Michigan State University Extension
Home Maintenance And Repair - 01500008
06/24/03

Removing Smoke Odor After A Fire


Removable, washable/cleanable items

Wash or dry clean, as appropriate, clothing,
curtains, bedding, etc. Send area rugs out to be cleaned,
or clean as described for carpets below.

Walls:
-Wash with ammonia or trisodium phosphate or
detergent solution and rinse well.
-Apply compound "BIN" (or others which act as both
a sealer and a deodorizer). It seals the sooty residue
which didn't wash off so it can't bleed through new
paint; penetrates into dry wall and seals surface; seals
smoky smell in.
-Then repaint.

Carpets:
Do NOT shampoo. Extract with steam extractor. Hire
professional truck-mounted unit, which is many times the
horsepower of home rental units.

Lingering Smell:
If smoke smell lingers, rent a couple of ozone
machines and put around house. They filter, circulate,
and purify air. (Ozone is nature's way of purifying air.)
Removal of smell is gradual but it works.

Check on commercial air purifying machines to see
what they recommend using for removing smoke odors (may
vary among brands).

Odor removers such as "Odor Away" and other brands
may also help lingering odors.

This article was written by Anne Field, Extension
Specialist, Emeritus.

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