Every year, approximately 28 million multi-unit housing residents are exposed to secondhand smoke that enters their homes from a nearby apartment, according to the CDC. Secondhand smoke is a leading cause of severe health issues, such as stroke, lung cancer, and asthma in both children and adults. Smoke also reduces your property's resale value by almost 30% based on a survey by Realtor.com. Given secondhand tobacco smoke can migrate from your neighbors' units through ventilation systems, doorways, and cracks in walls, how do you ensure your home is smoke-free? Below are simple tips for keeping your neighbor's cigarette smoke out of your apartment and maintaining good indoor air quality.

 

Improve Air Circulation

Keeping the windows and doors open for a considerable amount of time is a sure way of letting bad odor out of the house and replacing it with fresh air. Placing fans in a room is also an excellent alternative for improving indoor air circulation. Place one fan on one side of the room to ensure it blows air from outside. And then have another one close to a window or door so that it eliminates contaminated air outside. Also, get into the habit of replacing AC filters regularly to ensure the air circulating in your home is free from odor-causing pollutants.

 

Invest In Air Purifiers

Air purifiers are excellent tools designed to filter out pollutants like smoke particles from the atmosphere. By getting rid of toxic molecules, purifiers make indoor air clean and breathable. If you live next to smokers, investing in air purifiers for smoke can be worthwhile. When choosing air purifiers for your home, make sure they meet the standards for smoke particle reduction. That way you can be sure secondhand smoke doesn't stay trapped in your house.

 

Clean Hard Surfaces

When you think of eliminating the smell of tobacco from your home, the first thing that comes to mind is scrubbing your sofas and other upholstery. However, your first consideration should be cleaning hard surfaces like windows, ceilings, mirrors, kitchen counters, and floors. Hard surfaces trap high amounts of tar and soot, leaving behind the smell of burning cigarettes. To get rid of the odor, consider using natural disinfectants to wipe surfaces.

 

Even if you don't smoke, the smell of tobacco can infiltrate your home from a nearby apartment through vents, doorways, and cracks in the wall. When this happens, you're required to find effective ways to eliminate smoke odor as it may lead to serious health problems if trapped in your living spaces. Consider installing air purifiers, clean hard surfaces, maintain clean rugs and carpets, and enhance air circulation.