How to Remove Smoke Smell After a Fire

A house fire is one of the most devastating accidents one can experience. It can leave you without a place to lay your head, destroy priceless family heirlooms, and imparts an overwhelming sense of loss onto you and your family. To you, it’s not just a house, it’s your home.

Not all fires render the house uninhabitable; some just leave major to minor damage. Even if the fire was small and contained, the byproducts of it can cause damage long after extinguishing the flames. In addition to fire and water damage, there is smoke damage and the lingering smell that accompanies it. The smoky smell is a constant reminder of the event and what could have been. You want to get rid of it completely and leave it all behind you—we detail how to remove smoke smell after a fire.

Air Things Out

First, you want to air out the house as much as possible. Open every window and door you can to let in some fresh air. If you have fans, place them in the windows to speed up the process.

Clean the Entire House

You will need to clean every last square inch of the house. Hard surfaces such as floors, stone countertops, and ceramic tiles won’t absorb the odors, but anything soft will. Blankets, pillows, carpet, and other upholstered items soak up the odor. It will all need washing—several times. If that doesn’t get rid of the smell, then discard it. The carpets and furniture will need deep cleaning as well. Use a professional-grade carpet cleaner on the furniture and floors. Examine the carpet first to see if it’s worth cleaning. The smoke and water damage could be too destructive to salvage anything.

Wipe down all the walls and hard surfaces with a combination of soap, water, and white vinegar. This includes all the cabinets, baseboards, countertops, vanities, and bathtubs. Any part of the house that is hard and semi-porous will take in a small amount of odor and will need cleaning. Use the same cleaning mixture to wash the windows and screens. If there are blinds, use hot water and white vinegar to clean them.

The HVAC system will also need attention. Smoke can permeate the ductwork and linger in the house for a long time. Change every clean air filter in the house immediately, then call someone to inspect your system to ensure it is operating properly.

Although you can remove the smoke smell after a fire on your own, we recommend hiring professionals to do such an important, time-consuming job. The Aloha Restoration team can remove the smoke smell for you. Our smoke restoration cleaning service doesn’t just cover up the smell—we remove it.

Hi, How Can We Help You?
Aloha to the Rescue

Aloha to the Rescue

How can we help?

If this is an emergency
please call

847-865-5664