Removing Smoke
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My bedroom/office frequently smells of smoke. It can be minor, give me a headache, or send me to a coughing fit.
I figure, I'd buy an air purifier. Didn't seem to help and got another. I have 2 decent sized air filters right next to my desk.
I've tried candles, smoke spray, and I end up wearing a filtered mask inside to protect me from the smoke.
I doesn't seem to be from the neighbors as our room doesn't share a wall with the neighbors. We are on the 2nd floor and our windows do face Broadway, but it seems too constant to be random people smoking on the street.
No one else is as bothered as I am. Though, they do notice.
What else can I do?
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@Karla This might me completely off-base, especially if you know for sure that the smoke is coming from people smoking outside, but have you checked to make sure that there isn't anything inside the room that's causing the smell?
I say that because, this morning, I discovered that the bearings in one of the case fans in my computer had gone bad causing it to start overheating. It took days for the smell to get strong enough for me to recognize it. That case fan was very warm when I removed it.
-gram averted, thankfully.
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@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
My bedroom/office frequently smells of smoke. It can be minor, give me a headache, or send me to a coughing fit.
I figure, I'd buy an air purifier. Didn't seem to help and got another. I have 2 decent sized air filters right next to my desk.
I've tried candles, smoke spray, and I end up wearing a filtered mask inside to protect me from the smoke.
I doesn't seem to be from the neighbors as our room doesn't share a wall with the neighbors. We are on the 2nd floor and our windows do face Broadway, but it seems too constant to be random people smoking on the street.
No one else is as bothered as I am. Though, they do notice.
What else can I do?
Not sure you can do much for smoke. For smells you probably want a HEPA filter that also has a charcoal filter.
If it's making you cough, you may want to check to see if you have asthma maybe due to allergies. If you don't have an inhaler, maybe you need one.
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@Placeholder said in Removing Smoke:
@Karla This might me completely off-base, especially if you know for sure that the smoke is coming from people smoking outside, but have you checked to make sure that there isn't anything inside the room that's causing the smell?
I say that because, this morning, I discovered that the bearings in one of the case fans in my computer had gone bad causing it to start overheating. It took days for the smell to get strong enough for me to recognize it. That case fan was very warm when I removed it.
-gram averted, thankfully.Not completely off-base. We considered that. Trying to use multiple noses in the house to try and figure it out. Smelling all corners and the rooms I'm not regularly in.
We also considered just general electrical because the wiring is pretty old and we do stress it with all the computers.
So pretty sure that isn't the cause. I would actually love that to be the case.
It isn't bad all the time. I have tried to determine a pattern but nothing consistent.
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Have you tried something like Febreze? Not sure if that's what you mean by smoke spray.
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@dangeRuss said in Removing Smoke:
@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
My bedroom/office frequently smells of smoke. It can be minor, give me a headache, or send me to a coughing fit.
I figure, I'd buy an air purifier. Didn't seem to help and got another. I have 2 decent sized air filters right next to my desk.
I've tried candles, smoke spray, and I end up wearing a filtered mask inside to protect me from the smoke.
I doesn't seem to be from the neighbors as our room doesn't share a wall with the neighbors. We are on the 2nd floor and our windows do face Broadway, but it seems too constant to be random people smoking on the street.
No one else is as bothered as I am. Though, they do notice.
What else can I do?
Not sure you can do much for smoke. For smells you probably want a HEPA filter that also has a charcoal filter.
I have 2 of those.
If it's making you cough, you may want to check to see if you have asthma maybe due to allergies. If you don't have an inhaler, maybe you need one.
I guess that's possible.
I've been putting off my allergy shots until January when I won't need referrals.
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@Karla What kind of smoke? Old and stale? New? Is it coming from inside your office? Or in from outside?
The most important thing is to keep it out in the first place. When Oregon had its fires this year, I put up scotch tape over all the seams to our doors and a couple of windows. That helped, and the tape smelled like poop when I pulled it down. But it still did let some VOCs in. Enough to make our asthma bad after 10 days or so.
