How To Get Rid Of House Fire Smoke Smell

• What causes the lingering smoke odour?
• Is a fire smoke odour dangerous?
• How to remove the smoke odour
  • Air out the property
  • Clean all the surfaces and possessions in your home
  • Repaint the walls
• Book our smoke odour removal services

House fires can be devastating, leaving behind permanent damage to your property and possessions, as well as putting yourself and others in danger. But after the fire is put out and the harmful smoke dissipates, there is another problem to deal with: smoke odour.

At ICE Cleaning, we offer thorough, effective fire smoke odour removal services. Our technicians are fire damage cleaning experts that can remove all traces of soot and ash from your property, and tackle the unpleasant fire smoke smell.

Keep reading to find out how to get rid of a smoke smell after a fire.

What causes the lingering smoke odour?

Smoke damage is the physical damage caused by smoke during a fire. Although smoke does not burn, melt, or destroy things like fire can, it coats surfaces and objects in soot, smoke particles, and an unpleasant odour.

Even during small fires smoke can quickly spread throughout an entire property, including in difficult to reach nooks and crannies like high up walls, on the ceiling, in ducts, and in cupboards.

Smoke leaves behind a greasy film, too, and is particularly challenging to remove without specialist cleaning products and tools.

Is a fire smoke odour dangerous?

Smoke inhalation is one of the main cause of deaths related to fires. The soot and smell left behind after the fire is extinguished can be very harmful, as well, and could put you at risk of health problems including:

• Breathing issues like asthma and bronchitis because of toxins and chemicals embedding themselves in your lung tissue
• Skin irritation as a result of wearing clothes and using furniture contaminated with soot and other harmful particles
• Eye irritation
• Cancer

Even if you cannot see the smoke damage, it may still endanger your health. An unpleasant, smoky smell is a sign of smoke damage that needs to be removed as soon as possible.

How to remove the smoke odour

There are lots of home remedies that claim to get rid of the pungent, smoky odour, such as setting out bowls of charcoal or sprinkling surfaces with baking soda. However, these tend to be ineffective and usually only mask the smell.

To properly eliminate it, you need to have all the soot and smoke particles removed from your property.

It is recommended you bring in professional cleaners to tackle the fire and smoke damage, and neutralise the odour as soon as possible after a fire. They can give you peace of mind that all the soot, harmful chemicals, and smell has been removed, and your home is safe again.

However, there are lots of things you can do following a fire to reduce the amount of smoke damage and smoke odour in your home.

Air out the property

Ventilate your home as much as possible by opening windows and doors. Use fans to circulate fresh air and push the smoke odour outside. Don’t forget to turn off your air conditioning to stop the smoky air moving around our home.

This will not get rid of the smoke smell entirely but it should make the odour neutralisation process faster and easier.

Clean all the surfaces and possessions in your home

Smoke damage is very difficult to clean. Professional cleaners will have the specialist products and equipment to clean up all the soot, including the damage in hard-to-reach areas like in ducts or behind appliances.

Porous surfaces such as furniture, fabric, and carpet are especially tough to clean as the smoke particles can sink deep into them. You should store them outside after they have been washed until the smoke odour has been removed from your home.

You must deep clean your HVAC system or it could continue to recirculate the unpleasant odour, too. This will require professional cleaners as it can be dangerous to clean ducts.

Repaint the walls

Paint can absorb odours and may retain a smoke smell in your home. You must thoroughly wash and repaint the walls to eliminate and trap any lingering smells.

Book our smoke odour removal services

Our technicians can provide a wide range of services to restore your property following a fire, including fire damage cleaning, smoke damage clean up, and fire smell removal.

They will know the best way to get rid of a fire smoke smell in a house and can take care of the entire, extensive odour removal process for you.

We operate nationwide, 365 days a year, and can be on site in a matter of hours in an emergency. Get in touch with our friendly team on 0208 066 0360 or at enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk for a free site survey and no obligation quote.