Are you dead set on getting her a ceramic knife? I’m just asking because they’re really not that great. Sure, they stay sharp longer, but not forever, and when they get dull, you can’t hone or sharpen them yourself. Plus, they’re very fragile. If you drop it, knock it against something hard, hit a bone cutting through meat, etc., it will chip or shatter completely. They’re also more expensive than a regular metal knife. I have a white Kyocera santoku knife that a girlfiend got me a long time ago (I was a chef at the time), and while the thought was nice, it definately couldn’t stand up to pro kitchen use, and home kitchen use still would be rough on it. With that being said, if I had to get another one right now, I’d stick with Kyocera. Just be sure to get her a blade guard sleeve with it, so it doesn’t chip while in storage.

EDIT::: Here is what I’m talking about, from the Shenzhen website itself…
Look at all the DO NOT parts. All that stuff is fine to do with a regular knife without damage, and certainly without shattering the blade.
I bought a 12" global because its a good steel which holds a very sharp edge for a long time, they have thin blades, and I like the feel of the triangular shaped handle.

You don’t need to spend more than $120, its not that hard to sharpen a knife, and the ceramic stuff sucks ass.

on Global knives

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2. Is there such a thing as a quality, low maintenance kitchen knife? ......
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Step 2: Get annoyed with quality of basement finish.

Step 3: Gut it

Step 4: Go from Colorado to Florida for work for 2 weeks. Have a problem with furnace and get whole house to freeze. Have 4 pipes burst and get to come back and fix the problem. Luckily my house didn’t flood. In these pics, you can see where the piping originally ran along the front edge of the house where it can get freeze the easiest. Since it burst there anyways, I rerouted the piping straight into the middle of the house then over to the center so there was minimum piping along the front.

Step 5: Finish gutting everything and start laying out new walls. I got enough steel to get me started. Hopefully I can get some walls up by tomorrow.

spoken like a true coke addict
Is that one of those "as seen on TV ladders"? I forget the exact name of it.
hell no it’s not a "little giant" or whatever they call it…those are like $400. This is a Werner, and it was like $200 at Lowe’s. Should come in really handy when I start working by the stairs.
Why metal studs? Are they code for residential in your area?
I’m doing all the work myself and I find metal studs much easier to work with. The basement walls here have to be floating, so with a wood wall you assemble the whole thing then lift it up to secure it to the joists. With a steel wall, you just hang the upper track and put each stud in place. Also, there’s no sawdust. Another benefit is that they won’t warp or bend. That’s a big problem in CO with the dry weather.
You can always build wooden walls in place too… but I guess I’ve heard some guys like steel. I’ve never messed with it myself. Are you using a Hilta Gun to shoot the footers into the ground?
you can also easily work with metal studs with tin snips and no saw at all really. But they suck ass when hanging dryall on it. My friend is building a house and using metal studs. I have stripped more screws than screws that I have actually gone in correctly. I suck at teh drywall

so what are teh plans for this room?
I will be using a hilti gun for setting the slip tracks (footers). For building wood walls in place, you’d toenail them in, which looks sloppy to me. Also isn’t easy when floating the wall.

I didn’t have any trouble at all with hanging drywall on it. I used a Senco screw gun for most of it. Just keep in mind the screws for drywall on metal have a finer thread pitch than the screws for drywall on wood.

The only plans I have thus far are to make what was one huge bedroom into two and build a custom tile shower in the bathroom.
oh, I ripped out the remainder of the drywall that was in the far area. I was going to leave it up, but the wiring was such a mess that I was going to have to rip out half of it to figure out what was done before. In just that area, there were two areas where splices were made in the ceiling with no access. There was no clear layout for it, so I get to rewire the whole basement.
in for updates.. you got your work cut out for ya! looks good

Building floating walls in place is pretty hard to do. Much easier to secure the bottom plate, build the wall, raise it, shim the wall (middle plate) on the bottom plate, drive a few spikes into the bottom plate, secure the top plate….remove shims. You essentially have an upside down wall (double bottom plate) but you can do it reverse and leave the gap (for movement) at the top.

Project looks good. I need to post a few pics of the mini bar I did…Im all out of projects now
Permits shmermits.

