# New apartment/funky smell



## TriniBini (Jul 22, 2017)

Good morning,

I am currently renting in Alberta, and have recently moved into a small 2-bedroom apartment with an open-space kitchen/living room. When I first went to see the apartment, there was a noticeable smell that I could not place (neither the scent nor the source of the scent), but I didn't give it a thought - I assumed it was cleaning solution or something from the steam clean, and would be gone once I took possession and, worst case, I aired out the place. At the time, I did ask if it was because the previous tenant was a smoker and they perhaps they used a solution to clean it. The property manager was unsure, and gave me a general "I think" answer. 

It's been over a month since then, and almost a month since I moved in. The scent remains and is most noticeable when walking in the apartment, although I still do not know what the smell is (it is a sharp, high scent - almost salty), or where it comes from. It is in all the rooms (living room, kitchen -strongest scent - first bedroom) except the back bedroom, bathroom and laundry room (these three rooms are at the back of the unit). I have aired out the place each day for a week, steam cleaned the place twice (the second time doing a very deep steam clean), washed the walls, washed the vents, washed behind the stove, washed the cupboards and drawers, as well as the floor, released an odour bomb, cleaned out the dish washer basket, filter, arms, have tested the drain pump, and have also checked the pipes beneath the kitchen sink. 

I am wondering what to do at this point. Is this simply apartment living and toughen up, or can I ask the Property Manager for assistance in diagnosing the scent? I am not sure I can live 12 months like this.


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## like_to_retire (Oct 9, 2016)

Have you considered having the air tested? 

There are companies that do indoor air quality testing, and I believe you can also order kits online (that you mail back to a company for the results). I suppose it would probably be expensive though.

ltr


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## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

What kind of heating in the unit? I've had tenants who've put things like dryer sheets in the heating vents to "freshen" the air. 

I've also seen those scented oils and waxes put on hot water heating. 

May also be coming from next door.


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## birdman (Feb 12, 2013)

Owned our house for a couple of years and then had a sewer type smell (we're on septic) and couldn't figure out what it was. Seemed to come and go and wasn't that bad. Anyways, finally figured it out. It was the emergency drain in the floor beside the H/W tank. The drain went to the septic tank and the trap inside was presumably dry. Poured a gallon of water down and the odor disappeared. Been good for 10 years and I top it up every year of so. Anyways, sometimes trapped can be a bit clogged and develop a foreign smell.


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## heyjude (May 16, 2009)

Have you tried putting vinegar and baking soda down the drains? 

https://dengarden.com/home-improvem...mell-Could-it-be-sewer-gas-invading-your-home


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## TriniBini (Jul 22, 2017)

I have put baking soda and vinegar down the pipes, twice. I've even taken the pipes apart and scrubbed them with the solution. I'm thinking of renting an Ozonator.


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## TriniBini (Jul 22, 2017)

I will look at the emergency drain beside the H/W. I'm surprised you were able to identify it to that source! 

It is natural gas heating. I have cleaned the vents, and actually found an empty Airwicks Air Freshner bottle in the living room vent; however, I haven't turned the heat on, given the heat. The smell doesn't seem so bad when I turn my Air Conditioning unit on.


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

Deleted


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## Mortgage u/w (Feb 6, 2014)

Not knowing what the smell is exactly, it will be hard to diagnose. 

I had 2 experiences with odd smells. When I bought my home, the basement had a very odd odor which I could only describe as almost chemical - or similar to a dentist's office. I steam-cleaned the carpet but the steam actually made the smell worse. The carpet had to go. I ripped it out and removed most of the glue since the glue seemed to smell worse. I painted over the wood subfloor with Zinsser which is a shallac based primer. It neutralizes any organic matter causing odor. I then covered the subfloor with a solid floating floor. Finish was beautiful and scent was completely gone.

Second experience was a unique fishy scent in my mechanical room which I could not locate the source. After lots of research, it turned out to be those white plastic light-bulb sockets. Some are all plastic and if the lights stayed on long enough, the heat would overheat the plastic. I tested the lights on long enough until smoke was actually visible and it smelled like an ocean. Changed the sockets and the problem was solved.


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## paparazi257 (Jul 25, 2017)

*Using barking soda to relieve smell*

I always use barking soda to relieve bad smell in my room, It is really effective and friendly to our health because we can eat it.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Just a Guy said:


> May also be coming from next door.


In my current apartment, I occasionally smell some strange odours. It happened repeatedly during the winter, and I tried very hard to track it down. I had the property's maintenance people come in and sniff around too, nobody could figure it out.

I eventually figured out that the smells were coming from outside my unit (this particular one was a tar-like smell from construction work).

Smell around, including outside the windows and doors. Don't assume that it's coming from inside. That was the assumption I started with, and I drove myself nuts for months until I figured it out.

Sharp, high scent. Interesting. Does it smell like urine/ammonia, such as cat's urine?

Or by salty, do you mean it's something similar to a vinegar smell?

If you had to guess, would you guess that it's a chemical/cleaner, or biological/decay? Just brainstorming here.


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## Kuznec (Jul 27, 2017)

*so life like*

I would advise you to check any places that are subject to heating or overheating during operation, or simply located next to a heat source.

Just remembered the story about the feces inside the gearbox, and about the mysterious smell in the car, which appeared only after switching the lever.


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## birdman (Feb 12, 2013)

Here is one more possibility. If your heat is central for the entire building it could be outside air coming in to the heating or cooling systems. When I was working, one of our buildings where we had a branch also had a pizza joint in the same building. Depending on the wind direction the cooking odours would enter the ventilation system and stink up our premises. Unfortunately I can't remember how we got it resolved.


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