In an empty flat the treatment is simpler, faster and cheaper than after the furniture arrives. The next chance like this will be years away.
You are moving into premises where somebody else lived before you. How long and in what way is usually unknown. Even after a thorough clean, there are places nobody touches: the ventilation duct, the gaps behind sanitary ware, the insides of cupboards, the skirting boards.
The main argument for doing it now is practical rather than hygienic. In an empty room:
Once the furniture is in, the same treatment takes longer and covers less. And in practice it gets put off — until there is a specific reason, such as a smell or mould.
In practice this either happens before you move in, or it does not happen at all.
There is another simple reason to do it at this moment: after moving in, nobody does. Not out of laziness — life simply starts, the furniture is in place, and the idea of clearing everything out of the flat for a couple of hours no longer seems sensible. So in practice this either happens before you move in, or it does not happen at all.
Not every room matters equally. The practical order of priority:
| Place | Priority | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Bathroom | High | Moisture and places nobody reaches day to day |
| Kitchen | High | Organic remains in gaps and behind appliances |
| Ventilation grilles and duct | High | The most common source of remaining smell |
| Contact surfaces | Medium | Handles, switches, taps, remote controls |
| Fitted cupboards | Medium | In an enclosed volume the smell persists a long time |
| Skirting boards and gaps | Medium | Dust and liquid residues collect there |
| Walls and ceilings | Low | If there are no signs of smell or mould |
| Balcony or loggia | Low | Cleaning is usually enough |
The bathroom and kitchen come first for good reason. That is where there is moisture, organic remains and places nobody reaches day to day: silicone joints, the gap behind the sink, the shower drain, fridge door seals.
The other place almost everyone forgets is the ventilation. If the previous occupants smoked or cooked a lot, deposits have built up in the ventilation duct that keep releasing odour even in a completely empty flat.
Deposits built up in the ventilation duct are the most common reason a "thoroughly cleaned" flat still smells of somebody else.
If you notice a specific smell — tobacco, animals or damp — say so straight away, because the treatment is then different. There is more on the Odour removal and Cigarette smell removal pages. If the premises stood empty for a long time beforehand, the page on long-vacant premises is useful too.
Another question we meet: how much of this is really necessary. The honest answer is that it depends on the state of the premises. If the previous occupants lived there a long time, smoked, kept animals, or the flat then stood empty for months, there is a specific, measurable reason for treatment. If the premises have just been renovated and have been empty for a few weeks, there is much less point. We assess that at the inspection and do not sell a scope that is not needed.
We check the premises and the ventilation and look for mould in the places people usually cannot see.
We make sure no sewage smell is coming into the premises.
We clean the places usually missed in a normal clean. Disinfection does not work on a dirty surface.
We treat handles, switches, taps and the other surfaces you will touch daily.
We treat the wet zones, joints, gaps and the spaces behind sanitary ware.
We treat the grilles and the accessible section of the duct.
We remove the previous occupants' smells from the space, the cupboards and hard-to-reach places.
We air the premises and tell you when the furniture can go in.
One more thing worth agreeing in advance is the timing. Treating an empty flat usually takes a few hours, but after ozone treatment the premises have to be left closed and then aired properly. So it should not be planned for the same day the removal van arrives. A day in between is entirely enough and takes a good deal of the pressure off moving day.
Some of it can be done without us, and it is only fair to say so:
If after all that the premises smell normal and there is no mould, you may well need nothing more. We say so when that is the case.
Flats from €55: two-room from €65, three-room from €75. Private houses from €95. Ozone treatment €1.20/m², minimum €60.
One last thing worth knowing: if the flat stood empty for a long time before you, the result of treatment may not show immediately — the air in the premises needs time to genuinely change over. Ozone removes the source of the smell, but it does not replace drying out the structure.
Premises where the air has not moved for months also need several days of normal ventilation and heating.
The case of moving into a rented flat is worth mentioning separately. You have no way of knowing who lived there before you, or whether any treatment was carried out after the previous tenants at all. That is exactly the case where a few hours of work before the furniture goes in settles a question you would otherwise be dealing with throughout the tenancy — usually once something has already started to smell.
If you are buying a flat where somebody lived with pets, there is a further reason for treatment: allergens persist in the premises long after the animal has gone. They accumulate in textiles, in the ventilation and in gaps, and they are far easier to treat in empty premises than later, once your own belongings are in place.
If renovation is also planned, the treatment is best carried out after the work and before the furniture goes in — otherwise construction dust puts you back at the start. There is more on the Disinfection after renovation page. If the premises were previously let, the description on the Disinfection after tenants page is useful too.
After surface treatment, a short airing is usually enough. If ozone treatment has been carried out, the premises need to be left for longer and then aired — we give exact timings on site.
It can, but it costs more and the result is less complete. Furniture blocks the surfaces, and you will have to leave the premises during treatment. An empty flat is the easiest moment.
Usually not, if nobody has lived there. But if renovation has just finished, a different job makes sense — removing construction dust and the smell of materials after building work.
Describe the situation — we will tell you whether treatment is needed at all, and which one.
Fill in the form — we will call you on the number you provide, ask a few clarifying questions and propose a solution.
Thank you! We will contact you on the phone number you provided shortly.
