If your home has suffered from extensive fire damage, it’s time to fight back. You need to tackle the damage – both fire and smoke related – to ensure your home is habitable once more. Let’s start with the telltale smoke odor plaguing each room. The smell of smoke is bound to cause respiratory issues, coughing, and irritation in anyone residing on the property. You deserve to live and breathe cleaner. Let’s get rid of that smoke odor.

First, you need to improve the airflow to each affected room. If the issue is isolated to a single room, start by opening the windows on either end. If there is a door, open it to the outside. Then, place a fan on either side of the room: one blowing air into the room and the other blowing air from the room. This pressurization will help suck the smoke smell from the air while bringing in fresh air to replace the odor.

After a fire, the smoke and soot have likely soaked into everything you own. The fibers of your clothing will trap any smoke smells. You can soak each piece of clothing in a mixture of water and vinegar, then add baking soda to the washing machine for a thorough cleaning. Set the water temperature to hot, then wash as normal. You’ll want to smell each piece of clothing afterward to ensure the smoke odor is eradicated. If not, rewash and hand-dry in sunlight to kill the microbes.

Like your clothing, the fibers of your favorite piece of furniture will soak up all the smoke smells from the fire. You can steam clean your upholstery or schedule professional furniture cleaning services. Keep in mind that a regular steam cleaner may not be enough for the job, so it’s always smart to call in experts for assistance.

The smell of smoke can become trapped in the walls and floors of your home. You can try scrubbing the walls, but you’ll likely have to repaint them to completely eradicate the odor. You’ll want to use a no-VOC paint and primer to cover each wall. If you suspect the insulation is contaminated, the job can be quite difficult on your own.

When it comes to your floors, steam/vapor cleaning carpeting or steam cleaning and brushing hardwood floors can remove the smoke odor. You must be gentle with hardwood flooring, though. If you’re too rough in your cleaning, you can discolor the wood and damage the material.

If you’re tackling smoke odor from a recent house fire, let us lend a helping hand. Call Restoration 1 of Central Maryland for smoke treatments. We provide professional odor removal services daily!