Seems like you would lay out your footer, hilti gun it in place, lay out your header, nail it in place, and then toe-nail your studs in place. It won’t look sloppy… inside of a wall. Or build your wall flat on the ground and then lift it up in place and secure it.

What about your deal makes either of those options hard? Just curious.

That’s easy japanesey…but in Colorado (and where I live in Canada) basement walls must be floating to allow movement. Usually up to 3/4 to an 1", but it might be more in CO. Because of frost/moisture the basement slab can move up and down and the wall must move with it.

Wait… so where IS the wall attached?

Well it depends where you float it from. If you float it from the bottom, your bottom plate of the wall will have a gap between the bottom plate on the floor. Most people will drill a few holes, every second stud bay or so, and drive in a 4" ardock spike. So the wall is secure, but it can still move up and down on the spike.

With the steel studs, I think he will end up just having the studs sit in the bottom track. So they can move up an down, and once the drywall is on, won’t be able to move side to side. (although I think with metal studs there are usually suports running horizontally keeping the studs on centers anyway)
I left my camera at my parents’ house, but I’ll take pics later. First the slip tracks (footers) are layed out. Then the track will be attached to the ceiling above the slip track. Then studs are put in place using two screws to attach to the top track and one on the bottom. When all is done, drywall is hung horizontally, covering the top of the wall first. When the first panel is hung, the screws are removed from the slip track (footer) so the wall can float.

Probly confusing, but I’ll have something to show later.
Here you can see the process of putting up a wall with steel. I worked from the top down on this one since it had to be centered on the beam. Other walls I’ll lay out the floor and then the top track.

1: Attach top track to steel beam with clamps:

2: Attach top track to beam with screws:

3: Hang stud with clamp and screw other side:

4: Use level to get studs vertical and set base (my base isn’t set because there’s going to be a closet opening there and i didn’t measure for it yet). You can see that I cut the stud 1.5" short of the ground so that it can be attached temporarily to the slip track, then will float later.

Other:

I have a problem with the floor shaking when walking on it due to the joists being at 24" OC. I put some bracing up and have noticed a huge improvement with just the few that are in. I’ll be doing this to most of the joists later.

When I originally viewed this thread I thought the first pic was of a detached garage and didn’t notice the rest of the house.

Landscaping should be another fun project.
I’ll get to the landscaping last…when it warms up in the Spring
Looks good. Just as thought it would be done.

Are you going to drywall the ceiling? Get those wires into a junction box (if its going to be permanent).
So you have a gap at the bottom of the wall that you cover with trim?
I don’t want to sound like an ass – but are you aware of the special wire that needs to be used for electrical when using steel studded walls?

I’ll hang drywall to 1.5" off the ground, then that gap is covered with the trim.

I use standard 14/2 NM-B wire. I Just use a bushing to go through the studs, and there’s no problem.

Lookin’ good Bryan. I’m sure the satisfaction is well worth the effort put into it. You’re doing construction like I like to do it, fast and well thought out.

Good job!
Why are there visible, horizontal studs against the walls?

Oh, and I know it costs more, but if a 2×4 brace helps the floor shaking alot, then a 2×10/12 will help alot more.
the studs against the wall are furring strips…Instead of framing in with studs, the previous person simply attached 2×4′s to the foundation. In the other room, it was done with 1×1′s.

I’d do it with 2x10s everywhere, but I don’t care that much…and I have a huge pile of 2x4s from what I ripped down.

When I’m done with all the work, I’ll be buying another house and renting this one out.
Got a little more done:

The area under the stairs is going to be finished and accessible from the back of the bedroom closet.

Finally got the layout drawn, so tomorrow morning I’ll draw in the wiring diagram and go pull the permits.

Unfortunately I haven’t gotten too much done lately, just spent the last week in Puerto Rico for work. The framing is about 75% done. Hopefully I’ll have a chance soon to get a new driver’s license so I can pull the permit. I either have to be a contractor, or this has to be my permanent address in order for me to get the permit.

damn, resurrected from the dead. I’ll post some pics soon.

