Hi everyone, I think this is a topic which has been covered many times over. But how does one deal with cooking smells? I have some tenants living below me which cooks I don't know what, but it doesn't smell good. I don't like it, but my partner doesn't like it even more. He has the fan running, and the window open for fresh air. Its kind of annoying to me because its cold.

But how does one cut or elminate unwanted odors? He has put a towel around the front door and burned incense to try and cover up the smell. He just talked to them about the smell also. It probably drives the tenants below crazy. Because from their point of view they are just preparing food, a normal activity. The tenant says he uses only a small amount of garlic. But any amount is never tolerated by my partner. I guess its really his problem.

I guess he could put something in his nose to block the smell. He says he has trouble breathing at times because of the powerful cooking smell or the smell of cheap cigarattes. They aren't suppose to smoke, but they do, and then deny it, saying they smoke outside. I don't believe it. Its so rude.

My partner isn't even raw, but he is just so sensitive to any smell, especially anything negative. I mentioned sometime ago that my sense of smell improved when I tried raw. I was trying to say that I was healthier, but that makes him never want to go raw because people produce some awful smells. Any suggestions? Anything that we are overlooking for eliminating odors? It should would be nice if they never cooked anything, especially not garlic, and never smoked, but I don't think thats realistic. Anything that especially covering, or absorbing of odors that doesn't take too much effort, energy or cost?

Evict them.
Thats your option if someone is smoking in a place you dont want it
I lived in an apartment once that the fellow next to me cooked hamburger helper every single night.
Would fill my place up with that smell.

Vinny

I used to get these candles at WalMart in Vermont. I haven't seen them around here, but I have seen some similar ones at smoke shops that eliminate odors really well. They work so good.They like kill diaper smells in a flash. Otherwise, I use a cinnamon oil and water spray that pretty much beats out any bad kitchen smells. And real cinnamon oil is pretty cheap on ebay at least. If you like the smell of cinnamon..

Mislu, this won't change until either of you moves away. Are you prepared to wait them out?
The neighbours here smoke, it's a non-smoking building but they do it anyhow and it's horrible out in the hallway. The landlord finally spoke with them the other day and their solution? Spray the hall with some awful air "freshener". Fanfreakingtastic.
We are 3 months into a year lease but I'm already planning our next move.

Well the complaining has reduced the incidence of occurance, but hasn't entirely elminated the problem. My partners mother is the landlord, but she has too much patience and long suffering. i think its because she likes being 'nice' to people that don't really matter, and lets them do these things, along with pay rent late or pay short for months on end etc... but my partner is pushing for documentation and pushing for eviction for if they are ever late again with rent. She could probably already evict because of the no smoking policy. However, when we looked in the actual lease it was missing as part of the lease! I was like wtf?! The father who is now dead overlooked that one detail, so in fact it probably can't be enforced, but don't tell anyone!shhhhh But the rent part....that is definately in effect, but she seems to let that slide.

Get some SCD Odor Away, dilute in water at a 1:100 ratio, and spray your living space every time you get bombarded by cooked food smells.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/2012 01:33AM by Prana.

Just for the sake of pure comedy, what do you mean when you say, "people
that don't really matter?"

Have you considered smoking yourself? You won't smell a thing, guaranteed.

Mislu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well the complaining has reduced the incidence of
> occurance, but hasn't entirely elminated the
> problem. My partners mother is the landlord, but
> she has too much patience and long suffering. i
> think its because she likes being 'nice' to people
> that don't really matter, and lets them do these
> things, along with pay rent late or pay short for
> months on end etc... but my partner is pushing for
> documentation and pushing for eviction for if they
> are ever late again with rent. She could probably
> already evict because of the no smoking policy.
> However, when we looked in the actual lease it was
> missing as part of the lease! I was like wtf?! The
> father who is now dead overlooked that one detail,
> so in fact it probably can't be enforced, but
> don't tell anyone!shhhhh But the rent
> part....that is definately in effect, but she
> seems to let that slide.

I suppose everyone matters...I knew that would grab someones attention. Its sarcasm I guess. its also being selfish. It just seems like she cuts strangers huge breaks, while being strict and nasty with those who are supposed to matter more, like family, and partners of family memebers like me. People who in theory matter more.

Bryan that looks like some intresting stuff !

Mislu i feel bad you are having to endure the 2nd hand smoke .. if nothing else works then i would have to agree that moving might be the option , of course that opens up a whole host of other issues, I hope you can find a solution !

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/2012 05:58PM by Jgunn.

I was just joking with you. It's difficult for me to look at all people and say, "they matter." Maybe your BF's mom isn't going to do anything to make you more comfortable in her world. Maybe it's time for you to move on from mom's place.

Mislu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I suppose everyone matters...I knew that would
> grab someones attention. Its sarcasm I guess. its
> also being selfish. It just seems like she cuts
> strangers huge breaks, while being strict and
> nasty with those who are supposed to matter more,
> like family, and partners of family memebers like
> me. People who in theory matter more.

A few months ago, a group of people with a dark complection and who spoke a language other than english moved in the unit below me. I don't know what they cooked, but the smell was horrific, heavily spiced etc. Also, some time prior to this, asian people lived here, with a similar problem, and the smell was of rotton fish...yuck. All I used to do was to close up my unit for an hour or so each day.

I figured that if people want total privacy, no noise or cooking smells etc, then why do they live in units? Afterall, living in such close proximity with people means that you're going to have to put up with the aforementioned issues. Everyone has there rights.

geo

Geo,
Yes, that is one thing we both miss, our own home. We were far enough away from everyone that we never heard anything, and certainly never smelled anyone elses smoke or cooking. I don't know what the actual law states about those sorts of things. I know that if someone is producing a lot of noise, or music too loud one can have legal issues as a result, especially after repeated offenses, warnings etc... I don't know if food is somehow fundementally different, but in theory perhaps it shouldn't. Just like second hand smoke.

