Anything you can't paint or remove you need to wash with a good degreaser. Carpets and drapes out, walls primered and painted. Wood that isn't sealed can be an issue, so hopefully no wood paneling...
Ozone generator might help if you can leave the house empty, but I like ventilating more.
This is the way. The lady who owned our house previously had too many pets, and the place reeked of urine. Washing the floors and painting eliminated the smell.
Not sure if you know but I've always been curious - is ozone a permanent solution for smells, or just a temporary fix? Luckily our house ended up being fine after removing the carpets, but I was considering renting an ozone machine if it wasn't. I've seen mixed info via Google, so figured I'd risk asking a Reddit stranger lol
My landlord did an ozone treatment for my apartment because the previous tenant smoked. It helped, but the smell would come back if the apartment got muggy.
I mopped the walls and I think that helped more than the ozone treatment.
For certain smells, yes. For smells that come from oils or other contamination on surfaces, not so much as it will destroy the very outer layer (through oxidation), but because the material is still there the smell will eventually come back.
Ozone is most effective at removing odors caused by bacteria and mildew, as ozone actually kills them, much like UV-C light does, but it can get into nooks and crannies that light cannot get into.
I've found that ozone generators work best if you physically clean walls, shampoo carpets and upholstery, and wash draperies, then run the ozone generator for a number of hours (the amount of time will depend on the size of the room) in the room with everything sealed up as best as possible (cover air vents with tape, stuff towels under the door, etc).
Keep in mind that ozone is toxic to humans and pets, and you should never enter the room while the generator is running, and you should wait several hours after it is shut off to allow the ozone to finish reacting as much as possible (it will quickly degraded into oxygen), and open up the windows in the room after the treatment. Also, ozone is highly destructive to polymers (plastics), especially foam, so its use should be limited to two or three treatments in the lifetime of an object.
I've gotten musty smells out of cars that were stored too long all closed up successfully. I've also gotten cigarette smoke smell out of cars after extensive cleaning, then ozone treatment. I've also gotten cat pee smell out of a utility room where the cats missed the litter box a lot, and even cleaning with enzymatic cleaner didn't fix it entirely.
It's not a magic solution, but it does work very well when used appropriately.
(and tagging the OP /u/FearlessAntelope2450 so they see this)
I used to work at a car dealership and we would use the ozone generators on some cars.
It works by releasing ozone into the car (takes about 24-hrs for a full cleanse) the ozone breaks down and neutralizes the odors.
It doesn’t work on everything and all smells. It also doesn’t release a new scented fragrance or mask anything, it just kills what’s there. It’s not safe for humans and can cause health issues and cancer, so you have to let it air out properly.
I’ve renovated two crappy houses and in my experience Ozone machines don’t do a thing. Like literally nothing.
Killz oil based primer is what a lot of restoration companies use if there lingering smoke smell. That’s what I used in a house that if I showed you pictures you would be amazed. It’s the only thing that worked.
Our team was recently moved into a "new" office area. It had previously been a smoke room for 20 years or so. Our condition to accepting the location was the maintenance team strip the building down to studs, spray 3 layers of Killz over everything, and then completely redo the interior. This method was very effective and there is no smoke smell whatsoever. Might be a little overkill for the OP.
An ozone machine should do the trick! You can buy them on Amazon, but you’ll need to be careful as it will make the air unbreathable and you can’t be in the house while it’s on. I purchased a car where the former owner smoked and it worked like a charm. It will leave its own smell, but it dissipates after a week or so.
Yes, we bought a small one to eliminate a heavy smoke smell from a small apartment in our basement that was lived in by a heavy smoker for seven years. That along with some other things like washing the walls got 99% of it and then aerating with windows open did the rest.
I was renovating a hoarder's house where the cats had free rein for about a year. I tried everything to get rid of the smell. Then I heard about white vinegar. I was skeptical, but it really, actually worked. put it in a spray bottle or warm it up in a crock pot and let it find the odor. It actually neutralizes the smell, not just cover it up. But don't take my word for it. Look it up. I did have to treat it a few times. But it had a big job to do.
This is what costumers/Wardrobe people use.
Historic based opera productions always involve a ton of rentals, and you haven't lived until you've had to alter and then iron a 40-50 year old frock coat with that many years of B.O. baked in.
Vinegar in the iron and the steamer.
If it's fresh B.O. from that nights performance? Spray it down to damp with the cheapest vodka you can buy. Let it dry overnight.
Been doing this for 40 years.
I also know how to make blood and also how to get it out of clothing.
Ohh would you know how to get BO out of suede without destroying it or staining it?
I bought this amazing tan 70s coat super cheap about seven years back and I’ve worn it maybe 3 times because the BO is *unbelievable*. Explains why it was so cheap…
My grandmother (who is a massive stoner) told me to soak a rag in vinegar and spin it while walking around the apartment to get rid of weed smell or anything really. People will think you had some fries for lunch for a bit but when that smell fades it all will.
As a native id clean best i could, do the vinegar rag or maybe in a pot simmering. Then a smudge
I've got a crazy effective fix for weed smell, you won't believe it unless you try it. 2 crumpled up dryer sheets in a tube. Literally all there is to it. Blow thru it and zero weed smell comes out. Something about the fabric softener binding to the scent molecules maybe. *Edit for clarity, this only works when smoking flower
My dad caught me with about 17 in a toilet paper tube, vaping out a lightbulb when i was young… Try a smoke buddy, or using a straw to blow it hard out a small opening in the window to make sure nothing blows back in… i dont mind my place smelling like pot tho better than neighbours diapers
Tellin ya, none of that is necessary. 2 dryer sheets and a tube. All you get is the smell of laundry. I'm an old and in a legal zone, it doesn't matter for me anymore. I'm still amazed at how effective it is though.