Incense can help a lot, surprisingly, if the smoke has already got in. It's sticky enough to catch VOCs floating in the air. Not great for your health though (it's just pleasant smelling resiny smoke). If you have asthma or allergies, you'd want to burn it overnight or whatever and let the room clear out.
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@loopback0 said in Removing Smoke:
Have you tried something like Febreze? Not sure if that's what you mean by smoke spray.
I was referring to this:
I was thinking Fabreeze wouldn't work on smoke. But looking into it now, it says it does.
I will try.
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@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
I guess that's possible.
I've been putting off my allergy shots until January when I won't need referrals.Not sure how much allergy shots actually help, but an inhaler can help with the coughing.
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@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
@loopback0 said in Removing Smoke:
Have you tried something like Febreze? Not sure if that's what you mean by smoke spray.
I was referring to this:
I was thinking Fabreeze wouldn't work on smoke. But looking into it now, it says it does.
I will try.
Yeah, they have the air fresheners and also the spray for getting smells out of fabric.
Also there's stuff like this which I've seen recommended for getting similar smells out of cars, but haven't personally used.
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@Captain said in Removing Smoke:
@Karla What kind of smoke? Old and stale? New? Is it coming from inside your office? Or in from outside?
The most important thing is to keep it out in the first place. When Oregon had its fires this year, I put up scotch tape over all the seams to our doors and a couple of windows. That helped, and the tape smelled like poop when I pulled it down. But it still did let some VOCs in. Enough to make our asthma bad after 10 days or so.
I'm pretty sure it is cigarette smoke. Weed smoke is different.
My office is just my bedroom. The desk faces 2 windows that go out to the street. The rooms on either side of me are my LR and another BR. Below us used to be a restaurant that closed some time ago. But it is being used, just not publicly.
I've asked the super about it and he has no idea.
Incense can help a lot, surprisingly, if the smoke has already got in. It's sticky enough to catch VOCs floating in the air. Not great for your health though (it's just pleasant smelling resiny smoke). If you have asthma or allergies, you'd want to burn it overnight or whatever and let the room clear out.
Incense smoke bothers me too. The candles seem to work better.
We do keep the window open a bit, because otherwise it is too hot. We've tried having the fan blow out rather than in.
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@loopback0 said in Removing Smoke:
@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
@loopback0 said in Removing Smoke:
Have you tried something like Febreze? Not sure if that's what you mean by smoke spray.
I was referring to this:
I was thinking Fabreeze wouldn't work on smoke. But looking into it now, it says it does.
I will try.
Yeah, they have the air fresheners and also the spray for getting smells out of fabric.
Also there's stuff like this which I've seen recommended for getting similar smells out of cars, but haven't personally used.
Yeah, I was thinking it was for fabric which is why I didn't think about it.
I got some.
ETA: Meaning I just ordered some from Amazon.
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@dangeRuss said in Removing Smoke:
asthma
I never considered asthma, because I don't have wheezing or shortness of breath.
Which is horrible in public since then everyone looks at me suspiciously due to current circumstances.
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@Karla Ozone can help destroy VOCs, but that has its own issues.
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@Captain said in Removing Smoke:
@Karla Ozone can help destroy VOCs, but that has its own issues.
Yeah, I had mixed feeling about order that. So I stayed with HEPA and charcoal..
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@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
Not completely off-base. We considered that. Trying to use multiple noses in the house to try and figure it out. Smelling all corners and the rooms I'm not regularly in.
We also considered just general electrical because the wiring is pretty old and we do stress it with all the computers.
So pretty sure that isn't the cause. I would actually love that to be the case.
It isn't bad all the time. I have tried to determine a pattern but nothing consistent.
Do you have access to a thermal camera? It might be prudent to do a sweep of the walls for random hot spots when you next time notice the smell.
You may also notice stuff like water damage in the walls, which may or may not be related to the issue at hand.
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@acrow said in Removing Smoke:
@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
Not completely off-base. We considered that. Trying to use multiple noses in the house to try and figure it out. Smelling all corners and the rooms I'm not regularly in.