A landlord could have no smoking policies, perhaps they can also have no cooking policies. Actually I had one landlord who did have a no cooking policy for her units. That was actually one influence for me to try a raw food diet. I certainly would have been allowed to bring home premade stuff, provided it wasn't heated up at home. She disliked the smell, and it carried over to other units. Apparently that was a source of discord amoung tenants. She also didn't want visitors....does this sound bad? She also had hours for comming and going. She had a motion light which activiated whenever anyone went by, and it disturbed her sleep. I felt like I couldn't breathe without some comment.I didn't stay there for long. But it was an improvement with more liberties than when I was renting a room from someone else.

I hear what you're saying Mislu. She's nice and like a walking buddha or the soul of graciousness to everyone, except when it comes to people close to her she is like bossy or persnickety or something like that. Our new downstairs neighbors are Indian. Some days, the food smells so good. Some days though, I'll like be outside enjoying a rare fresh earthy air smell, and they'll like open the door and stink up the whole neighborhood. What can you do? Welcome to New Jersey.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/14/2012 11:08AM by rawalice.

Like an evil nag?

geo,

Quote

I figured that if people want total privacy, no noise or cooking smells etc, then why do they live in units?

Uh, I'm guessing, poverty? The people you describe were probably not the proverbial Nigerian prince whose trust fund needed your help to be activated!

I am fortunate to live in a house, so the only thing I have to put up with is the smell of barbecue wafting into my yard on a breezy summer day. It doesn't bother me that much, but if I had to put up with it daily, as in an apartment, I would talk with the landlord about the ventilation system. Much of the time it is because the system wasn't installed to code, and this could also mean a potential carry-over fire hazard, apart from redirecting pernicious smells to other units.

Mislu,

I hope you resolve this. I hope that you find your own place as your studies progress, or afterward. It is good to remember, when things are hard, "Time passes and things change."

I think I have been tough on her. Sometimes I might be tempted to project the lable of evil nag, and sometimes it feels like it. But shes a recent widow, she probably has one of the worse cases of arthritis, shes had a rought life, and has worked hard. I guess shes trying to be nice to people by giving people a break. I hope she gives me one when I really truely need it. But hopefully I hope that I never have to depend on that, as I know not to expect anything.

Well, I do remember to try and look for the good in people. Sometimes, it's worth telling people what they do to annoy you. How will they know to stop if you don't tell them? It might make some waves, but usually they settle, and if not, good riddance. Starting out with, I really appreciate ___ about you, or thank you for ____, or I think you're so great blah blah blah, but.. I don't know if that applies to any of your situation with her, but if it might, hope it helps.

Usually, whenever I smell something that alerts me as "FIRE!", I have learned to first check what others around me are cooking. Tonight, it was a frozen pizza. Not that long ago, it was my neighbor firing up the barbecue.

If the apartment is truly untolerable and the unhappiness impacts your well being, it may be best to start looking for another home base when the lease comes up for renewal. I just left a moldy building... no more 30 sneezes in a row, I forgot how good it feels to have something like clean air in my living space. How strongly is this impacting you?

But you have nothing to lose by attempting friendly and respectful conversation first. Best of luck!

An update...they were up to cooking something strange again today. we came home and the complex smelled like someone was painting something. My partner knocked on the door,and he denied painting anyhthing.

Sometime later he knocked on the door and started complaining about being nagged about smells, denying ever smoking. He did admit to producing the smell, it was a fryer he left on for a long time. He turned it on and forgot it! Could have totally burned down the apartments. He claimed that my partner stomped every time he started cooking anything, and that they can't eat comfortably for fear of being nagged. So I guess the situation is getting worse. What makes things so bad is that there really is a smoking smell, but he pretends to not be home.

Its apartment living I suppose. But they did say they changed their cooking habits to try and reduce the smell, so that was something.

Unfortunate.
I am having neighbour issues right now as well. Smoking (cigarettes and pot), leaving the outside doors unlocked and not even closed all the way all day and night, disrespecting the laundry room, designated parking spaces... I don't complain about the cooking odours, it's stanky but tolerable. The rest though, well, it's all grounds for lease breaking IMO. Not that I'm happy about having to pack and move AGAIN. It's worth it though, so long as the new place is better than the last one.

Mislu, if the idea of moving is worse than the idea of continuing to breathe whatever you have been you've got your answer.

I'm in the same club. Along with all the other smells and late noise parties, they smoke crystal meth? crack cocaine? ice? or whatever it is, a strong chemical smell. I tried complaining to the agent but all the units have different owners and agents and the agent wasn't really interested so I am looking to move.

Coco and Bj,
Thank you for the support. I hope I provide mutual support and understanding. You pointed out something else, they do everything else you mentioned as well. He had a motor cycle accident a few months ago, and hasn't been working. Hes supposed to be returning to work soon. I think that will help him. I think he was depressed and or bored. He smokes pot and cheap cigarettes. If they were both higher grade I think it would be ok, but its the bottom of the barrel.

Am I missing something here?
Isnt pot illegal?

Call the cops.

Vinny

I suppose it is illegal. Perhaps it shouldn't be, they could eat it, or at the very least smoke it somewhere else, along with the legal tobacco. That would be awsome if they used a vaporizor, I think thats pretty smell free.

I think thats the lesser problem, as the cooking smell is what is the most common and more annoying. Of course cooking at this point is still totally legal.....