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My mom keeps tryin to get me to get the select etc or pro S series based on cost but I want something I enjoy even looking at to be in my kitchen for the next 5-10 years or whatever.

Anyone have an opinion?
do you actually have use for a 650 knife set? dont get me wrong, i have wusthoff knives, but a good chefs knife, a serrated knife and maybe a smaller paring knife will do 95%+ of all the jobs the average cook or even foodie might do at home

I have a set of Henckels that I really like. Chef’s, paring, serated, and utility knife (plus honing steel, shears, and block) cost a little under $300 and I don’t feel the need for any other types of knives really. Maybe one day I’ll get a boning knife, but since I SO rarely cut up a whole fish, it’s not THAT big of a deal.

I did keep my stamped knife set that I’ve had for years though. Forged knives don’t cut tomatoes quite like a serated stamped blade.
whats the difference between a forged serrated knife and a stamped one when cutting tomatoes? i use my forged serrated wusthof on tomatoes and they slice up like buttah
i guess if you have money to burn its alright. i dont know if i like the look of the all stainless. its such a cold and uninviting look
Do I have a use for the entire set? Currently not at all. But if I ever do there are a couple things to think of. A) Cant get the entire set because of possible discontinuation and B) If I ever want the entire set, buying it piece by piece cost an easy 33% more overall
well what i really meant was that unless you are a pro chef working every day at a restaurant you will likely never use most of the set as the chef’s, serrated and a paring knife do basically everything most people need.

wait. Are you my mom? Did you get an OT account? That’s all so true, but who doesnt dig a slick set of knives…

I dont think I really have any need for a true set. Wait if you only get 4 knives then where do you put them? In a block with just a few pieces and a bunch of empty slots?
you can store them in many ways other than in a block..

i personally like these :

that is pretty nice. its up to you what you want though. id like to get a nice set someday when i finally buy a house but then again ill have to throw away a drawer full of knives to do so

I don’t like those b/c they magnetize the knives. That’s not a big deal with cutting food, of course, but I was at someone’s house and stuck the knife I had just used in the sink and all the silverware moved to it. It wasn’t magnetized enough to pick up the silverware, but them being attracted to the knife threw me off for a minute.

Like I said before, I have 4 knives plus the honing steel and the sheers and have all that in a block. There are some empty slots, but I don’t mind. I did get the matching steak knife set, so they go in the block also.

And for the serated knife question, I don’t know why but I like my stamped blades better for tomatoes than I do my stamped forged blade which I really only use on bread (it is actually a bread knife).
Has anyone else seen the universal knife block?

so like a big block of putty, kind of weird
Like others said you would be better off buying only the knives you need as opposed to a set, most people want/use a 7"+ chef/santoku, 10" slicer, 3-5" paring and a bread knife (typically a serated blade.)

And really you will probably find yourself using the 7" for pretty much everything, breaking the slicer out when you have turkey/ham/roasts and then the bread knife (for obvious uses.)

p.s. If you have a good and sharp chef/santoku you shouldn’t need to uses a serated blade to cut tomatoes.
Well I bought the set then found out my mom bought a 3piece starter for xmas. I’ll let her have this I guess.

I my Henckels twin cuisine santoku, fits my hand perfectly.
You don’t need a set.

Buy the knives you use most. You’ll likely only need 1 or 2.
Go to a restaurant supply store and check out a company called F. Dick
The cost about 20 bucks apiece and hold a great edge.
Most pro cooks use these or something similar.

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2. Is there such a thing as a quality, low maintenance kitchen knife? ......
3. Shun Classic Series…any good? ......

I’d like a small set. Open to suggestions.
Right now I’m looking at companies such as

henckels
wusthoff

etc

those are both quality knives i wouldnt stray away from there, there are better, but no need to spend 2000 on a set of knives…henkles area good bang for the buck when u get their low to mid range knives
I picked up a Ginsu for 10 bucks, came out of the package razor sharp. Wonderful knife.

i think hes looking for something a little more showy, there are plenty of adequate knife sets for less than 100 bucks, heck less than 50, but for a true artiste, you need some really nice clean looking knives. depending on what you want to spend, you can get shuns, wustofs, globals on the higher end. if you want to spend 400 bucks and up.
or you can get some really nice henckels, chicago cutlery, cuisinarts, for about 100 bucks.
i guess it all depends on how much they like to cook and how much you really appreciated them letting you stay for the summer.
I love Shun. You can get them from Bed Bath & Beyond and use the 20% off coupon.
F. Dick makes the knives most professional chefs I know use for daily drivers.
I use a 10" santoku and 12" offset serrated more than my Henckels 5 stars.
The steel holds an edge and the handle fit comfortably.

