How to remove the smell of smoke from your home – tips and common cleaning methods with home remedies

Everyone needs to remove smoke smell from home at some point, but in some cases this may require a little more effort and specific remedies. Whether they come from a chimney or from previous tenants smoking cigarettes, such unpleasant odors are sometimes difficult to get rid of. This can also leave smelly upholstered furniture and other household items. Luckily, there are some effective cleaning techniques and home remedies you can use to get rid of the problem quickly and easily. The following instructions and simple steps can help you complete this household task.

Use deep cleaning and remove the smell of smoke from the apartment

When burning smells linger in your home, they can become deeply embedded in furnishings and walls. Suchpersistent smellsMost often caused by ash, nicotine or cooking fat particles that are deposited on surfaces. While air fresheners can temporarily mask this, a thorough cleaning is required to remove the smell of smoke from your home.

However, if you have had an extensive kitchen or house fire, you should contact a professional cleaning service to combat the smoke odors. If you have fire or cigarette smoke, try these tips to get rid of smoky smells in your home.

How you can prevent smoke smells in the first place

Above all, make sure your stove door is open before starting a fire and remove ashes after each use. Also have the chimney checked and cleaned annually to prevent deposits. In addition, you should not leave food unattended in the oven or on the stove and avoid smoking cigarettes or cigars in living rooms.

To limit cigarette smoke to one room, you can keep the doors to the rest of the living area closed. You may also want to close the return air ducts in the smoking room to prevent the smoky air from being recirculated throughout the rest of your home. Also, carefully monitor open flames on candles to avoid fires. Keep small heaters away from curtains and upholstery to avoid fires. Use an air purifier and change filters regularly.

Helpful cleaning tips

• Wash and scrub all exterior surfaces, including walls, walkways, driveways, decks, windows, etc. Also disinfect all interior walls and hard surfaces with mild soap or other appropriate cleaning solutions or products and rinse thoroughly. Also, don't forget to clean the insides of cabinets and drawers.
• Clothing items may also smell smoky, so you should wash or dry clean them. You can dust or otherwise clean any household items that smell like this. Also disinfect all carpets, window coverings, upholstered furniture, and mattresses using steam or other appropriate equipment.
• You can treat upholstered furniture with flavoring products that are available in most supermarkets.
• If necessary, have the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and all pipes professionally cleaned to remove soot, ash and smoke residue. Change filters when you first return to the premises and at least once a month for the first year.
• If residue from airborne fire retardant or firefighting foam is present on the home and/or cars, use a mild detergent and brushes to scrub and dilute and rinse the dried residue from the surfaces. Pressure washing afterwards can be beneficial, but is not a substitute for scrubbing to remove the residue.
• Ash and soot on the ground and vegetation continue to produce smoke odors and airborne particles when disturbed by air movement. Until the ash and soot are diluted and absorbed into the environment, mechanical indoor air filtration can help minimize the unpleasant and potentially harmful effects of these pollutants.

Use home remedies and sales products and remove the smell of smoke from your home

• Distilled whiteVinegareliminates odors naturally. Try wiping down furniture, washable walls, floors, etc. with distilled white vinegar. Additionally, also try placing several bowls of vinegar in the room with the smoke damage and leaving them there for several days. If you can't stand the smell of vinegar, try mixing some lavender oil into the bowls to reduce the smell of the vinegar.
• baking powderis another natural odor absorber. Try sprinkling generous amounts of it over furniture, floors, etc. Also leave a few bowls of baking soda in the room for several days to absorb the smoky smells.
• Activated carbonis an equally effective product that is often used as a detoxification agent. Like baking soda, it acts as a natural odor absorber. Additionally, placing bowls of powdered activated charcoal around your room can help absorb the smoke odors from the room.
• Of course you can do it more oftenfresh airinto your living spaces to get rid of lingering odors more quickly.
• The ozone generatorare other products available on the market that can remove smoke smell from home. However, keep in mind that although these expensive products are effective in reducing the smell, they will not completely eliminate it if the smell has permeated the carpets, curtains, furniture, etc.

How to wash your walls with smoke smells with simple steps

1. Before washing interior walls for any reason, you should use a microfiber duster or the vacuum cleaner to remove cobwebs and dust buildup. The cleaning process can become more difficult if you smear such dirt on it before washing.
2. Next, mix 1 teaspoon of all-purpose cleaner and 1/2 cup of baking soda per liter of warm water in a bucket and stir well. Fill a second bucket with clean water and prepare more of the cleaning solution as needed.
3. First, start cleaning from top to bottom. Dip a sponge or microfiber cloth into the soapy solution and wring it well to avoid drips. Start at the top of the wall and gently wipe downwards. Be sure to rinse the sponge or cloth often as dirt transfers. Work in a grid so that you cover the entire wall as you move the ladder.
4. Finally, rinse the wall with a second clean sponge and clean water to remove any soap residue. Wring out the sponge until it is just damp to avoid drips on the newly cleaned wall and change the rinse water frequently.

Clean upholstered furniture and remove the smell of smoke from the apartment

1. First, vacuum the upholstery using the vacuum cleaner's hose, upholstery brush, and crevice tool. Start at the top and cover every inch, including the sides and back of the furniture. Smoke smells can cling to dust and dirt.
2. Then sprinkle the upholstery generously with dry baking soda.
3. Brush in the baking soda, using a soft-bristled brush to gently work the stuff into the upholstery fibers.
4. Allow the home remedy to sit on the fabric for four to eight hours to absorb the smoke odors.
5. Then vacuum away odors by again using the upholstery brush and crevice tool to remove the baking soda.
6. If odors remain, you can spray the fabric with a fabric freshener spray that traps odor molecules.

How to remove smoke smells from carpets and rugs

1. First, vacuum the carpet well to capture dust and dirt. If you use a vacuum cleaner with a disposable bag, throw it in the trash when you're finished to prevent the odors from circulating again.
2. Again, use baking soda and freshen up the carpet or rug by sprinkling it generously with the stuff. Allow it to sit for at least eight hours before vacuuming up the baking soda.
3. If necessary, use fabric freshener spray and, as with upholstered furniture, spray the carpet with it to trap the odor-causing molecules.
4. Also try a steam carpet cleaner. Thoroughly clean the carpet using a wet cleaning solution and a steamer. You can do this yourself using a rented machine or hire a carpet cleaning company.

More tips against bad smells

As an added measure, you can invest in an air purifier, which will also improve the overall air quality in your home. If you live in an area regularly affected by wildfire smoke or industry, this could be particularly valuable, as repeated inhalation of smoke poses a serious health risk. This is also a good idea if you live with someone who smokes. If you have an air purifier, remember to change the air filters frequently as they may contain smoke particles. Also replace your HVAC system's air filters if your home has one, and don't forget to clean the vents.

It can also be difficult toSmoke smells coming from your clothesto remove. Some cleaning experts suggest using 1 cup of vinegar in the wash cycle along with regular laundry detergent. Washing once may not remove the smoke smell, so check the laundry for it after the wash cycle. If the smell is still present, wash again using the same procedure. Smell the clothes every time after they are washed.

If they still smell like smoke, wash the clothes until the smell disappears. However, if you use a dryer, the smell could settle in the clothes. It is also possible to add baking soda when handwashing to neutralize the bad smoke smells.