinks

[OakLeaf]

There are charcoal filters you can put into your existing HVAC (assuming you have forced air) - either small ones you cut to size and put just inside the vent outlets, or inline systems that replace or supplement the dust filter.

That sounds nasty, hope you find a good solution.

[ny biker]

Thanks ladies!


My microwave is installed over my stove and there is an exhaust fan built into it, with a carbon filter because there's no vent to the outside. I don't like to use it because it's very loud and does something to the air flow/temperature that makes the heat pump run more than is necessary. So I'm looking into getting a tabletop air purifier -- there's one from Holmes that can use several different filters, including one with charcoal and baking soda. I'm hoping that it won't be as loud, and that if I put it farther away from the kitchen doorway the air flow won't cause problems.

I'm also going to get some charcoal-in-a-bag deodorizers to put in various rooms. I"m also intrigued by the idea of charcoal filters inside the HVAC ducts, but I worry that lessen the air flow through the ducts. I'll ask the HVAC guys when they come to do the fall maintenance on the system.


While I was researching these products, I found this recipe for a homemade odor-neutralizing spray. I'm going to try it out.

"Mix one teaspoon of baking soda with one teaspoon of white vinegar. Then add two cups of water to that, and decant the solution into a fine mist spray bottle. This should neutralise odours as opposed to simply masking the scent with a different scent. This mixture can be used on water safe fabric and carpets."

[ny biker]

Oy. I ordered the air purifier from Best Buy. It was ship-to-home only, not available to be shipped to a store. UPS trashed the box in shipping. Based on the dirt on the package inside the box and the crush marks on multiple sides, I think it was probably already in bad shape before it was shipped. So I'm returning it.

I ordered the same model directly from the manufacturer's website -- for a lower price, and the replacement filters were on sale there so I got two of them, all for less than I paid for the first order. I chose 2-day shipping, so hopefully UPS or FedEx will take better care of this package.

(I've had a lot of problems in the past year with packages being crushed in shipment and online orders being poorly packed for shipping. Very frustrating.)

Meanwhile. I picked up several bamboo charcoal deodorizers from The Container Store last week. I decided to put one on top of the new wall cabinet in my recently remodeled bathroom, because the new exhaust fan that I had installed is drawing cigarette smoke in from the townhouse next door. The wall cabinet is 9" deep, recessed in the wall about 4". And low and behold, I found a 1" gap between the top of the cabinet and the wall. You can't see it unless you're up on a ladder, because the trim around the cabinet hides it. But I'm pretty sure I've found out how the cigarette smell is getting in. And this is a significant opening for hot air to escape through when the heat is on. Now I just need to figure out how to fill the gap. As a short-term solution, I've stuffed plastic bags into it.

[emily_in_nc]

Ah, good find, ny! I hate cigarette smoke smell above just about anything else. We lived upstairs in an old historic home in Ohio for awhile, and the widow lady downstairs smoked like a chimney. We had to keep towels stuffed under the door to the upstairs to keep the smell out. Fortunately, that seemed to be the only infiltration point.

I hope the air purifier helps! Be sure to report back.

[pll]

I think the company that installed the cabinet should come back and do a good job. Having that gap does not make any sense.

[snapdragen]

pll is right, someone did not do their job properly!

[Pax]

Pretty sure that violates fire code, might want to follow up and have it installed properly. Lazy sods.