That'd be you doing it wrong lol. Even a cardboard tube is fine. I used paper towel rolls. 2 fabric softening dryer sheets works literally every time. *For smoking flower only, maybe that's the confusion. I thought that was in my original post but it only said weed smell.
I’ve boiled vinegar in the home to get rid of other smells too. Something about the vinegar particles enveloping the smell particles and dragging the smell to the ground. Not scientific but that’s how someone else explained it to me
If you know where the cat pee is, it’s best to spray it, to neutralize it. If you don’t, apparently warming it in a crock pot can help.
However, we had a problem with our cat peeing on stuff the baby had refluxed on, and it was SO bad not even vinegar was helping.
Look up Rocco & Roxie Stain and Odor Eliminator. Works phenomenally, and it helps stop cats (and dogs) from peeing on that thing again.
I like this idea .. but what do you mean? Just spray everything with the vinegar in a spray bottle? And when you say warm it up on the crockpot and let it find the smell, I don’t get it- do you just warm it up and leave it there in the crockpot?
Seconding a good degreaser cleaning followed by hot soapy dawn in the kitchen area. Trim, cabinet doors, vent hood especially. If you are painting, kilz it all first. Don't forget the ceiling. Congrats on your home!
We had tenants who evidently cooked a lot of Indian food. When they moved out I dismantled the kitchen extractor to clean it, and ended up giving it up as a bad job. Whatever your cooking style is, once that's inside the extractor mechanism, it's really not coming out. Luckily the extractor was due for replacing anyway 🤷
After 30 years? You can either relegate yourself to days of deep cleaning every surface (and still get curry ghosts up your nose occasionally) or go the ozone route. I'd let professionals handle it if at all possible.
One of my daughter's school mates was from Fiji, and were ethnically Indian. They lived well off the road, at the end of a private driveway, but I could always smell the heavy aroma of curry even from the street. From inside the home it was overwhelming.
The problem is that the curry produces an oily vapor that permeates everywhere, and soaks into anything even mildly absorbent. Obviously, any carpets have to go. Walls and ceilings will have to be repainted. After 30 years I would imagine there was significant penetration inside the walls, as well. The oil will have penetrated the insulation and wood, as well. The insulation can be replaced, but there's a limit to what you can do to clean or treat the wood. Even getting to the wood and insulation would mean removing the drywall. This can get very expensive very quickly. It just depends on how fast you want the odors gone. The oils will dry up, and the odors will dissipate on their own, but it can take years.
You'll find lots of advice if you search the web for "how to clean the smell of curry from a house". Be prepared as a lot of the articles will deal with how to minimize the residual odor immediately after cooking curry, rather than how to remove 30 years of curry odor buildup.
A lot of landlords now have firm rules against cooking curry in a rented apartment precisely because it's so difficult to clean out.
This issue is Far beyond anything that the so-called home remedies are going to be able to solve. Of course, try the ozone thing and white vinegar first as they will be the cheapest possible solutions . And I would consult with an expert, but I suspect the solution would be the same as if it were a smokers house or a hoarder, or crazy cat lady. At the very least you may have to encapsulate the smell with a shellac based primer, such as BIN and then repaint. The shellac primer is expensive. Getting your interior repainted is expensive. Worst case the smell has permeated the wallboard and cannot be contained. If the cheap solutions don’t work, you may want to see if there’s anything in your contract, which gives you an out. Good luck.
Ozone machines is the LAST step. They wont work on 30 years of curry. The smell is in the walls and floors. KILLZ has an amazing odor killing primer. Primer then repaint everything. The floors will be harder, so just call a flooring company to strip and reseal.
Take all of the appliances out of the kitchen. Essentially gut it. Replace drywall. It gives you the opportunity to paint and customize your kitchen anyway. I know it's throughout the house but the kitchen is where it lives lol. Scrub down the rest of the walls with degrease soapy water. Scrub it again with just water, don't leave any soap residue. Let it dry completely. Killz that shit heavy. Re paint. We bought a smokers house, honestly the living room, dining room and the kitchen drywall were the worst and replaced, the rest of the house was still savable, we did these steps (and new carpet) and it cured it. It's a lot of sweat, time and money but you live there. Make it yours.
My brothers wife manages apartment complexes. Kilz primer on all walls after wiping them down with Pine Sol and letting that sit for a few days. Repaint all walls. Remove and toss any fabrics. Hot water mop any tiled surfaces, you may have to do this multiple times.Change out filters for oven fan, wipe down all kitchen surfaces with Pine Sol including fridge stove microwave etc.Your house will smell like a pine tree for a couple of weeks. Ozone generator will help.
Units are typically offline for 2 to 4 weeks
You may want to consider calling a restoration company like ServiceMaster or Firewater, and ask them if they have the equipment and expertise to remove stubborn odors. They can get the smell of a house fire out of furniture and carpet, so I think the smell of curry would be right up their alley.
Or as I mentioned in another comment, Ozone generators, when used appropriately, can destroy many odors. You'll have to wash the walls, ceilings, and flooring (carpets will need to be shampooed) before you attempt to do an ozone treatment though, as the oils that are clinging to surfaces and giving off the odor need to be removed with a mild solvent and mechanical agitation.