We also considered just general electrical because the wiring is pretty old and we do stress it with all the computers.
So pretty sure that isn't the cause. I would actually love that to be the case.
It isn't bad all the time. I have tried to determine a pattern but nothing consistent.
Do you have access to a thermal camera? It might be prudent to do a sweep of the walls for random hot spots when you next time notice the smell.
Quick check of thermal camera, prices range from $100 - $1500.
Would the low end do the job?
You may also notice stuff like water damage in the walls, which may or may not be related to the issue at hand.
Water damage in the walls is almost probable because we've had various leaks in the apartment including in the corner closest to the problem in one of the adjoining rooms.
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@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
Quick check of thermal camera, prices range from $100 - $1500.
Would the low end do the job?If it has enough resolution to get a clear picture. You'd want 320x240 px to easily see problem spots from across the room. A 16x16 semi-thermal would require inch-by-inch combing of the walls, i.e. not feasible.
If a high-resolution one is too steep to buy, consider a rental. You can probably find one in a construction equipment rental shop. You'd have to rent it for the time period in which you expect the problem to reoccur, so it'll be at hand. Easily done if it's a daily occurrence, but...
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Hmm... Looking at promo materials, a 80x60 px might suffice after all.
Hard to put a pixel number on "can screen a wall in a decent amount of time". But I know from experience that 16x16 is extremely frustrating to use.
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@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
@dangeRuss said in Removing Smoke:
asthma
I never considered asthma, because I don't have wheezing or shortness of breath.
Which is horrible in public since then everyone looks at me suspiciously due to current circumstances.
I don't have asthma either. Until I catch a cold. Get a mild bronchitis and suddenly I develop a cough that can only be fixed with an inhaler.
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@dangeRuss said in Removing Smoke:
@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
@dangeRuss said in Removing Smoke:
asthma
I never considered asthma, because I don't have wheezing or shortness of breath.
Which is horrible in public since then everyone looks at me suspiciously due to current circumstances.
I don't have asthma either. Until I catch a cold. Get a mild bronchitis and suddenly I develop a cough that can only be fixed with an inhaler.
I'll mention it next time I see my allergist. Though I haven't had bronchitis in years and rarely have anything but a mild colds for a number of years.
I guess it makes up for all the chronic shit I have. Not really but
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@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
@dangeRuss said in Removing Smoke:
@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
@dangeRuss said in Removing Smoke:
asthma
I never considered asthma, because I don't have wheezing or shortness of breath.
Which is horrible in public since then everyone looks at me suspiciously due to current circumstances.
I don't have asthma either. Until I catch a cold. Get a mild bronchitis and suddenly I develop a cough that can only be fixed with an inhaler.
I'll mention it next time I see my allergist. Though I haven't had bronchitis in years and rarely have anything but a mild colds for a number of years.
I guess it makes up for all the chronic shit I have. Not really but
Allergic asthma is a thing. I had it when I had the really bad allergies before the shots knocked it down to "just obnoxious" from "bronchitis most years".
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@Benjamin-Hall said in Removing Smoke:
@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
@dangeRuss said in Removing Smoke:
@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
@dangeRuss said in Removing Smoke:
asthma
I never considered asthma, because I don't have wheezing or shortness of breath.
Which is horrible in public since then everyone looks at me suspiciously due to current circumstances.
I don't have asthma either. Until I catch a cold. Get a mild bronchitis and suddenly I develop a cough that can only be fixed with an inhaler.
I'll mention it next time I see my allergist. Though I haven't had bronchitis in years and rarely have anything but a mild colds for a number of years.
I guess it makes up for all the chronic shit I have. Not really but
Allergic asthma is a thing. I had it when I had the really bad allergies before the shots knocked it down to "just obnoxious" from "bronchitis most years".
When I was in my 20s I would get bronchitis and strep most years. I'm sure a lot of that was the weird hours and judo camps and competitions where there a bunch of disease vectors, I mean kids.
I remember going to major tournament after having strep, I had to drink water to weigh enough for my weight division. Everyone else, running around trying sweat out enough water to make weight.
