How to remove that awful smoke smell after your Nashville home has been hit with fire damage

7/31/2015 (Permalink)

Fire damage

When our home and belongings are affected by fire damage, we usually aren’t thinking about the aftermath of the damage right away. Aside from figuring out all of the insurance deductibles and what needs replaced, we also have to worry about the hidden smell that may linger after an incident such as a house fire. According to the Home Guides on SFgate.com, there are steps that can be taken to eliminate the smell of fire damage, bringing your home back to its original scent.

Steps to removing fire damage smell

1.     Blow fresh air into the house to start the process of removing the odor. Close all windows and doors except for one window to work as an exhaust. This will force the pressure of the air blown from the fan to push out any smoke lingering in the home.

2.     Remove any linens, pillows, drapes, or curtains and put them in the wash to completely clean and remove any residue that is left over. Any plastic blinds will need to be wiped down and washed by hand.

3.     Any solid surfaces, such as tables, chairs, baseboards, shelves or tile, will need to be sprayed down and scrubbed to remove the residue and smell from the surface. It is recommended by SFgate to use one gallon of water mixed with a teaspoon of dish soap and a quarter cup of white vinegar.

4.     Vacuum any carpeted area with a vacuum that holds a high-efficiency filter to make sure that particles do not blow back into the air. This will also be a good time to clean the furniture with the vacuum or upholstery cleaner.

5.     Make sure to wash and scrub all windows and screen due to the smoke and residue possibly getting stuck on the screens as the smoke tried to clear the rooms.

6.     Remove and wash all of the light fixtures within the home to make sure that there isn’t residue left untouched at the top of the light fixtures in the hard to see and reach areas.

7.     Scrub or mop any hard surfaced floors where particles may have settled even during the cleaning process. Make sure that if using a mop, there aren’t particles being placed into dirty water and then back onto the floor that was just cleaned.

Source - http://homeguides.sfgate.com/remove-fire-smoke-smell-apartment-8328.html