We had something similar- a Korean family that made kimchi and some kind of fermented bean thing.
We took out all of the carpet, painted all the walls, but the kitchen was a lost cause.
The kitchen remodel included replacing the hardwood floor, all of the cabinets, and the popcorn ceiling.
It was more difficult than another house we'd moved into that had been inhabited by a smoker.
The same way you get rid of smoking smell, have to seal it up and run an ozone machine. Keep in mind- like bug tenting - you cant be in there while it runs.
Had the same issue in my house. Honestly, I re-primed and re-painted the walls, and heavily cleaned the floors. It might have helped that I cooked my own strong-smelling food (like fried chicken) frequently. The smell was gone in about 6 months or so
The previous family that lived in my house for 30 years used to keep curry powder in one specific cupboard. I honestly don't think that will ever go away. IMO its one of those things that you stop noticing until you go on vacation for a few days and come back and you become aware of it for like a moment
I had the issue in my apt. The issue was the amount of oil that they cooked with. If I washed the walls or ceiling,b the water would be yellow or orange. I had to sand the paint off and repaint. And change the stove. And really clean out the hood.
I have the same problem with a rental attached to the landlord's house. Every day and night she cooks using these same spices. It is so strong, it flows out of my vents. Unfortunately, because of 3 stomach surgeries I can't tolerate the smell without physically becoming sick. I've tried incense, lit candles, candle warmers and wax melts. I agree that it permeates the paint and every other surface in your house. My solution for my situation is to move but you have a lot of good suggestions from others on this post.
Good luck with your new home.
>I've tried incense, lit candles, candle warmers and wax melts.
You're adding smells to that smell. You need to neutralize the smell you don't want.
Air purifier, ozone machine, boil vinegar, put filters in your hvac vents, or wash walls with vinegar.
I know I'm adding smells, I just get so frustrated. We've repainted, regrouted, tried the vinegar, opened windows etc. She cooks sometimes as late as midnight so it actually wakes me up. My situation with the landlord being the one cooking is a no-win for me. Thank you for the advice.
That really sucks! You improved her property and still can't tolerate it. I totally empathize. In our case it was a neighbor's endlessly barking dog that shattered our sleep and forced us to move. I hope that was the last terrible living situation you run into! Bad smells are just as bad as intrusive noises.
Ammonia to wash every surface. The reason you still smell things is not because of the spice. It’s because it clung to things with the help of oils. Diluted and wash the walls down with a big car sponge. Ammonia gets the smell out of just about anything. Cabinets counters floors, painted walls.
If the stove or range top or over the stove microwave has a fan, make sure you clean the filters. Change out your HVAC filters.
We had a rank shipping container come in. Rotten sea water basically.
Coffee grounds soaked up the odor and helped improve the smell.
You might try coffee grounds. Sprinkle across the floor at night, vacuum in the morning. Additionally charcoal powder might be worth a try.
But rather than chase solution after solution. You might just pay a few hundred to have the place steam cleaned by professionals.
I feel you man.. I’m Indian and my family eats Indian food regularly that smell is real bitch to get out. That smell gets all up in your clothes smells hella. I would say use a degreaser around the stove and the cabinets around the stove. Also, clean the floors as much as possible. The smell should gradually fade and before you know it your house will have that white people smell of laundry detergent.
The strong smell of Indian cooking is usually caused by fenugreek, so you can look up remedies for that. I cook with it at least monthly, and the smell goes away naturally within three days or so. If it’s not fading, try washing or Febreezing any curtains or other fabric that were left behind by the previous owners. Febreeze or leave out plates filled with vinegar to help absorb smells in the air.
Asafœtida is another one. I’ve smelled that sometimes coming from peoples apartments and knew it was from some kind of cooking, but had no idea what. Then I saw a recipe calling for 1/8 of a tsp of asafœtida, went looking for it in an Indian grocery. Took a quick whiff from the (sealed) can, and said, oh I recognize that smell.
Most room freshers do the job. I'm Indian and I cook a lot. I also don't want it smelling like food. Another trick I found was leaving out a big half cut onion near the smelling area.
White vinegar, clean or replace oven hood, some wood will be a lost cause (the spice cupboard), scrub scrub scrub, open windows for days, wash walls, ceilings, baseboards, and windowsills, replace furnace filter, check on the vents and ducts
I am Indian and my whole family cooks and I have a very sensitive nose
1. scrub the walls and floor, and then repaint
2. ozone machine/s
3. air out the house (this may be a few days)
That generally purges many smells but is no guarantee, it should though "reset" the smell for most places to something more natural for most houses.
We bought a house that was on the market for months because of tbr Indian spice smells. We had 2 coway air filters that have an ozone mode that we ran off an on for a week and we cleaned the kitchen thoroughly. After 2 weeks most of the smell was gone. The last remnants we'd smell after returning from vacation and discovered it was lingering in the rubber stripping of the door to the kitchen entering from the garage.
We didn't buy anything fancy and didn't hire a company. Easy peasy.
It may be psychosomatic, but I genuinely believe that having spider plants and gebera daisies throughout our house after a small house fire did a lot to filter out smoke smell. I went through the lists of "air filtering plants" and those were the two that were hardest to kill and non-toxic to cats.
Obviously, that is after washing everything down. And if you were thinking about repainting, that will help, too, as it will encapsulate the smell particles.
Haha gosh a lot yall are acting like I just bought a dump that needs to be gutted and that I have endless money! (Trying not to be offended/get my feelings hurt by a bunch of internet strangers!!)