Collegiate nationals, I had so little energy after being sick, the ref didn't recognize my tapping out right away because it was so slow.
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@Benjamin-Hall said in Removing Smoke:
@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
@dangeRuss said in Removing Smoke:
@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
@dangeRuss said in Removing Smoke:
asthma
I never considered asthma, because I don't have wheezing or shortness of breath.
Which is horrible in public since then everyone looks at me suspiciously due to current circumstances.
I don't have asthma either. Until I catch a cold. Get a mild bronchitis and suddenly I develop a cough that can only be fixed with an inhaler.
I'll mention it next time I see my allergist. Though I haven't had bronchitis in years and rarely have anything but a mild colds for a number of years.
I guess it makes up for all the chronic shit I have. Not really but
Allergic asthma is a thing. I had it when I had the really bad allergies before the shots knocked it down to "just obnoxious" from "bronchitis most years".
And they actually have shots for this that actually work and only costs thousands of dollars (but your insurance might cover)
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@Karla If you cannot figure out where this is coming from or even what it actually is in the first place, I'd strongly recommend a professional test of the air quality inside the room. I don't know how it is in the US but over here you can order a kit for doing so which you then send to a lab.
Depending on how thorough you want to be, the prices range from 150€ to 500€.
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@Rhywden said in Removing Smoke:
@Karla If you cannot figure out where this is coming from or even what it actually is in the first place, I'd strongly recommend a professional test of the air quality inside the room. I don't know how it is in the US but over here you can order a kit for doing so which you then send to a lab.
Depending on how thorough you want to be, the prices range from 150€ to 500€.
I will try that also.
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@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
We also considered just general electrical because the wiring is pretty old and we do stress it with all the computers.
Unless you're doing something hefty like bitcoin mining, you won't have much power draw from most computing equipment. Even a pretty seriously tricked-out gaming rig/desktop machine usually draws much less than a kilowatt (which is the power used by a small heater). Laptop draws are usually capped out at 100W or less, and most peripherals are well less than that (unless you have an ancient CRT monitor). Electrical-equipment smoke smells different to tobacco smoke, of course. Also, smoke can become attached to surfaces (especially textiles, carpets, etc.) and then get released gradually later, especially in response to some sort of environmental change.
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@dkf said in Removing Smoke:
@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
We also considered just general electrical because the wiring is pretty old and we do stress it with all the computers.
Unless you're doing something hefty like bitcoin mining,
Nope.
you won't have much power draw from most computing equipment. Even a pretty seriously tricked-out gaming rig/desktop machine usually draws much less than a kilowatt (which is the power used by a small heater).
We probably are at least 90th percentile for ratio of devices to people and ratio of devices to square foot than most.
Nothing extremely high-end, I aim for higher-end of the mid-range options.
But all three BRs, the LR, and the bathroom share the same circuit.
My husband's office shares with the kitchen.
Laptop draws are usually capped out at 100W or less, and most peripherals are well less than that (unless you have an ancient CRT monitor).
a couple of the above devices are laptops but I think in general they are lower end than the desktops.
Electrical-equipment smoke smells different to tobacco smoke, of course.
I do think I would recognize electrical. And we've had a couple issues (due to cheap USB chargers). I smelled them and we could get to the problem and correct it, within a few minutes.
Also, smoke can become attached to surfaces (especially textiles, carpets, etc.) and then get released gradually later, especially in response to some sort of environmental change.
No carpeting anywhere.
Though plenty of textiles, bed linens, curtains, and clothing. We've been here 20 years.
Wouldn't that require a situation that we allowed some to smoke in the room or let someone who had recently smoked into the room? Or in someway know what put the smoke smell in there?
And the release to correlate with something we are doing?
I have a pretty decent nose, a slightly amusing anecdote:
I was living with a friend in a poorly heated house. I had an electric heater at the foot of my bed (which was a mattress on the floor-Queen size because I could floss like that).
