What Can I Do About Smoke Odors?

By Author: Bryson Kaleb
Total Articles: 181
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Where There’s Smoke...

Many young homeowners have their share of horror stories of lingering odors left over when purchasing their first house. Sometimes it’s because of pungent food, mold and mildew, water damage, or keeping a cat in unsanitary conditions. But among the most common causes of foul odors in confined spaces (homes in particular) are smoke odors.

Not only is the stale stench of smoke deeply off-putting (especially if you are a non-smoker), but it can also be very difficult to know what to do about since smoke permeates porous surfaces all over a house. Even if the stale furniture has been removed, the smoke can get into the drywall or the ceiling stucco, and it can still be prominent even if you try to cover it with air freshener.

Smoke Odor Removal: How Can I Go About It?

Thanks to the internet, we have a universe of knowledge at our disposal for both professional services and do-it-yourself options for removing foul smoke odors. However, smoke odor removal can be a fairly hard process for those who aren’t particularly handy or mechanically inclined.

But for those who can ...
... do their own smoke odor removal, they have two options: do-it-yourself and professional smoke odor removal.

Smoke Odor Removal - DIY

The first line of defense against lingering smoke odors that most people think of is air fresheners, but they don’t remove the odors; they simply mask them. Because of the smoldering oil and tar emanated from cigarettes or the oil from burning food, a smoke stench can be fairly tenacious.

A good first step is to get all the windows open and use fans to circulate air throughout the affected area (and if you have central air, so much the better). Next, get your hands on a box of baking soda. Baking soda is a cheap and common deodorizer that can absorb ambient smoke odors. If the smoke odor is coming from fabrics, furniture, or carpeting, simply sprinkle a thin layer of baking soda and vacuum or wash off after at least 24 hours.

Clothes can also be washed with white vinegar. A half cup of white vinegar in lieu of laundry detergent can be an effective deodorizer of smoke. The chemical compounds in smoke buildup are alkaline, and because detergent leans toward the alkaline end of the pH spectrum, it wouldn’t be as effective as a mild acid like white vinegar. Other common effective deodorizers include charcoal and steam.

Smoke Odor Removal - Professional

If the smoke odor has permeated a wide area, or if the above methods haven’t worked for you, it may be time to call a professional. Professionals who handle smoke odor removal usually do so with a thorough clean of all washable surfaces with EPA-approved deodorizing agents.

For smoke odors that have gotten in behind walls and in crevices, this is usually not feasible. In this case, professionals will use equipment designed for eliminating smoke odor on a molecular level. These include hydroxyl generators and ozone generators.

Whether you choose the DIY route or the professional route, the sad truth is that smoke odor removal can be a time-consuming and exhausting process. But it’s not impossible, and there are options to consider before throwing out that smoky heirloom chair.

AirTek Indoor Air Solutions offers residential and commercial air duct cleaning, HVAC cleaning, smoke odor removal, fire and smoke remediation, smoke smell remediation services in Azusa, Anaheim, Fresno, Sacramento, Riverside, San Bernardino, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego, Simi Valley, Aptos, San Jose, and Fairfield. To know more, visit https://www.air-tek.net/who-we-are/.