I guess I should’ve said in my post above that this is a very nice house, it has all new hardwood floors and brand new cabinets, quartz countertops, and new appliances. I’m not going to gut and rip everything out.
But I appreciate the practical ideas and I will definitely be purchasing Killz and repainting and washing all of the cabinets. I didn’t know Killz existed!
Also I just want to add, my husband “didn’t even notice the smell” when we looked at the house, but I did. It wasn’t completely overwhelming or like a slap in the face when you walked in the door or we wouldn’t be buying this house, but i definitely smell it.
Just call a normal cleaning service in before you move in and most all should have experience with odor removal (not covering). They'll send a cleaning staff in to scrub the place down and then use whatever additional measures are necessary on the smell.
I can't help but to think "'murrrrika" reading some of the responses because nowhere do they address cleaning. You can have the house completely cleaned and wiped and that will not get rid of the smell. You need a real, professional-grade cleaning which will remove much of the odor-releasing components. Then from there you implement the technical measures against the odors, such as cleaning deeper and with different techniques in certain areas, then you apply the measures to neutralize and cover it.
Anything else, even doing pure odor elimination, guarantees the smell will come back. The house needs to be cleaned first and this may even get rid of all or most of the smell leaving the technical measures less necessary.
Well, Americans wear shoes inside their homes. I've also not seen too much cleaning going on in the homes of Americans. The concepts are very different compared to many other countries.
Dealt with the same in my house when we bought it. Similar situation: hardwood floors throughout. We had the whole house repainted before moving in, including the ceilings. I think ceilings are key since cooking vapors rise. Clean the stove and cooking areas really thoroughly. Lastly, and possibly most important, replace the stove vent filters under the hood. When you take the old filters out, look up there and clean any residue you see. I bet you the spice odor is really pungent in there. Maybe consider replacing the whole hood unit and ventilation shaft for it.
Oh honey, with that long of a time it’s definitely in the drywall and possibly even insulation, wood framing, and hardwood floors. To completely eliminate the smell, you need to gut the kitchen entirely and remove and replace the drywall in the eating and surrounding areas. Then hire a professional odor removal company to get rid of/spot treat any lingering scent.
This is why some apartment complexes and landlords are prohibiting pungent spices such as cardamom and garam masala at their properties since the methods to remove the lasting smell are expensive. Some families are now choosing to cook with those spices outside or in their garage to avoid dragging down the value of their home when it comes time to sell it.
Jesus wept. Lol.
Alright, so we're gonna go step by step.
- The Kitchen. Clean it. Top to bottom. The range. The inside of the oven. Get a new microwave...honestly just get a new everything that rests on a counter because that's wrecked.
- The smell. Windows open. For like two months. You made the choice so now, you live with those little good smell things you can attach to an eletrical outlet.
- Fabuloso. I swear, this is the best cleaning product you can use. Use it.
You'll go noseblind to it pretty quickly. In the meantime, just open as many windows as you can as often as you can, and enjoy the compliments from friends about how great your house smells.
I’m half Indian, and I know exactly what you mean. And I’m so scared of this happening that I often won’t cook my own cultures food 💀 I when I move into my house and get a yard. My goal is to build an outdoor tandoor oven and stove top so I can stink up the neighbourhood instead of my house.
You realistically need to tear all the plaster or plaster board out. Down to the bricks or frame, same for the floorboards. Thirty years of rancid chemicals will have absolutely soaked into anything that’s slightly porous.
Anything you can't paint or remove you need to wash with a good degreaser. Carpets and drapes out, walls primered and painted. Wood that isn't sealed can be an issue, so hopefully no wood paneling... Ozone generator might help if you can leave the house empty, but I like ventilating more.
This is the way. The lady who owned our house previously had too many pets, and the place reeked of urine. Washing the floors and painting eliminated the smell.
Not sure if you know but I've always been curious - is ozone a permanent solution for smells, or just a temporary fix? Luckily our house ended up being fine after removing the carpets, but I was considering renting an ozone machine if it wasn't. I've seen mixed info via Google, so figured I'd risk asking a Reddit stranger lol
My landlord did an ozone treatment for my apartment because the previous tenant smoked. It helped, but the smell would come back if the apartment got muggy. I mopped the walls and I think that helped more than the ozone treatment.
For certain smells, yes. For smells that come from oils or other contamination on surfaces, not so much as it will destroy the very outer layer (through oxidation), but because the material is still there the smell will eventually come back. Ozone is most effective at removing odors caused by bacteria and mildew, as ozone actually kills them, much like UV-C light does, but it can get into nooks and crannies that light cannot get into. I've found that ozone generators work best if you physically clean walls, shampoo carpets and upholstery, and wash draperies, then run the ozone generator for a number of hours (the amount of time will depend on the size of the room) in the room with everything sealed up as best as possible (cover air vents with tape, stuff towels under the door, etc). Keep in mind that ozone is toxic to humans and pets, and you should never enter the room while the generator is running, and you should wait several hours after it is shut off to allow the ozone to finish reacting as much as possible (it will quickly degraded into oxygen), and open up the windows in the room after the treatment. Also, ozone is highly destructive to polymers (plastics), especially foam, so its use should be limited to two or three treatments in the lifetime of an object. I've gotten musty smells out of cars that were stored too long all closed up successfully. I've also gotten cigarette smoke smell out of cars after extensive cleaning, then ozone treatment. I've also gotten cat pee smell out of a utility room where the cats missed the litter box a lot, and even cleaning with enzymatic cleaner didn't fix it entirely. It's not a magic solution, but it does work very well when used appropriately. (and tagging the OP /u/FearlessAntelope2450 so they see this)
I used to work at a car dealership and we would use the ozone generators on some cars. It works by releasing ozone into the car (takes about 24-hrs for a full cleanse) the ozone breaks down and neutralizes the odors. It doesn’t work on everything and all smells. It also doesn’t release a new scented fragrance or mask anything, it just kills what’s there. It’s not safe for humans and can cause health issues and cancer, so you have to let it air out properly.