Think the 1995 version of something like this:
My part was basically my room plus kitchen privileges. It's not because hte rest of the house was off limits, just that serious work was still being put into it.
So me and my boyfriend at the time were watching TV on my bed. I suddenly smell something burning, check the heater and two pillows had just fallen onto it.
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@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
Wouldn't that require a situation that we allowed some to smoke in the room or let someone who had recently smoked into the room? Or in someway know what put the smoke smell in there?
What age were your children again?... --Ah, wait, not lounge. Don't answer that.
Just, well, if they're above 6 years of age, you may want to check their belongings for matches, cigarettes, meth pipes... y'know, things that children can find on every streetcorner these days.
Not saying that it's likely, but it's something I'd rule out.We do keep the window open a bit, because otherwise it is too hot. We've tried having the fan blow out rather than in.
What's the designed ventilation in the room like? I mean, where's the air supposed to come in from, and where is it supposed to go to, when windows are closed?
Around here, every room has some kind of air vent that brings fresh air in, and it usually goes out via interior doors (which are less airtight for this very reason). But I imagine it can be different in the States.
Older buildings have a vent built into or around the windows. Newer and office buildings have actual ducting. My workplace used to have a problem with people smoking outside the building under the air intake vent. And even now, whenever it's windy out, I get extra-strong blasts of air from the office room vent.Every pipe goes somewhere. Maybe the problem is at the other end?
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@acrow said in Removing Smoke:
Around here, every room has some kind of air vent that brings fresh air in, and it usually goes out via interior doors (which are less airtight for this very reason)
That's the standard modern central HVAC system. But that's far from standardized with older and non-centralized setups and you can have all sorts of oddball contraptions...
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@sloosecannon said in Removing Smoke:
@acrow said in Removing Smoke:
Around here, every room has some kind of air vent that brings fresh air in, and it usually goes out via interior doors (which are less airtight for this very reason)
That's the standard modern central HVAC system. But that's far from standardized with older and non-centralized setups and you can have all sorts of oddball contraptions...
Or they may have no ventilation at all. When heating was done with fireplaces, the chimney did a lot of forced ventilation. After fireplaces were no longer the main heating method, ventilation practise took some time to catch up.
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@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
Though plenty of textiles, bed linens, curtains, and clothing.
Electric blanket?
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@acrow said in Removing Smoke:
@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
Wouldn't that require a situation that we allowed some to smoke in the room or let someone who had recently smoked into the room? Or in someway know what put the smoke smell in there?
What age were your children again?... --Ah, wait, not lounge. Don't answer that.
Just, well, if they're above 6 years of age, you may want to check their belongings for matches, cigarettes, meth pipes... y'know, things that children can find on every streetcorner these days.
Not saying that it's likely, but it's something I'd rule out.There are 3 in the house that are over 25 and a 7 yo.
If it were the boys, I would notice in their room. Their room is adjoining on one side.
Also when we were actively looking for the source I went in there and sat in different spots and didn't smell anything when I did smell it in my office.My 7 yo sleeps in our room and does school in the boys room. And never leaves the house without one of us.
My adult daughter is across the hall. She does occasionally smoke some weed (she feels it helps her with cramps so it's monthly). When that happens, I know the smell and I can tell where it is coming from. If I close my door I don't smell it in here.
She stays close to her window and has an air filter to minimize the effect on the rest of the house.We do keep the window open a bit, because otherwise it is too hot. We've tried having the fan blow out rather than in.
What's the designed ventilation in the room like? I mean, where's the air supposed to come in from, and where is it supposed to go to, when windows are closed?
LOL this is a NYC apartment. There are no vents, heat is steam heat via radiator. Some rooms only have a pipe. We keep the radiator off in our room or it gets too hot.
I can smell when they are getting new oil for the boiler.
Also, our room was supposed to be a dining room. No actual closets and our bed is a loft bed. It is extremely over packed.
We have a lot of fans to move air because there is no natural air movement and I can't sleep if I'm too hot.
Around here, every room has some kind of air vent that brings fresh air in, and it usually goes out via interior doors (which are less airtight for this very reason). But I imagine it can be different in the States.
