There are many reasons on why it can be a traumatic experience to have a fire seriously damage your property. Beyond the damage that it causes to the structure of your home and to your items of personal property, there are often additional types of damage that occur.
These additional types of damage include water damage due to the efforts made to extinguish the fire as well as soot pollution. Another common problem caused by fire is the lingering smoke smell that can persist for a long time after the incident occurs.
A few of the most common remedies for removing smoke smell after a fire include baking soda and activated charcoal. These can both be utilized to absorb the odors that smoke leaves in the wake of a fire. Both of these substances can be placed in bowls that are distributed across your property. However, in more serious situations, you may need to call a local fire damage restoration expert.
Our team here at ServiceMaster Fire & Water Damage Restoration wants to help you understand more about what you can do to deal with the lingering smoke smell that is present after a fire. You can find out more about how to remove smoke smell after a fire by reading further. The following information is designed to shed some light on this subject.
What Takes the Smell of Smoke Away?
Homeowners want to know what will take the smell of smoke away after a fire occurs. Before going into this, it is worth noting that the reason that smoke smell lingers so long after a fire is that it penetrates into the surfaces of your property.
Smoke particles are small enough that they can easily absorb into your home’s surfaces as well as property items such as drapes, rugs, and furniture. These are key reasons why smoke smell is so difficult to get rid of. The good news is the fact that there are steps that can be taken.
One of the first steps that you can take to get the smell of smoke out of your property is to remove all of your personal property items and then air out the house. It is important to let air freely circulate across your house. You can also use fans to help circulate the air. One thing you do not want to do is run your air conditioning. This can end up simply circulating the smoke smell throughout your home.
It is also beneficial to utilize the previously mentioned baking soda or activated charcoal as a way to absorb the smoke particles that are causing the bad smell in your home. By reading further, you can learn more about how to remove smoke smell after a fire.
How Do You Get Rid of the Smell of Smoke After a Fire?
After airing out your home, there are some additional steps that you should take to get rid of the smell of smoke that was caused by fire. These steps include:
- Clean All Surfaces in the Property – It is important to clean all the surfaces in your property after you have aired it out. A good cleaning is required to remove smoke particles. This includes washing solid surfaces with a solution of water, white vinegar, and dish soap. You can use this solution on walls and ceilings as well as shelves, doors, and cabinets. This solution can also be used to mop floors.
- Clean All Household Items – You also must make sure that you clean items such as furniture covers, rugs, curtains, pillows, blankets, and anything else made out of fabric.
- Repaint the Walls in the Property – Another key step to getting rid of the smell of smoke after a fire is to repaint the walls of the property. Since the paint in your property can also absorb smoke odors, it is often necessary to repaint. You should utilize an odor-locking primer that is then painted over with latex paint.
- Replace the Filter for Your Air Conditioner – You will also want to change out the filter on your air conditioning unit. You should also get your air conditioner inspected by an HVAC professional to ensure that everything is functioning correctly.
These actions should be taken quickly after a fire has occurred so that you can get the smell of smoke out of your property as quickly as possible.
How Long Does It Take for Smoke Smell to Go Away After a Fire?
It is common for homeowners to ask how long it will take for the smoke smell to go away after a fire. The answer to this depends on how proactive you are in dealing with the situation. As a general rule of thumb, it can take as long as two to three weeks for the smoke particles to completely dissipate after the fire has gone out.
It is always a good idea to consider bringing in the services of fire damage restoration professionals after you have experienced a fire at your property. They can help you to effectively address all of the issues associated with fire damage. This includes getting the smell of smoke out of your home.
What Should You Do If You Have a Smoke Smell in Your House?
The actions that have been detailed here can help you to get the smoke smell out of your house after a fire. If your home has sustained significant fire and smoke damage, it is going to be your best move to simply bring in the services of our team here at ServiceMaster Fire & Water Damage Restoration. As the leading fire damage restoration pros in the Lexington, KY area, we know how to tackle all aspects of fire and smoke damage. This includes getting the smoke smell out of your house efficiently and effectively. Give us a call today or leave us a message to find out more about how we can help you out if your property has a lingering smoke smell after a fire has occurred. We are always ready to help!