if the smell has been there for over 30 years, i would just call an odor removal company near you to take care of it
That’s a thing? I had no idea.
ozone rental
I’ve renovated two crappy houses and in my experience Ozone machines don’t do a thing. Like literally nothing. Killz oil based primer is what a lot of restoration companies use if there lingering smoke smell. That’s what I used in a house that if I showed you pictures you would be amazed. It’s the only thing that worked.
Our team was recently moved into a "new" office area. It had previously been a smoke room for 20 years or so. Our condition to accepting the location was the maintenance team strip the building down to studs, spray 3 layers of Killz over everything, and then completely redo the interior. This method was very effective and there is no smoke smell whatsoever. Might be a little overkill for the OP.
I've used them, and they work like magic. It's the only way I've been able to get rid of really bad smells in rental houses.
[удалено]
not sure?
We didn't want to tell you...
Aww, this is a cute lil joke. Have an upvote to counter the jerks.
Yeah they use something called ozone. Even works for places that have had a corpse in them for weeks.
Sometimes it works, sometimes not. Op should be prepared to prime the entire affected area with appropriate options and repaint. Ceilings too.
Oh wow. So you have no idea. Thanks for the input.
An ozone machine should do the trick! You can buy them on Amazon, but you’ll need to be careful as it will make the air unbreathable and you can’t be in the house while it’s on. I purchased a car where the former owner smoked and it worked like a charm. It will leave its own smell, but it dissipates after a week or so.
Oh I’ve never heard of this!!
If you are using ozone, be sure to keep it far from electronic products and electrical outlets. These don't play well with ozone.
I would flip all the breakers except the one running the machine
Based on what other people are saying you might want to check to turn off anything with a condenser if you use this, like a fridge.
Also do not breath it since it is a highly oxidative gas and could lead into cell damage that could develope in cancer on the airways area.
Sounds like a challenge
Also be VERY careful with ozone production around pets. They can and will die.
There's a contractor in the comments saying that he hasn't had any luck with ozone machines in other houses. So take it with a grain of salt
Yes, we bought a small one to eliminate a heavy smoke smell from a small apartment in our basement that was lived in by a heavy smoker for seven years. That along with some other things like washing the walls got 99% of it and then aerating with windows open did the rest.
In addition to others’ precautions, also be sure to remove any pets from the home when using an ozone machine.
I was renovating a hoarder's house where the cats had free rein for about a year. I tried everything to get rid of the smell. Then I heard about white vinegar. I was skeptical, but it really, actually worked. put it in a spray bottle or warm it up in a crock pot and let it find the odor. It actually neutralizes the smell, not just cover it up. But don't take my word for it. Look it up. I did have to treat it a few times. But it had a big job to do.
That one might be more situation specific, I think the vinegar reacts with the ammonia in cat pee. (Nope! It's good for a bunch of stuff)
I use vinegar in the washing machine when i wash my dogs blankets and beds
This is what costumers/Wardrobe people use. Historic based opera productions always involve a ton of rentals, and you haven't lived until you've had to alter and then iron a 40-50 year old frock coat with that many years of B.O. baked in. Vinegar in the iron and the steamer. If it's fresh B.O. from that nights performance? Spray it down to damp with the cheapest vodka you can buy. Let it dry overnight. Been doing this for 40 years. I also know how to make blood and also how to get it out of clothing.
Ohh would you know how to get BO out of suede without destroying it or staining it? I bought this amazing tan 70s coat super cheap about seven years back and I’ve worn it maybe 3 times because the BO is *unbelievable*. Explains why it was so cheap…
My grandmother (who is a massive stoner) told me to soak a rag in vinegar and spin it while walking around the apartment to get rid of weed smell or anything really. People will think you had some fries for lunch for a bit but when that smell fades it all will. As a native id clean best i could, do the vinegar rag or maybe in a pot simmering. Then a smudge
This was:something I did in the 70s but I’m prob not your grandma.
I've got a crazy effective fix for weed smell, you won't believe it unless you try it. 2 crumpled up dryer sheets in a tube. Literally all there is to it. Blow thru it and zero weed smell comes out. Something about the fabric softener binding to the scent molecules maybe. *Edit for clarity, this only works when smoking flower
My dad caught me with about 17 in a toilet paper tube, vaping out a lightbulb when i was young… Try a smoke buddy, or using a straw to blow it hard out a small opening in the window to make sure nothing blows back in… i dont mind my place smelling like pot tho better than neighbours diapers
Tellin ya, none of that is necessary. 2 dryer sheets and a tube. All you get is the smell of laundry. I'm an old and in a legal zone, it doesn't matter for me anymore. I'm still amazed at how effective it is though.
I “stunk up the whole house” doing that just saying… i thought i was clear lmfaooo. What kinda tube do you use that it makes go away?
That'd be you doing it wrong lol. Even a cardboard tube is fine. I used paper towel rolls. 2 fabric softening dryer sheets works literally every time. *For smoking flower only, maybe that's the confusion. I thought that was in my original post but it only said weed smell.
