The smell permeates upholstery, curtains, carpets, and becomes trapped in the HVAC system and filters.
Learn the best ways to get rid of smoke smells from your home.
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The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
Open windows and add a large circulating fan to pull fresh air from the outside.
Wash everything using a heavy-duty laundry detergent that will remove the odor molecules and any stains.
Gather items that are dry-clean only and hang them outside to air.
The Spruce / Ana-Maria Stanciu
Tackle Walls, Ceilings, and Windows
Clean your ceiling first and then repeat on your walls.
Work in a grid and finish with a rinse of clean water.
Change the cleaning solution often to prevent redepositing soil on the walls.
The Spruce / Ana-Maria Stanciu
Windows can also become coated with a smelly, oily film from smoke.
Use a50:50 mixture of distilled white vinegar and waterto wash the inside of the windows.
Vacuum Carpets and Upholstery
Vacuum carpets anddeep clean themusing a steam carpet cleaner.
The Spruce / Ana-Maria Stanciu
Vacuum away the baking soda and toss the vacuum bag after cleaning or empty the vacuum cup.
Remove smoke smellsfrom upholstered furnitureby sprinkling baking soda.
Let this work for several hours before vacuuming it away, or try a fabric refresher spray like Febreze.
The Spruce / Ana-Maria Stanciu
Forwood furniture, be sure to use a mild soap when cleaning to prevent damage to the surfaces.
Change all of the filters andconsider charcoal filtersthat help absorb odors.
Clean output and intake vents to remove oily smoky residue.
The Spruce / Sarah Crowley
If you useair purifiers, change those filters as well.
The Spruce / Tessa Cooper
Neutralize the Air
Neutralize smoke smells by using household products.
Many professionals use an ozone generator to clean the air and the interior of the HVAC system.
The Spruce / Sanja Kostic
They may also apply a sealant to the walls and flooring to remove the odors before applying new finishes.
If the smoke smells are mild, they may go away after 48-96 hours with good ventilation.
Thorough cleaning will speed up the process.
The Spruce / Tessa Cooper
Heavy smoke smells will not go away without intervention.
Professionals use an ozone or hydroxyl generator.
A bowl of vinegar will absorb odors until it has completely evaporated.
The Spruce / Sanja Kostic
That may be several hours to 24 hours depending on the amount of vinegar.
