East Indian Aroma and Spices

[Vlad]

Thank you for your replies....

I figure the degreasing of our maple cabinetry won't be so bad, with the products you all recommended. We'll get to work on that one.

However, I'm now a little tentative about the distinct aroma left from this East Indian family. In addition to the duct cleaning work, we're having our painter repair some cosmetic damage to the interior of the walls (i.e. holes and dents in drywall); then his painting crew will TSP the walls; then primer the walls; and then paint based on the colors of our choice. Like I said in my earlier post, we will replacing the carpeting - currently it's a shag look, cut berber along the stairs and the entire second level of the home. We will replacing the carpet with new nylon berber. The lower level of the house has a combination of wood laminate, ceramic tile, and hardwood floors that we're installing. I'm hoping the aroma from the Indian spices will go away, but just don't know how long. Any more information you can provide on the "ozone generator?" Do you know of anyone who has used it before, and is it really effective?

Please keep in mind, I hope I don't sound like I'm offending the East Indian culture. In my own experience, East Indian food and delicacies are quite delicious. However, it's a very cultured ethnicity that I'm not used to or much aware of, and would much rather leave the cooking and handling of spices to an East Indian family to prepare, then myself.

Thanks for your advice.

-vlad

[SQLit]

I would start with fresh air and lots of it. Put a fan in the crawl space blowing up into the attic. Open a couple of windows and let run. I am talking days not hours. As you do the cleaning and painting you might find that the odor goes away on its own. Remove all curtains and clean, remove the stove and clean the area around it. Especially the floor and wall. If you have an exhaust fan over the stove wash it. I have 2 Ionic Breezes, good for small solids in the air. I do not know it works on odors as it says in the ads.

[Phisherman]

Give your cabinets a good cleaning with an oil soap (Murphy's is good). Keep in mind that water and wood is not a good combination, so resist the temptation to soak the wood. Clean on top of the cabinets too. I used to live in an apartment building with East Indians and a common shared hallway. Nice folks, but the "fumes" in the hallway burned my eyes during the times they cooked. TSP is a very strong detergent--wear rubber gloves and rinse well before painting. Kilz contains shellac and is a very good sealer. Open your windows weather permitting. The odor will weaken over time, and not as bad as buying a home of heavy cigarette smokers. I do not recommend ozone generators, unless you leave your residence for a week or two while it is running.