You can get F. Dick knives at a restaurant supply store or the web for around $20 apiece.

My ginsu is quite nice thank you, and they come in sets, although you might need to buy your own block. Also keep in mind any knife will go to shit if you don’t use a cutting board and hone it every few uses.
I’m a huge fan of globals.

Get fewer, better knives than one of those big, cheap set, also. I’d rather have a couple knives that are nice and razor sharp than a bunch of dull ones.

Unless they use a glass cutting board
As a chef, i recommend you get either "Globals" (as mentioned above) or "Victorinox" brand knives.

Both are great brands, and are often used as "starter knives" for apprentices learning to treat them properly.

They are cheap(ish), hardy and will serve you well for years – also their nearly impossible to ruin…

If you want to go high end, get yourself a "Kasumi" brand knife, packing 32 layers of folded v-gold high carbon steel, they will live allot longer than you, and cut like a razor.
Ive got one, and id make love to it if it wouldn’t disembowel me…
However, they are very pricey.

Or a stone one designed to be chilled and used for making pastries

Also, thirding Globals, great knives.
This past Christmas I got my wife a Ken Onion Shun knife set and its f’n amazing. You cant appreciate how much a good, sharp, correct knife is, until you use one.
Seriously, check the Ken Onion Shun sets!
what types of knives should a starter get? I picked up a chef’s knife and a paring knife from wustof. Do I need other knives for basic stuff, or can I get away with those two?
I really recomend the kind with grooves on the side of the blade, makes stuff less likely to stick to the blade. Honestly for a beginner, other than that just buy something made of decent stainless steel and holds a good edge, and remember to hone the blade every few uses and cut on proper surfaces.

Cant go wrong with a bread knife either….

Other than that however, the chef and pairing knife will cover 90% of anything you could ever hope to do.
I don’t know how much you are looking to spend but DEXTER RUSSEL makes good knives, they stay sharp and when you do sharpen them they take an edge well. They are also cheap, I paid 23 dollars for mine at a local resaurant supply store. All your money goes into the blade tho they have plastic handles.
What about recommendations for cutting boards. I got some plastic deals now that are kinda shitty , but I heard that wood boards can keep in bacteria.

Am I just being a anal retard or is there some type I’m missing out on.
if you wash your wood cutting board it will do fine. My favorite is this particle board by epicurean. I love it
One thing to make sure you avoid is those Henckle serrated type blades. I accidentally put them on my registry when I got married and got them as a present. I didn’t think anything of it until after using for a little while. Every single blade in the set has these small serrations which just tear at meat instead of slicing. It is horrible and I have no idea who would think it is a good idea.

wood boards are great, but i’ve heard the same thing about harboring bacteria. all i know is that alton brown (my flav-o-ice food tv guy) says he recommends a plastic board for meat and a wood board for everything else. the plastic can go into the dish washer and the wood is much easier to cut on.
I just picked up a chef’s, santoku, slicing and bread knife from Calaphon. Used them for about a week and love them so far. If I remember correctly they were only about $25 apiece too!
I have a set of Henckles that I really like, so I can recommend those. I know they can be a little expensive, but I got mine on sale.
I saw Shun mentioned 2 or 3 times so far, and I would like to second Shun, and give a personal recommendation for the Classic Shun. It’s well balanced, not too heavy (Wustof) not too light (Globals), the bolster is concaved and not a sharp point (Henckles), and the folded steel blade is absolutely beautiful.

They’re also made by Kershaw, a very well known knife maker in the US

I also want to point out the most important thing to buying knives, TEST DRIVE.

