Any experience with a coop that smells like smoke?

Do you have a duct in the bathroom in that bedroom?

It is actually not the duct - I can smell in in the hallway too. I tested the ducts to get a sense of where it was coming from. I then shared an elevator with a certain (very nice) neighbor from down the hall ... she stunk like old smoke. I am pretty certain she is the cause.

I've had the same situation. The only solution: move or hope that your damn smoking neighbors move. . .or get your board to hold apartment owners responsible for making sure no smoke enters either public places or other apartments from the smoke in their apartment.

OK, so how do you think the smoke is getting into your unit? From the hallway?

Yes, from the hall. I even bought one of those 70s snake-like things to use at the bottom of the door (it is a combined apt so that door is never used) Maybe I should somehow seal the door, not sure how without some tacky plastic - any suggestions?

If you never use the door, try this stuff, you spray it in and it expands to seal the space:

http://www.greatstuff.dow.com/

It's like those flat sponges that you add water and they blow up in size. After you spray it in, wipe off any excess showing on the inside door side, before it hardens.

You should really consult with your coop board about the problem. If it's coming from the hallway, that's a "quality of life" issue and will greatly diminish the value of your property and the building.

As 30yrs suggested, the problem might be with exhaust ducts, lack thereof, and/or how they're balanced between the apartments and the hallway.

You should see an exhaust vent in the hallway. Check that it's actually sucking in air. If it's not, and if any exhaust vents in your bath and kitchen are working, then smoke could be drawn out of the neighbor's apartment, through the hallway, and into yours.

You might try getting a smoke stick or whatever it's called and playing around to see where the air's moving.

I have had the problem with a cigar smoking neighbor. I had the floor cracks sealed and bought room air sanitizers (200) -- ionizes and filters the smoke. Helps -- but still there...

Nothing will eliminate it totally except for the smoker to cease.

For an active door (which I'm fairly sure you have at least one of) look at www.zerointernational.com for various acitve selaers (I have a drop-down gate from them on teh bottom of my doors as well as passive sealers on the other 3 sides.

Although even if you never use the door, you may get into trouble sealing (as in making it inoperable) it fire-code wise.

Does anyone have any experience with an air purifier? If yes - any specific brands suggested? I am also definitely going to try the active sealers, thanks 30 Years.

The Sharper Image ones did work - but they went out of business. Mmy husband once let 4 cigar smokers indulge in the living room - I had two of the units in there and they did get rid of the smell (but he never did that again).

Don't know about other ones, but the nice thing about those was that they were silent, relatively inconspicuos,and didn't use filters.

I am sure there are others on the market that would help you.

Best machines for odor removal beats any spray or Sharper Image machine are ozone. Hotels use them and they're nothing short of amazing. Both companies have 30 day trials, one has a restocking fee, the other doesn't. It leaves an ozone like smell that dissipates and you can open the window to get rid of the ozone odor more quickly, it not it just dissipates on its own .

http://odorfreemachines.com/

http://www.air-zone.com/models.html#400800

redrover - wasn't there some question a few years ago about the safety of the machines using ozone? Not safety per se, but the breathing of the machine generated ozone?

ph41,

there's some info on the site that adresses this. I don't remember what I read, its been awhile.

FWIW, you aren't in the room when you're running the machine and it only takes about 10 minutes to remove the odors.