Sometimes, in the quest to find the best living space possible, we have to compromise. We all want to find the apartment with the best location for the best price that offers as many of the amenities that we love. However, what happens when you find what would otherwise be a perfect apartment except for a whole host of lingering odors that you can’t seem to get rid of? Here are a few essential tips you can keep in mind if you stumble upon a smell that just won’t go away.

Carpet is often one of the biggest culprits when it comes to holding in odors from generations past. This can be especially true if the previous resident in your unit was a slob who never quite kept the place as clean as he should. Even if your landlord swears that the carpets were professionally cleaned before you moved in, invest $50 and have a steam cleaner come in and take care of things. If you feel odors in the carpet are persisting, ask to have the carpet replaced.

If cigarette smoke is a smell you just can’t get rid of, and you’ve already cleaned the carpet, you might want to look towards the walls. Take this simple test to see if your walls need a washing: take a soapy paper towel and wring it out as high as you can on one of your walls. If the water that runs down the side turns a murky brown, your walls are covered in a thin film of cigarette smoke. Look on the bright side, though; you now have a chore to fill up your next few free hours!