6 Ways To Remove Cigarette Smells From Furniture Incorporating secondhand furniture into our homes is a great way to keep things green, but sometimes the smells that come along with them can really give you the blues. If Uncle Harold's desk is just too good to pass up (unlike his chain smoking habit), worry not—there are at least a few things you can do to stop the stink! 1. Ah, the beauty of baking soda. Either in a container or sprinkled on directly (and vacuumed out later), baking soda is amazing when it come to absorbing smells. 2. No baking soda? Grab some used coffee grinds instead—just make sure not to stain any of the surfaces. Best use this in a container and for your non-fabric-finds. 3. Old news is good news! Crumpled up newsprint is an effective odor-eater, and once it has done the job you can still toss it in the recycling bin, or use it to clean your windows: Newspaper + vinegar spritz = streak free shine. 4. To air is human…If you can, leave the item in question outdoors so the fresh air can work its magic.
Watch out for direct sun or rain and humidity, though, as these elements can cause damage and warping.It really isn't a sin to paint wood, though some of you might disagree. Painting furniture is a great way to breathe new life into an old design, and it also does a fabulous job at suppressing smoke-stink. Make sure to clean the surfaces well beforehand (try a baking soda vinegar paste) followed by a light sanding/wipe down for maximum adhesion. 6. Pros and consumables. If we are talking about upholstered items you can always have the piece professionally cleaned, or you can sneak a little vodka into a spray bottle and mist it. This trick also works wonders on clothing, and is a great alternative to chemical products like Febreze. Depending on how strong the smell is you might need to try a combination of these tips. If you have any other suggestions let us know!The 7 Easiest Things You Can Do to Spice Up Your Sex LifeThe Ten Commandments of Buying Used Furniture You see a chair on the curb.
It's sitting right in front of your building and it's free. Or, you're at the thrift store and spy a cheap sofa. But something holds you back. If only there were guidelines — holy reminders if you will — of things to keep in mind while looking at used furniture. How do you decide if it's the right thing to re-do? Or if you should run in the other direction? 1. Thou Shalt Look for Tags - This should be first on the checklist: flip the piece over and see if there's a tag. If it says IKEA, boohoo. If it looks like it's from the 70s and reads Thayer Coggin, put a sheet and some caution tape around it as camouflage, then run — don't walk — to find someone help you haul it home. Random side note: This isn't to say that you can't take home the IKEA item; just don't invest money in re-doing it. See this side table/stool thing? I bought it at some random secondhand store in Burlington, Vermont. I think it was like $20 and it reminded me of these so I quickly bought it. As soon as I got it home, I flipped it over and — lo and behold — there was the dreaded Walmart sticker.
It's still in my living room, and will do for now, but I shouldn't have even paid twenty bucks for it, and certainly would never bring it to some guy to refinish. For other inspiration, the women at Chairloom are always doing great work. Thou Shalt Not Worship False Furniture Thou Shalt Sit On It Thou Shalt Examine Any Cushions Be Not Afraid of Simple Fixes Thou Shalt Not Kill Strong Odors & Pests (Easily) 8. Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness to Your Wallet - Don't get swept up in that $60 price tag, without considering the very real expense of getting it re-done. Even with re-usable cushions, you'll still have to purchase yards of fabric, then pay someone to upholster it. Mentally calculate what it will really cost you when all is said and done. Is it worth the expense? Thou Shalt Not Covet For example: I got this sofa off Craigslist for free a couple of years ago, and couldn't part with it. I love the chrome against the fabric and it's otherwise very basic, clean and in good shape.
For years I moved it around to various awkward spots in my home and garage. Then, as part of the August Style Cure, I finally traded in the Scandinavian crack den look and redid the room, along the sofa. In this instance, I'm glad I hung onto it, even if it did take a while. Remember Your Day of Rest - Re-edited from a post published on 2/28/2013 - DF — Posted Dec. 18, 2006 » How to determine if your office is sick » What can you do? » On the lookout The day was a grueling, back-to-back string of appointments. Now the patients have been seen, the office is quiet and the custodial crew gone. On the surface, all is peaceful.But hidden from view, nestled in carpet fibers and chair foam, are thousands of microbes devouring dust the vacuum cleaner just stirred up. They have been lying in wait for the moisture from shoes, perspiring bodies and a child's spilled drink to mix into the perfect microbial cocktail -- a power drink to fuel their efforts to grow, replicate and reproduce.
