Some Things You Can Do About Smoke Odors
Home and business owners whose property was not damaged by flames from recent wildfires may still have some damage from the smoke. Smoke odor is caused by particles of smoke that cling to the walls, floors, furnishings and fabrics inside of the home. Wildfires are devastating and they can blanket an area in ash and soot and cause damage throughout. Smoke odor removal is an essential part of the cleanup process.
Smoke does not just leave pervasive odors; it does damage as well. Smoke damages the heating and cooling system in the home, it damages the air you breathe, and it damages surfaces. Cleaning thoroughly after a wildfire is essential. Smoke particles can get into hard-to-reach places and linger in those tiny crevices. If the cleaning is not done completely, the odor will remain.
Here are some things you can do about smoke odors.
Obviously, the smoke odor will not go away on its own, and this is also not the kind of problem that lighting a candle or spraying an air freshener near an open window can fix. Those things just mask existing odors, they do not remove them.
Air out the house
Once the danger of more smoke coming in is gone, opening the windows is a place to start. Have fans set out to move the air around. Open any doors that usually remain closed. Closet doors, cabinets and cupboard doors are examples of places that always need a good airing. The first and last step in any solid smoke odor removal plan is to move bad air out and bring the good air in.
Put down bowls of baking soda and activated charcoal
Baking soda and activated charcoal are both natural odor absorbers. Baking soda is inexpensive. Put down dishes of baking soda around the home to help with smoke odor removal and replace every few days. Activated charcoal is similar and draws in odors, traps chemicals and absorbs toxins.
Wash everything that you can
Curtains, rugs, covers, bedding, will all need cleaning, perhaps more than one time for complete smoke odor removal. Wash walls and other surfaces with hot water, soap and vinegar to deodorize, and remove all the greasy, soot residue. This is where it is also necessary to get into crevices.
Use professional services to clean what you can not
If you wash a load of laundry in the washing machine and still smell smoke when it finishes, wash again before putting it in the dryer. It may be necessary to bring in professional cleaning services for the carpets, walls, and upholstery to be sure that the odor is completely gone, and not spreading throughout the home.
Have the air ducts and HVAC system in the home professionally cleaned
Any home that has been damaged by smoke must have the air ducts and the heating and cooling system professionally cleaned to ensure that the air quality in the home is healthy. Find professional duct cleaners with experience and understanding of what must be done to restore the air quality and give you peace of mind that the systems are functioning properly. Once cleaned, the ducts should be inspected, with filters replaced.
Try Activated Charcoal filters to help breathe more easily
In addition to placing dishes of activated charcoal around the home, smoke odor removal can be assisted by using activated charcoal filters in your HVAC system.
Follow recommendations
Once you have called in a licensed HVAC contractor for the cleaning, don’t ignore the suggestions and advice that they offer. Professional contractors follow all industry and state regulations for restoration and smoke odor remediation. They can help with air quality solutions and discuss any concerns that the wildfire smoke is bringing.
It is not easy to remove the smoke odor from the home completely after wildfires. The smoke and toxins are persistent. Don’t try to do it on your own. It is a lot of hard work and professional services can really help with smoke odor removal. The most important things to do after a wildfire is to have the air ducts and HVAC system cleaned to find any possible damage, and to stop the spread of the smoke particles throughout the space.