You may think a knife looks cool, or cuts super sharp due its high price, but unless you’ve held it in your hand, that all means squat.

get em the kasumi boner knife and tell them you’re just returning the favor, since their daughter gave you a boner all summer long

.
great quality
Shun knives are in my opinion the very best kitchen knives in the world. They are SHARP and hold their edge like nothing else. The downside is that they can be pricey, and the kerf is much narrower than western knives, like Henckle and Wustof. Once you’ve used Shun knives its hard to be satisfied with anything less.

Global are almost as good as Shun. The prices are comparable, and the Globals also feature the narrower kerf.

Wustof and Henckle seem pretty comparable to me, though I personally like my Henckle’s better for most jobs. These knives are less expensive than Shun or Global and can be sharpened using any good knife sharpener without ruining the blade. Top of the lines knives from these two are expensive compared to most other western knife makers, but they are worth it. We still mostly have Henckle knives, but over the next few years will replace them with Shuns with a few Globals.

The Dick knives seem to be a favorite with a lot of line cooks, and they are very affordable. I haven’t personally used them.

It’s best to buy individual knives rather than a set. You’ll need a good chef’s knife with at least an 8" blade, though a 10" blade is better for many jobs. I like the Asian Santoku knives for chopping. A good utility knife for mid-sized jobs requiring more intricate control is necessary. A serrated edged bread knife will be useful in cutting bread, cake, etc. Its good to have an assortment of small paring knives, and its good to have at least one porcelain knife.

Whatever you get, keep them sharp. A good sharp knife should easily cut through a piece of dangling paper. A Shun can make 1/8" slices on overripe tomatoes.

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Is this a lost cause?

edit- I understand that nothing beats a well-sharpened knife. I suppose I’m looking for some sort of middle ground here.

inexpensive reliable steel.

best bet is to start with some decent steel. If anything at least try to get them to steel their blades once a week. It takes only a minute and helps keep the blade sharp.
Also maybe you could get their knives sharpened once a year?
I taught my mother how to steel and keep up her knives and now shes as much of a knife nut as I am

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ANy ideas or preferences about these?
They are very nice and sharp as hell but you have to be careful because you can chip the blade. Do not ever try to cut bone with one and do not use any type of stone or other hard cutting board. Personally I don’t see the need for one although they are pretty cool.

Not any ceramic ones at this site but there are some incredible chefs knives.

I just got a kyocera santoku for christmas and its a blast to use. Wouldn’t use it at work cause its extremely brittle but it screams through veg like no other knife i own

Ill second korin its like knife wonderland
sharper and lighter than steel, but you can break the tip off the paring knifes easily. you can’t sharpen them yourself, every 3-5 years you have to send them to the company, they will sharpen them (all for free). they are a great addition to your knife set, but you don’t want them as your only knives.

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Can anyone recommend a good stainless steel cleaner/polisher?
nice.

I really need to redo our kitchen, but that would include new flooring and the floor is no longer level. I fear the cost…

That’s an Ikea flat pack kitchen?

Wow!!!

Do want!

Nice work
I like …

- the colour
- the cabinets over the fridge
- corner cabinet
- the hardware

It looks like you changed everything except the fridge.

Cost?

Yeah, not level floors would be a bitch.

Yep! It is really nice, great to work with.

Yeah, we bought the fridge shortly after moving in, so we kept it.

Cabinets, counter, diswasher, microwave, and oven from Ikea were about 6k

Flooring is from Congoleum called DuraCeramic. Was 680 for 130sq ft.

Unlevel floor? Not too big a problem. Next time I’m up your way, I can give it a look and advise you on how to fix it.

I was looking at the pictures thinking the before was on the left. I kept going, "why the fuck did you change that"
dude looks AMAZING, good work

one suggestion, consider crown moulding for the top of the cabinets, and put some lights behind it…that would really spruce it up

Thanks! I’ve thought of that, maybe putting in some kind of LED strip lighting or something for some mood lights above the cabinets. Eventually I’m gonna do the undercabinet lighting as well.
Looks very sharp!!! I like it a lot.

If you want to put lights up above, run a box up above the cabinets and then plug in some rope lighting. That’s what we have above ours. The crown molding will conceal it and make it look sweet.