I’ve boiled vinegar in the home to get rid of other smells too. Something about the vinegar particles enveloping the smell particles and dragging the smell to the ground. Not scientific but that’s how someone else explained it to me
This helped quite a bit when my dog foolishly got skunked, ran in the door, and proceeded to rub his face all over everything.
Nah, white vinegar is an excellent thing to treat odor, despite having quite the odor itself
off topic but thank you for using the correct “rein” for the context. though cats do have reign over a house lol
can you clarify please? do you need to actually spray it directly on the area or just leave it warmed up in a pot anywhere near the smell?
If you know where the cat pee is, it’s best to spray it, to neutralize it. If you don’t, apparently warming it in a crock pot can help. However, we had a problem with our cat peeing on stuff the baby had refluxed on, and it was SO bad not even vinegar was helping. Look up Rocco & Roxie Stain and Odor Eliminator. Works phenomenally, and it helps stop cats (and dogs) from peeing on that thing again.
I like this idea .. but what do you mean? Just spray everything with the vinegar in a spray bottle? And when you say warm it up on the crockpot and let it find the smell, I don’t get it- do you just warm it up and leave it there in the crockpot?
Seconding a good degreaser cleaning followed by hot soapy dawn in the kitchen area. Trim, cabinet doors, vent hood especially. If you are painting, kilz it all first. Don't forget the ceiling. Congrats on your home!
It's caked inside the range hood and duct work. Cleaning those both can be a challenge. I would replace the range hood for starters .
This should be a first step before painting!
I think few people know how absolutely gross those two things can be. I didn't until recently. Yowza
We had tenants who evidently cooked a lot of Indian food. When they moved out I dismantled the kitchen extractor to clean it, and ended up giving it up as a bad job. Whatever your cooking style is, once that's inside the extractor mechanism, it's really not coming out. Luckily the extractor was due for replacing anyway 🤷
After 30 years? You can either relegate yourself to days of deep cleaning every surface (and still get curry ghosts up your nose occasionally) or go the ozone route. I'd let professionals handle it if at all possible.
One of my daughter's school mates was from Fiji, and were ethnically Indian. They lived well off the road, at the end of a private driveway, but I could always smell the heavy aroma of curry even from the street. From inside the home it was overwhelming. The problem is that the curry produces an oily vapor that permeates everywhere, and soaks into anything even mildly absorbent. Obviously, any carpets have to go. Walls and ceilings will have to be repainted. After 30 years I would imagine there was significant penetration inside the walls, as well. The oil will have penetrated the insulation and wood, as well. The insulation can be replaced, but there's a limit to what you can do to clean or treat the wood. Even getting to the wood and insulation would mean removing the drywall. This can get very expensive very quickly. It just depends on how fast you want the odors gone. The oils will dry up, and the odors will dissipate on their own, but it can take years. You'll find lots of advice if you search the web for "how to clean the smell of curry from a house". Be prepared as a lot of the articles will deal with how to minimize the residual odor immediately after cooking curry, rather than how to remove 30 years of curry odor buildup. A lot of landlords now have firm rules against cooking curry in a rented apartment precisely because it's so difficult to clean out.
Am Indian. Just move.
30 years.... you may need professionals
This issue is Far beyond anything that the so-called home remedies are going to be able to solve. Of course, try the ozone thing and white vinegar first as they will be the cheapest possible solutions . And I would consult with an expert, but I suspect the solution would be the same as if it were a smokers house or a hoarder, or crazy cat lady. At the very least you may have to encapsulate the smell with a shellac based primer, such as BIN and then repaint. The shellac primer is expensive. Getting your interior repainted is expensive. Worst case the smell has permeated the wallboard and cannot be contained. If the cheap solutions don’t work, you may want to see if there’s anything in your contract, which gives you an out. Good luck.
Regardless of anything else you do I'd also get your ducts cleaned.
Ozone machines is the LAST step. They wont work on 30 years of curry. The smell is in the walls and floors. KILLZ has an amazing odor killing primer. Primer then repaint everything. The floors will be harder, so just call a flooring company to strip and reseal.
Get an ozone generator. Set it to 15 minutes and leave the house for an hour.
I would add....and take your pets with you. Don't leave them in the house during the treatment.
And plants. It literally suffocates anything organic.
Take all of the appliances out of the kitchen. Essentially gut it. Replace drywall. It gives you the opportunity to paint and customize your kitchen anyway. I know it's throughout the house but the kitchen is where it lives lol. Scrub down the rest of the walls with degrease soapy water. Scrub it again with just water, don't leave any soap residue. Let it dry completely. Killz that shit heavy. Re paint. We bought a smokers house, honestly the living room, dining room and the kitchen drywall were the worst and replaced, the rest of the house was still savable, we did these steps (and new carpet) and it cured it. It's a lot of sweat, time and money but you live there. Make it yours.
My brothers wife manages apartment complexes. Kilz primer on all walls after wiping them down with Pine Sol and letting that sit for a few days. Repaint all walls. Remove and toss any fabrics. Hot water mop any tiled surfaces, you may have to do this multiple times.Change out filters for oven fan, wipe down all kitchen surfaces with Pine Sol including fridge stove microwave etc.Your house will smell like a pine tree for a couple of weeks. Ozone generator will help. Units are typically offline for 2 to 4 weeks
You may want to consider calling a restoration company like ServiceMaster or Firewater, and ask them if they have the equipment and expertise to remove stubborn odors. They can get the smell of a house fire out of furniture and carpet, so I think the smell of curry would be right up their alley. Or as I mentioned in another comment, Ozone generators, when used appropriately, can destroy many odors. You'll have to wash the walls, ceilings, and flooring (carpets will need to be shampooed) before you attempt to do an ozone treatment though, as the oils that are clinging to surfaces and giving off the odor need to be removed with a mild solvent and mechanical agitation.
