Expert Tips: Remove the Smell of Smoke after a Fire

A fire breakout is a grave tragedy, no doubt.

Although according to The National Fire Protection Association, 30% of the fire begins from the kitchen, fire or smoke can travel faster and spread quickly into other parts of the house.

While homeowners are allowed to return to their homes after the fire is put out, they might find it difficult to live with soot and smoke. While you can salvage your things, it is a daunting and quite impossible task to remove the smell of smoke after a fire.

You can call for a professional smoke damage odor removal team to do the needful or you can learn to get rid of the smoke smell by reading on.

Successful Smoke Smell Removal Depends on Certain Factors

The stench of smoke and its intensity totally depends upon the size of the fire that broke into your house. Larger the fire, stronger the smell.

Smoke particles are extremely tiny; in fact, certain wood smoke particles are smaller than talcum powder, RBC, and even bacteria. And, that’s why it is easier for them to penetrate through all kind of surfaces.

Burnt plastic can also produce a strong odor. Porous materials, such as drapes, fabrics, carpets, furniture, etc, easily absorb smoke like how sponge absorbs water. Therefore, you must make sure you deep-clean everything that was exposed to the smoke to get rid of the smell.

Steps to Removing the Smell of Smoke after a Fire

Circulate fresh air in your home to flush out smoky air. Keep your windows and doors open and implement cross ventilation. You can also set fans around the house to circulate air faster.

You may try renting air purification fans to boost the clean-up process.

Clean wash and dry all fabrics, including carpets, drapes, clothing, pillows, rugs, blankets, etc.. Once you have cleaned the fabrics, keep them away until the house is completely free of smoke, soot, and odor.

Make sure you also clean your furniture upholsteries by vacuuming them completely. You can also call for a deep cleaning service to speed the process of cleaning.

Once you have cleaned and dried your furniture, cover them with plastic sheets to retain their freshness.

Getting Rid of Smoke Smell from Carpets

If your carpets aren’t damaged from fire, don’t throw them away. Instead, use baking soda to remove the stench from them. Just spread a generous amount of baking soda over the carpet and leave it like that for 6 – 8 hours.

Use a heavy-duty vacuum cleaner to suck up the baking soda, smoke particles, and soot. Make sure you vacuum at least twice over the carpets. You can also try a steamer to obtain the desired effect.

Wash and Clean all Hard Surfaces

Wash, scrub and clean the entire house to eliminate absorbed smoke particles.

In short, you must deep clean your doors, windows, walls, floors, appliances, screens, cupboards, and even wardrobes.

The best way to deep clean your home is by making a cleaning solution using distilled white vinegar and shampoo, and water.

To finish, change your air purification fan and air conditioners’ filter.

If you follow these steps, you will be able to remove the smell of smoke after a fire from your home without boring a hole in your pockets.