It was great Just have to be careful with the glue, it can get very messy if you’re not careful.

I get alot of people interested in it, but they usually get turned off by the glue and cost.

stainless steel is no fun cleaning, I have found the mr. clean magic erasers to work very well.

I didn’t mind the glue at all. Granted, the cost was a little high, but in the end it was worth it, I love that floor. Especially when you walk on it in barefeet and it’s nice and warm.

I’ll have to try that, normally I use Windex.
that looks good.. We have been looking at Ikea cabinets. Did you design that with their online design tools?
Looks very nice!

Simple Green makes some stainless steel cleaner and it’s awesome! Spray on a rag, wipe down stainless panel, buff panel with dry rag. It will not leave any streaks and it prevents smudges for quite a while too.

Yep, wife did it with the software you can download. Saved the design online, and the kitchen sales guy pulled it up at the store and went over it correcting any errors, or omissions and we ordered it. It was a rather wonderful experience.

Gonna pick some up next time I’m at the store.
holy shit $6700! Looks good, but damn that’s a lot of money. I’m so scared to buy a house, because I’m going to want to do stuff like that.

Good job

yeah, the warmth is nice. the Congoleum rep was in my store one day and was pushing it obviously. But he pointed out how the dura stone/ceramic have a warranty where regular ceramic tile doesn’t.

You think that’s expensive? Wait until you do become a homeowner. It can get much worse.
wow!! I’m so impressed! I LOVE the color and the cabinets. What a difference!
What was the price on the cabinets alone if you don’t mind me asking?

Gorgeous remodel – well done.

18 days and counting
Since this was bumped – from a decorating perspective – lose the glass vases and add some with colour, or put some nice bowls/plates up there that you use for serving stuff. The glass just doesn’t add any aesthetic appeal.

.
wow

ikea ftw

How long did it take to you to do it all?

Why do you say that?

If you’re gonna keep the glass vases, at least fill them wiht colored stones or something

Flooring crew

That kitchen looks amazing. Very nice job and a big thumbs up for putting your own floor in, its really not that hard when you get down to it.

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basically i need something relatively strong to get the smell of beer/chicken/ketchup out of here.
i’d start by making sure that you thoroughly clean the place. vacuum the carpets and floors, then steam clean the carpets and mop the floors. dust all of your furniture (use a cleaning polish). maybe get an air purifier if for whatever reason you’ve got "moist" air. also try out some air fresheners from bed bath and beyond.

maybe that stuff that you sprinkle on the carpet and then vacuum up? Never tried it though.
Fabreeze in the spray bottle works really well at eliminating odors (the plastic one, not the aresol spray one). Nothing will mask unhygienic living though, make sure you clean your house really well–mop, dust, sweep, vacuum, etc.

Glade Vanilla candles are also pretty amazing–burn a few of those?

Also, take dryer sheets and put one in your air vent so when the air turns on you’ll get a refreshing smell with the cool air. They’ll have to be changed often, but they really do make a difference….just make sure that you tuck it in there far enough where you can’t see it hanging out-that’s tacky. lol I guess you could even take one and put it in your air return thing (Where you put your air filters–idk what it’s called).

Really though, just make sure you clean up after yourself so your place doesn’t smell…ladies don’t like smelly homes.

edit: To get odors out of your carpet sprinkle baking powder (the orange box) and let it sit for a few hours then vacuum it–a lot of the odor should be absorbed)
Vinegar is actually a pretty amazingly versatile product. It seems so counter-intuitive to use against odors:

plug in febreeze things from grocery store/walmart, they work wonders
It’s been a little chilly and rainy in SoCal lately, so here’s a couple that will make your house smell great.

1. Couple drops of vanilla extract in the oven and turn it on low

2. Get a 20qt stock pot and fill it up to the brim with water. Toss in one cinnamon stick and 4 knots of cloves, and turn on the gas nice and low. It’ll warm up your apartment and it smells great. If you can get your hands on an all-steel or all-aluminum stock pot then stick that fucker in the oven and kill two birds with one stone. Gas only, don’t do this with electric. Too expensive.

