There are several ways that smoke can get into your home as cooking, candles, cigarettes, house fires, bonfires, and even wildfires are all potential sources. Smoke easily penetrates various surfaces and materials in a home including flooring, walls, clothing, and furniture. Microscopic particles attach themselves to these surfaces which causes the odors to linger. Smoke odors are very irritating, and difficult to remove, and they can cause headaches and nausea.
Removing smoke smells can be very tricky because the smell is never fully eliminated unless the particles that cause the smell are removed. Certain remedies such as using scented aerosols, candles, and ventilation can help cover or dilute the smell. However, the most effective method of removing smoke smells is to destroy the particles with an ozone generator. You can rent an ozone generator to do it yourself, but this can be ineffective as well as expensive. Hiring a professional for smoke damage restoration is the most effective option.
Tips for Removing Smoke Smells
If there is a strong smoke odor in your home from a fire, cigarettes, or cooking, these tips can help with the smoke odor removal:
- Use mild soap to wash and disinfect any affected surfaces in your home including walls, cabinets, doors, and others.
- Wash or dry clean your clothing.
- Thoroughly clean and dust all household items.
- Cover your carpet with a layer of baking soda and let it sit overnight before vacuuming thoroughly.
- Steam clean your carpet and upholstery to deodorize the fabric.
- Hire a professional to clean your HVAC system including the air ducts, air conditioner, and furnace.
- Use an air purifier throughout the cleanup process.
Top Remedies for Smoke Odor Removal
The following remedies can help eliminate some of the smoke odors:
- Vinegar: White vinegar specifically is an effective cleaner and it naturally eliminates odors. You can reduce smoke odors by cleaning walls, flooring, and other affected surfaces with white vinegar. Putting bowls of vinegar in areas affected by smoke odors and letting them sit for several days can help remove odors from the air.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda also removes odors naturally. Sprinkle the baking soda generously over your carpets, furniture, and other affected surfaces. You can also place bowls of baking soda throughout your house to absorb the odor.
- Febreeze: Spraying Febreeze in your home can help reduce the smoke odor because it contains the odor-absorbing chemical compound cyclodextrin.
- Activated Charcoal: Activated charcoal naturally absorbs odors like vinegar and baking soda. Put bowls of the powdered form of activated charcoal throughout the affected area to absorb the smoke odors.
- Fresh Air: Opening your doors and windows to let in more fresh air will dilute the smoke odor.
- Ozone Generators: Ozone generators are the most effective way to eliminate smoke odors because they destroy the particles that cause the odors. These machines are expensive to buy or rent, making it more beneficial to hire a smoke damage professional to eliminate the odor with ozone generators.
Professional Smoke Damage Restoration
Lingering smoke odors in a home are frustrating and unpleasant and they are difficult to fully remove. The tips described above can certainly help reduce smoke odor, but it takes more than this to remove it completely. The technicians of ServiceMaster Restoration and Cleaning can effectively remove smoke odors from homes and businesses in the Houston, TX area using ozone generators. You can reclaim your home from the odors and prevent smoke damage by following these tips and calling our technicians.
