I love gaskets!

So we live in an apartment complex and we just got some new neighbors.  Their dog was pretty yappy the first couple of days but it seems to have settled down.  Otherwise they seem like quiet neighbors so no problems there; except...

Last night I got up to go to the bathroom and I smelled cigarette smoke and I was thinking, 'did someone break in and start smoking in our apartment?  Are they still here?'  This was, of course, from my sleep befuddled mind.  I forgot all about it when I woke up and started my day.  Then, after lunch, I started sewing and I smelled it again and this time I was a little more awake and got a little more indignant.  I'm not against people who smoke; I am against smoking.  I don't want to smoke other people's smoke; no I don't. 

As chance would have it, my mom called me and we brainstormed where this smoke might be coming from.  I had opened the windows and smelled fresh air so it wasn't from outside.  It wasn't the drains or the air ducts because those are separate systems.  My mom suggested the plugs and told me what I could do to alleviate the problem. 

The first thing I did was get real close to my outlets to smell around and sure enough, an awful stench came therefrom.  So I went to ACE and they didn't know what I was talking about: insulation?  gasket?  So I went to Home Depot and they knew, but they didn't have enough.  So I went to Lowe's where I finally got exactly what I wanted.  Thank you Lowe's!

Here's what they look like.  Fun.  

Here you can see that I have removed the cover plate.  Look at the gaping holes where smoke could be coming through.

 Here is what it looks like after applying the gasket.  Less air flow, right?

Completed.  Don't forget to stop up air from the holes of the outlets themselves with kid friendly devices or with things you are actually plugging in.  I installed these gaskets on 5 plugs and am now airing out one of the rooms.  You may think I have taken drastic measures for a little smoke, but there was no promise that it would stop and the smoke was coming into my sewing room; have to protect my fabrics (and my lungs).