Older buildings have a vent built into or around the windows. Newer and office buildings have actual ducting. My workplace used to have a problem with people smoking outside the building under the air intake vent. And even now, whenever it's windy out, I get extra-strong blasts of air from the office room vent.Every pipe goes somewhere. Maybe the problem is at the other end?
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@PleegWat said in Removing Smoke:
@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
Though plenty of textiles, bed linens, curtains, and clothing.
Electric blanket?
No, I need it cool to sleep, I would never use an electric blanket.
Because our radiator is off and the windows are not insulated, there are definitive drafts from the windows.
So if I am too cold when going to bed, I put on extra layers and extra blankets, wear socks, and cover my head.
By the middle of the night I am pulling most of it off.
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I did find a better candle. I actually blow it out frequently where as the other candles I burned until I left the room or went to sleep.
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@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
Because our radiator is off and the windows are not insulated, there are definitive drafts from the windows.
Maybe time to insulate the windows?
I'm not sure if I posted this here, but my mom was at war with her neighbor for probably at least a year now. The neighbor lived with allegedly his mother who was very old (I'm guessing 90s) and was incontinent. He would either store the soiled linens in the bathroom which shared a wall with my mom's apartment or use some chemicals on it (likely bleach) and my mom kept complaining about the smell.
There was nothing we could do. It didn't get better until the neighbor's "mom" died and he was kicked out (as he wasn't on the lease). Once the renovations happened things got much better.
So it's possible the smoke is coming from outside, but also possible it's coming from the neighbors if you share any walls with them.
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@HardwareGeek said in Removing Smoke:
@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
the chronic shit I have
Have you seen a gastroenterologist?
I though the chronic is the shit the daughter was using?
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@dangeRuss said in Removing Smoke:
@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
Because our radiator is off and the windows are not insulated, there are definitive drafts from the windows.
Maybe time to insulate the windows?
I'm not sure if I posted this here, but my mom was at war with her neighbor for probably at least a year now. The neighbor lived with allegedly his mother who was very old (I'm guessing 90s) and was incontinent. He would either store the soiled linens in the bathroom which shared a wall with my mom's apartment or use some chemicals on it (likely bleach) and my mom kept complaining about the smell.
There was nothing we could do. It didn't get better until the neighbor's "mom" died and he was kicked out (as he wasn't on the lease). Once the renovations happened things got much better.
So it's possible the smoke is coming from outside, but also possible it's coming from the neighbors if you share any walls with them.
That's always been the most likely entry point. I recall when not working from home, smoke smell, then it would dissipate in by the end of an hour. Those times, I assumed a group was smoking outside and then left. It is far more frequent than that, and the couple times we went outside and checked under and around our window and didn't see anything.
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@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
There are no vents
How is the apartment not covered in visible mold? Moss even. With the amount of water humans exhale, you're bound to have stuff growing inside the walls by now.
...On the other hand, we've found a potential cause for some of the other health problems you've had. Mold can release an amazing range of toxins into the air.
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@acrow said in Removing Smoke:
@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
There are no vents
How is the apartment not covered in visible mold? Moss even. With the amount of water humans exhale, you're bound to have stuff growing inside the walls by now.
Mold in not an uncommon problem in NYC apartments.
...On the other hand, we've found a potential cause for some of the other health problems you've had. Mold can release an amazing range of toxins into the air.
Ah, so NYC is trying to kill me in more ways than one.
We've started to put things in storage to make a Spring/Summer move less overwhelming.
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@Karla said in Removing Smoke:
That's always been the most likely entry point. I recall when not working from home, smoke smell, then it would dissipate in by the end of an hour. Those times, I assumed a group was smoking outside and then left. It is far more frequent than that, and the couple times we went outside and checked under and around our window and didn't see anything.
Maybe you should put a no smoking sign under your window. If the super doesn't take it down, it might actually work.
Amazon.com: Tobacco Outlet Products Smoke Odor Exterminator 7oz Large Spray, Lavender With Chamomile : Health & Household
