Friday, February 22, 2008

Stinky Smell - HELP!

I need a place to vent and let out my frustration, so today I am going to use my blog as my outlet. As most of you know last weekend Rick and I moved into an apartment on the Northwest University campus (where I am employed). When we first moved in I noticed a faint garlic and spice smell, but I just figured it was left over from the tenants who lived there before us. After we were completely moved in I sprayed the entire apartment down with Febreeze and lit candles in every room. At the time it seemed like it had gotten better, but then dinner time came around and the smell became so repulsive that I actually had to get out of the apartment for a few hours!

After doing some under cover investigation at the school I found out that a Korean couple lives in the apartment below us. Now the only reason this solves the mysterious smell is b/c there is a certain spice they are cooking with every evening that is coming into our apartment through the vents. I really don't know what to do about this situation! I want to walk down to the apartment below us and kindly ask this couple if they could refrain from cooking with this certain spice b/c it makes me sick, but #1 I don't want to offend them or their culture and #2 I just don't have the guts to do it! Hopefully with the temperatures warming up a bit here in the Pacific Northwest I can keep the windows open all evening. Do any of you have advice on ways I could clear up a really BAD smell?!! Bethany...I know you are the queen of cleaning supplies - have you used any good are fresheners that eliminate smell & not just cover them up? I'm desperate!!

2 comments:

Bethany Patrice said...

I love you Kelly. I'm probably too nice to say anything else to the kind couple either. But, I bet the smell is getting in the vents and seaping through the doors. You could try hanging fabric softener sheets by the vents, but the only odor eliminator is open windows and fans. You could always try a potpourri pot, but that only masks the odor. If you feel like the smell is on your walls and in your carpets, you can always scrub with baking soda-which is an odor neutralizer. Maybe you can talk to the "landlord" of the dorms and ask if an anynomous third party could intervene. I'm a chicken too!

Unknown said...

I had the same issue years ago when I rented an apartment that Indian people lived in before me. They used curry and it permeated the whole place. I had the landlord come in and change out all the carpeting and re-tile the floors because of it.

I don't think there is any way you could ask people not to use a spice in their cooking.

I think the best thing to do is what your friend Bethany said... and put the fabric softener sheets by your vents.

I know I am not helping you any... but I just want to say that I really feel for you. I've been there and it's awful... especially when you're pregnant!