3. Vacuum

Then the usual shit. Baking soda and vinegar in the garbage disposal, clean the bathroom, do the laundry, air the place out, clean out the fridge.

ALSO

Throw out your dryer sheets. Get a bottle of fabric softener and pour a little on a washcloth, work it into the material, and throw it in with your laundry. Cheaper, and works much better.
Your best bet is to air things out, make sure the trash is taken out at least a day before they come over, scrub your bathroom well. Moms pay attention to the floor around the toilet, and under the seat. The dust that gathers on your counter needs to be wiped down too. I’ve noticed that wiping surfaces down with Chlorox wipes kills 2 birds with 1 stone. They smell nice, and they get all the dust and junk off of stuff. Simmering a small pan of water with a cinnamon stick works too. Put cups or bowls with baking soda all around your apartment too, they’ll absorb odors. Air it out all day the day before they come over and make sure that your clothes are all clean.

How the hell do you air things out without opening windows?
just to reiterate what some others have said, Febreeze is awesome.

oh, and look under your couch/bed/etc for that food that someone left behind and you all forgot.

I commonly air my apartment out by closing all the doors and windows, and by shutting off all the fans. It’s a wonderful method.

Once that’s taken care of, I do pushups and jump rope in the living room for a couple hours, and then set my sweaty ass down on the sofa and try to leave a sweatring of salt directly on the leather. That helps, too.

Finally, I take some fish out of the freezer and stuff it into holes I punch in the drywall all over the apartment. Did you know that it’s more energy efficient to run your A/C on Heat than it is to use a heater? Who knew. Anyway, I leave a couple fillets of tilapia on top of the A/C and crank it up to 110 degrees and let it run for a few hours.

I’ve found that this is a great way to air out my apartment without opening any doors or windows and without using a fan.

No gym for home?

The reed in oil things work nice too, a little pricey but they work.
probably too late for this since it’s nearly the weekend

in addition to those said above –
empty all trash containers and wipe down inside and out with cleaner/vinegar

spray febreze on any curtains/cloth window treatments and couches, mattress in addition to floors

scrub around the toilet bowl exterior/interior and floor

run the stove vent insert through the dishwasher and get a degreaser onto and inside the range hood – just go ahead and buy a 6 pack of scotchbright pads if you’ve never done it, also a razor blade scraper, old grease is stinky!
I’ve got a better idea. If they say anything about your place, tell them they can always leave if they don’t like it.

Who pays the rent, bitch? You or them? Don’t forget that.

EDIT: But yeah, clean everything too. Clean is always good, regardless of who’s coming to visit. Just don’t forget that their authority ends at the front door of their house.

Cool suggestions. I need to get my room smelling fresh and clean again. I didn’t know about the vinger thing either
all of the above

I like to completely air out a place after cleaning, and before doing things like air fresheners

If you want to get rid of strong odours, bake coffee grinds (not used ) and ground cinnamon in the oven for half an hour or hour on low temperature

no joke, this works awesomely

Clean up the house of odd smells and light a scented candle now and again.
also clean out garbage cans with bleach

under sinks, under fridges, shit like that… you’d be surprised how much a quarter cup of spilled milk can stink up a place
IFL

I live in an apartment with no fans anywhere. Kitchen, bathroom, etc. Place stinks to high heaven after I cook. Smelled like chili for about a week, now it smells like fish (cooked salmon).

Does this vinegar trick really work or is it crap? Cheap and simple if it does work.

How about the Febreeze plug-ins? I saw it mentioned, but any other input on them?
Plugins make strong smells usually. Try misting with febreeze, run your fans and open your windows. That’s your best bet.

My apartment is pretty moist, I have a large fish tank going, my bathroom fan isn’t very effective, I boil beer inside, and I cook a lot, which means lots of moisture in the air. I come home every day and open up the windows to get rid of excess moisture and my apartment smells fresh most of the time.
I tried this vinegar trick. Put a couple cups out around the ol’ apartment and all it did was make my place smell like vinegar.

Picked up a Glade plug-in (clean linen scent, nothing outrageous). Gonna just mask it for now. I might try the baking soda trick for the carpet and see if that helps.

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