Help smelly lodgers deposit

Anubis_2

Does the mattress have a thick mattress protector on it? If not I eould get hold of a steam cleaner to clean the mattress and use a quilted mattress cover it for any other prospective tenants. They are cheap enough at Argos but get a decent auality one.

The steam cleaner will deodorise and sanitize and kill any bed bugs (although if it has bed bugs it would be better to replace it)

I agree with McNeff although before you let go of any money, if you do have to replace the carpet I would withold any deposit and pay for it out of that.

Elvisia

Go through the room and see what needs replacing, give it a few days to see if the place airs off or not, and then refund a portion of his deposit. Whenever I have moved out my friends who rent always say you never get your deposit back, but I clean the place to the point of OCD and I always manage to get it back as they can't pick holes in it. My first flat was in fact cleaner when I left than when I moved in, which seemed to annoy the landlord as he was stood ready with a clipboard going through all the drawers and down the back of cupboards with a white glove to find some dust.

I feel your pain though, I was on the bus the other day and a woman got on who looked perfectly clean but STANK, I had to choose between breathing or holding my breathe to avoid the smell and I chose the not breathing option. I don't know why people can't see/smell they stink.

londonlydia

Another trick is cat litter- either spread it direct or put in a thin pillowcase, and place in any smelly places that cant be washed. Because it's designed to suck in smelly cat smells, it should suck up his smell a bit as well. And because you'r enot just covering up the smell it should be OK for your asthma.

My concern would be that a bad smell may not be all. I hate to say it- but if his hygeine is poor your matress and bed may well be infested wih fleas or bugs etc. I would check and get a good cleaner.

Then just try and air your room for a while. If it's a sort of BO smell, then it may be a case of getting the old stale air out and fresh in. Make a through draft by opening the door and window, and if you have one aim a fan towards the window....that will suck the air out from the room behind and blow it out the window.

Ivana_Tinkle

We got dried-in red wine out of a beige carpet with a Rug Doctor we hired from B&Q. It had been there for ages (spilt the night before we went on holiday for 2 weeks!) but came out completely.

maninthestreet

Charcoal is good at abosrbing smells - BBQ briquettes are charcoal.

paddy's_mum

Baby wipes are good for cleaning the .. ahem .. 'muckier' things people leave behind. It is of course exactly what they were designed for.

In the OP's shoes, I wouldn't think twice about using the deposit money to replace the bed and the carpet which this disgusting individual has soiled and besmirched - especially as he appears to acknowledge that his abysmal hygiene levels are indeed an issue.