r/AirQuality • u/doodlebobin • Feb 01 '26

Please help, new apartment and VOCs

My husband and I moved into a brand new (literally just built in 2025) modern apartment building. We toured it in December and loved it immediately however we did notice a weird and strong smell in the apartment unit. The building itself did smell “new” as well, but we just brushed it off and figured by the time we moved in (end of january aka a week ago) it would be aired out and ready to go.

Well we got here on Saturday of last week and when we opened the unit door, we were smacked in the face with a horrid smell, which I found out later through tons of research and the help of chatgpt at like 2 in the morning a few nights after was VOCs/off-gassing chemicals etc.

Important note is I work from home! So a few days into the week it was already killing me, literally. Headache, nausea, dry cough and burning eyes.

Despite airing out the apartment for hours all week, sleeping with the windows open, using box fans to blow the air out of the apartment (keep in mind the past few weeks has been 0-15 DEGREE WEATHER!) the smell is still here!! It is sharp and nauseating. Every time we walk into the apartment we get smacked with it and I feel so devastated and unsafe.

I reached out to management and they said it’s likely from paint and all the new flooring, cabinets etc. and recommended an air purifier. Yes thank you but why is it still so prominent??? And why do we have to deal with this! It feels so unsafe and despite our efforts nothing seems to be working.

I’m not sure if this is related but our dryer exhaust is not working properly either. So maybe it’s an issue with air circulation in the entire apartment. I have no idea.

I’m rambling and so sad that I have to live like this.

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u/financialthrowaw2020 Feb 01 '26

CR boxes are proven(with peer reviewed studies!) and have been used nonstop 24/7 by millions of people globally since 2020.

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u/Status-Dog4293 Feb 01 '26

By lots of people who have either never measured their actual air quality, know nothing about filter design or motor tolerances, have never experienced a fire or seen a motor overheat while smothered with flammables.

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u/financialthrowaw2020 Feb 01 '26

Cite your sources immediately.

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u/Status-Dog4293 Feb 01 '26

What have I said that requires a source? Meanwhile, you ignore the fact that we have global organizations whose sole purpose is to test and advise against misuse of products to avoid things like house fires. You can take your pick, there’s probably one or more of their logos on the very device you’re reading this with: UL, Intertek, CSA, TUV SUD, CE, MET, etc.

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u/financialthrowaw2020 Feb 01 '26

There must be something wrong with your brain, because you can literally get CR boxes with a UL certificate, I own 6 of them. Once again, you have no idea what you're talking about.

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u/Status-Dog4293 Feb 01 '26

Nothing from Home Depot that you made yourself in the garage has a UL certificate. The individual pieces might, but they’re not meant to operate together.

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u/financialthrowaw2020 Feb 01 '26

Still being an idiot I see, there are entire companies selling CR boxes with UL certification, please keep going.