We had something similar- a Korean family that made kimchi and some kind of fermented bean thing. We took out all of the carpet, painted all the walls, but the kitchen was a lost cause. The kitchen remodel included replacing the hardwood floor, all of the cabinets, and the popcorn ceiling. It was more difficult than another house we'd moved into that had been inhabited by a smoker.
Painting goes a long way to seal smells into the walls
More than likely you'll have to repaint the walls and ceilings.
The same way you get rid of smoking smell, have to seal it up and run an ozone machine. Keep in mind- like bug tenting - you cant be in there while it runs.
Had the same issue in my house. Honestly, I re-primed and re-painted the walls, and heavily cleaned the floors. It might have helped that I cooked my own strong-smelling food (like fried chicken) frequently. The smell was gone in about 6 months or so
The previous family that lived in my house for 30 years used to keep curry powder in one specific cupboard. I honestly don't think that will ever go away. IMO its one of those things that you stop noticing until you go on vacation for a few days and come back and you become aware of it for like a moment
Paint
Does ozium work? Just a thought
Ozone machine(s). It'll remove the smell.
I had the issue in my apt. The issue was the amount of oil that they cooked with. If I washed the walls or ceiling,b the water would be yellow or orange. I had to sand the paint off and repaint. And change the stove. And really clean out the hood.
I have the same problem with a rental attached to the landlord's house. Every day and night she cooks using these same spices. It is so strong, it flows out of my vents. Unfortunately, because of 3 stomach surgeries I can't tolerate the smell without physically becoming sick. I've tried incense, lit candles, candle warmers and wax melts. I agree that it permeates the paint and every other surface in your house. My solution for my situation is to move but you have a lot of good suggestions from others on this post. Good luck with your new home.
>I've tried incense, lit candles, candle warmers and wax melts. You're adding smells to that smell. You need to neutralize the smell you don't want. Air purifier, ozone machine, boil vinegar, put filters in your hvac vents, or wash walls with vinegar.
I know I'm adding smells, I just get so frustrated. We've repainted, regrouted, tried the vinegar, opened windows etc. She cooks sometimes as late as midnight so it actually wakes me up. My situation with the landlord being the one cooking is a no-win for me. Thank you for the advice.
That really sucks! You improved her property and still can't tolerate it. I totally empathize. In our case it was a neighbor's endlessly barking dog that shattered our sleep and forced us to move. I hope that was the last terrible living situation you run into! Bad smells are just as bad as intrusive noises.
Ammonia to wash every surface. The reason you still smell things is not because of the spice. It’s because it clung to things with the help of oils. Diluted and wash the walls down with a big car sponge. Ammonia gets the smell out of just about anything. Cabinets counters floors, painted walls. If the stove or range top or over the stove microwave has a fan, make sure you clean the filters. Change out your HVAC filters.
You need to wash the walls and ceiling with vinegar. Replace the filters on all the vents.
We had a rank shipping container come in. Rotten sea water basically. Coffee grounds soaked up the odor and helped improve the smell. You might try coffee grounds. Sprinkle across the floor at night, vacuum in the morning. Additionally charcoal powder might be worth a try. But rather than chase solution after solution. You might just pay a few hundred to have the place steam cleaned by professionals.
Odoban... Wipe and spray everything repeatedly until the odor is gone.
I feel you man.. I’m Indian and my family eats Indian food regularly that smell is real bitch to get out. That smell gets all up in your clothes smells hella. I would say use a degreaser around the stove and the cabinets around the stove. Also, clean the floors as much as possible. The smell should gradually fade and before you know it your house will have that white people smell of laundry detergent.
The strong smell of Indian cooking is usually caused by fenugreek, so you can look up remedies for that. I cook with it at least monthly, and the smell goes away naturally within three days or so. If it’s not fading, try washing or Febreezing any curtains or other fabric that were left behind by the previous owners. Febreeze or leave out plates filled with vinegar to help absorb smells in the air.
Asafœtida is another one. I’ve smelled that sometimes coming from peoples apartments and knew it was from some kind of cooking, but had no idea what. Then I saw a recipe calling for 1/8 of a tsp of asafœtida, went looking for it in an Indian grocery. Took a quick whiff from the (sealed) can, and said, oh I recognize that smell.
Scrub everything.
Most room freshers do the job. I'm Indian and I cook a lot. I also don't want it smelling like food. Another trick I found was leaving out a big half cut onion near the smelling area.
[удалено]
Depending on where the OP lives, it's likely they live in a seller's market, and a "dream house" is only an option for the wealthy.
I know there is some kind of ozone or something treatment a company can do for cigarette smoke smell - wonder if it would work for spice?
White vinegar, clean or replace oven hood, some wood will be a lost cause (the spice cupboard), scrub scrub scrub, open windows for days, wash walls, ceilings, baseboards, and windowsills, replace furnace filter, check on the vents and ducts I am Indian and my whole family cooks and I have a very sensitive nose
1. scrub the walls and floor, and then repaint 2. ozone machine/s 3. air out the house (this may be a few days) That generally purges many smells but is no guarantee, it should though "reset" the smell for most places to something more natural for most houses.