The new cabinets and carpet in renovated exam rooms also are making mischief, emitting formaldehyde gasses. And the half million spores from that dime-sized patch of mold in the well-baby play area will spew into the air as soon as someone walks across the spot."There are so many sources of bacteria and poor indoor air quality," says Jeffrey May, author of My Office Is Killing Me! and principal scientist for May Indoor Air Investigations in Cambridge, Mass. "Maybe the carpet got wet when it was cleaned or the fresh air vent is closed. If the relative humidity is too high, mildew starts growing."Indoor air pollution consistently ranks among the top five environmental risks to public health, the Environmental Protection Agency says. Indoor levels can reach two to five times, sometimes 100 times, higher than outdoor levels. Often linked to the energy crisis of the 1970s, which spurred tightly sealed spaces, unhealthy indoor air occurs when there is little or no fresh air to dilute irritants.
Health care settings are uniquely vulnerable, says Al Draper, a toxicologist with LVI Services in Oklahoma City, which specializes in environmental remediation and infection control. Substances found in these places -- disinfectants, sterilants, solvents, building materials, equipment, dust and moisture -- are prescriptions for trouble. So-called sick buildings can trigger asthma; nasal and upper respiratory ills; rashes and skin irritations; or dry or burning nose, eyes or throat."This is a huge problem," says John Santilli, MD, chief of the division of allergies and immunology at St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport, Conn. "It affects 30% to 50% of the population."Consider Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital. At one point, officials closed 32 operating rooms to pull the ventilation system apart. About 300 of 1,800 nurses reported symptoms, and 80 were on disability leave. After several years, experts determined the cause to be latex allergens, a lack of adequate ventilation, and emissions from sterilizing chemicals such as glutaraldehyde.
"Now fresh air is delivered in every area of the hospital, and efficient local exhaust ventilation has been installed," May says. "They've got latex-free zones and carts."Solvents are particularly harmful because they thrive on fats, May says. Photocopiers and laser printers, for instance, use toner and a solvent, and, therefore, produce volatile organic compounds -- VOCs -- in the unsafe range. "When solvent vapors are inhaled, they enter the blood and lungs and are distributed into the body's fat, where they have an immediate effect on the nervous system," May says. "People can feel nauseated, tingly, even inebriated. In too high a dose, it can be lethal."Thus, it is important to inventory dangerous compounds in the office. Check the ventilation to make certain toxic fumes are pulled out and circulating fresh air is added. To test it, May suggests a child's toy called a Wizard Stick. I use it to test air flow. You think the exhaust is working fine, but maybe the pressure from the heat supply is greater, so it's not venting out."
Another problem is off-gassing of PVC-backed carpet and formaldehyde found in pressed wood products like particleboard.Emissions are accelerated by heat and humidity, so better ventilation, increased fresh air and dehumidifiers help reduce levels. "A lot has to do with routine maintenance and air flow," says Rob Gallo, a board-certified indoor air quality manager and director of sales and marketing for Stamford, Conn.-based RTK Environmental Group, a testing services company.Experts warn that poorly designed, operated or maintained ventilation systems contribute to problems. Fresh air vents often are blocked with furniture and equipment; filters are clogged with dirt; air intake vents bring in exhaust from parking lots, dumpsters or another office.Sometimes air difficulties start with water. A National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health report outlines some tales from the trenches -- literally. For example, a leak in a water main below physician offices at the Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George, Utah, caused flooding in the crawlspace, saturating the floor as well as cardboard left by construction crews.
As mold grew, its musty odor got employees' attention. And when several experienced respiratory problems, a complaint to NIOSH prompted professional remediation. While standing water is a sure bet for mold, it's not the only cause. Perspiration, wet shoes or condensation from a window also encourage it. Mold under an office chair mat will release spores through the air each time the chair is rolled. Mold may be inside a wall or under carpeting.Though there are conflicting opinions about the related physical harm, Dr. Santilli, who began studying the effects of mold 30 years ago, says it is a major allergy culprit. "You can get a chronic inflammation from molds, they are a big factor."Legionnaire's disease and recent cruise ship illnesses are commonly known, but questions continue about sick building syndrome -- with some people believing it does not exist. And it's often far from physician radar when symptoms do not fit any particular pattern or when patients complain of symptoms mimicking colds or flu.
Still, Dr. Santilli says primary care physicians play an important role in helping identify such problems. Symptoms may include dizziness, fatigue, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis and cognitive problems. When patients have such issues, Dr. Santilli says, "Ask, 'Are you sick at work, at home? How bad are your allergies when you are away from the environment -- 30% better, 80% better?'"When patients come in saying, 'My office is making me sick,' believe them," he adds. Dr. Santilli even goes so far as to test his patients' environment for mold.Growing awareness about indoor air problems, is leading to building codes requiring better ventilation in hospitals, says David Neal, an architect with the S/L/A/M Collaborative in Atlanta. "With more sick building syndrome occurring, hospitals are now required to have 90% air filtration. Offices are still only at 30%."Neal, citing the "Green Guide for Healthcare" (link), says a voluntary push for safer indoor air is spreading. "Make sure you are reducing VOCs and using more natural materials."