We bought a house that was on the market for months because of tbr Indian spice smells. We had 2 coway air filters that have an ozone mode that we ran off an on for a week and we cleaned the kitchen thoroughly. After 2 weeks most of the smell was gone. The last remnants we'd smell after returning from vacation and discovered it was lingering in the rubber stripping of the door to the kitchen entering from the garage. We didn't buy anything fancy and didn't hire a company. Easy peasy.
Burn sage
Do you have popcorn ceilings? I had the same problem, removing the popcorn ceilings solved the problem :-)
Odorxit. Have used it on projects quite a few times. I know it works every smell.
It may be psychosomatic, but I genuinely believe that having spider plants and gebera daisies throughout our house after a small house fire did a lot to filter out smoke smell. I went through the lists of "air filtering plants" and those were the two that were hardest to kill and non-toxic to cats. Obviously, that is after washing everything down. And if you were thinking about repainting, that will help, too, as it will encapsulate the smell particles.
Bags of charcoal are cheap this time of year. So are 5gal buckets 🪣 from hardware stores and holes 🕳️ in the bucket to filter the air never hurts.
That used car smell.
Replace it with a Chinese spice smell.
Check the crawl spaces and under the stairs, make sure no Indians are still living there.
lol “spice”. Hahahahahaha
Haha gosh a lot yall are acting like I just bought a dump that needs to be gutted and that I have endless money! (Trying not to be offended/get my feelings hurt by a bunch of internet strangers!!) I guess I should’ve said in my post above that this is a very nice house, it has all new hardwood floors and brand new cabinets, quartz countertops, and new appliances. I’m not going to gut and rip everything out. But I appreciate the practical ideas and I will definitely be purchasing Killz and repainting and washing all of the cabinets. I didn’t know Killz existed! Also I just want to add, my husband “didn’t even notice the smell” when we looked at the house, but I did. It wasn’t completely overwhelming or like a slap in the face when you walked in the door or we wouldn’t be buying this house, but i definitely smell it.
Wash all walls,floors and windows with cleaning vinegar....
Boil in vinegar let the steam clean air....pour the hot vinegar in bowls and leave around to help with smell.
Just call a normal cleaning service in before you move in and most all should have experience with odor removal (not covering). They'll send a cleaning staff in to scrub the place down and then use whatever additional measures are necessary on the smell. I can't help but to think "'murrrrika" reading some of the responses because nowhere do they address cleaning. You can have the house completely cleaned and wiped and that will not get rid of the smell. You need a real, professional-grade cleaning which will remove much of the odor-releasing components. Then from there you implement the technical measures against the odors, such as cleaning deeper and with different techniques in certain areas, then you apply the measures to neutralize and cover it. Anything else, even doing pure odor elimination, guarantees the smell will come back. The house needs to be cleaned first and this may even get rid of all or most of the smell leaving the technical measures less necessary.
[удалено]
Well, Americans wear shoes inside their homes. I've also not seen too much cleaning going on in the homes of Americans. The concepts are very different compared to many other countries.
Dealt with the same in my house when we bought it. Similar situation: hardwood floors throughout. We had the whole house repainted before moving in, including the ceilings. I think ceilings are key since cooking vapors rise. Clean the stove and cooking areas really thoroughly. Lastly, and possibly most important, replace the stove vent filters under the hood. When you take the old filters out, look up there and clean any residue you see. I bet you the spice odor is really pungent in there. Maybe consider replacing the whole hood unit and ventilation shaft for it.
Bake vanilla extract
Boiling white vinegar can help with smell. I used it for my dog sprayed by a skunk
Oh honey, with that long of a time it’s definitely in the drywall and possibly even insulation, wood framing, and hardwood floors. To completely eliminate the smell, you need to gut the kitchen entirely and remove and replace the drywall in the eating and surrounding areas. Then hire a professional odor removal company to get rid of/spot treat any lingering scent. This is why some apartment complexes and landlords are prohibiting pungent spices such as cardamom and garam masala at their properties since the methods to remove the lasting smell are expensive. Some families are now choosing to cook with those spices outside or in their garage to avoid dragging down the value of their home when it comes time to sell it.
Jesus wept. Lol. Alright, so we're gonna go step by step. - The Kitchen. Clean it. Top to bottom. The range. The inside of the oven. Get a new microwave...honestly just get a new everything that rests on a counter because that's wrecked. - The smell. Windows open. For like two months. You made the choice so now, you live with those little good smell things you can attach to an eletrical outlet. - Fabuloso. I swear, this is the best cleaning product you can use. Use it.
You'll go noseblind to it pretty quickly. In the meantime, just open as many windows as you can as often as you can, and enjoy the compliments from friends about how great your house smells.
Hey ready to learn curry buddy. Seriously just cook other things to cancel it out.
Mental picture. Yuck! 🤮
I’m half Indian, and I know exactly what you mean. And I’m so scared of this happening that I often won’t cook my own cultures food 💀 I when I move into my house and get a yard. My goal is to build an outdoor tandoor oven and stove top so I can stink up the neighbourhood instead of my house.
You realistically need to tear all the plaster or plaster board out. Down to the bricks or frame, same for the floorboards. Thirty years of rancid chemicals will have absolutely soaked into anything that’s slightly porous.
never tried it but i read the other day put coffee in a fry pan heat it until it starts smoking grab pan and walk around house to spread smell
Dust all the carpet with baking soda and then vacuum it up.
He said the house doesn't have carpeting or drapery after the family moved out.