Burning food, electrical wiring shortage, the iron that you did not turn off on time…
Similar annoying nuances happen every now and then in each home. All too often, unpleasant and lasting smoke smell is the hardest to get rid of as it seems that virtually every item in your home is soaked in it.
So, how to clear smoke out of a room?
Clearing Smoke Smell from Your House: General Guidelines
The smoke released during burning, whether it is smoke from cooking, cigarettes or something else, quickly spreads across your home and is easily absorbed by various surfaces. The earlier you start air changing your kitchen and rooms, the easier it is to get rid of the odor.
Best Smoke Detector
Consequently, the first thing you need to do is to open all the windows and doors in order to let fresh air flow in. To speed up air circulation, turn your fan or air conditioner to maximum power.
Surfaces: floor, walls, windows
You must understand that smoke odor does not just spread around, but settles down on every surface. Surely, air changing will make the smell less pungent and pronounced, but many items in your home will still retain it. This is why you must do a moist cleaning, mop your floors, and wipe all the surfaces with a damp cloth soaked in the water with added:
- vinegar;
- smelling salts;
- bleach;
- lemon juice;
- any detergent.
Curtains, Carpets, and Furniture
Don’t forget about curtains and blinds – they are prone to absorb smoke odor, that’s why they need washing right away. We recommend soaking the blinds in the bathtub adding a glass of vinegar in the water.
It can be slightly more difficult to remove smoke from cushioned furniture – you’ll have to either take off chair covers and wash them or take your furniture to the dry cleaner’s, When it comes to blankets, pillows, or carpets, you can do the job by yourself – just hang them outside or wash. We recommend sprinkling carpets with baking soda and then vacuuming them.
Typically, the smoky odor does not go right away – you will need several days to eliminate it completely. The fastest way to get the smoke out of your house is to take a range of measures: first, air your rooms and do wet cleaning, then use absorbents (substances actively absorbing odors). Finally, add some pleasant long-lasting scents.
By and large, a slight smoke smell will still persist in the room even after a very thorough cleaning. This is when various devices step in: ozonizers with a disinfecting effect and air purifiers. Or you could buy a natural non-aerosol air freshener designed to remove smoke odor.
Natural Home Remedies for Removing Smoke Out of a Room
To remove the odor, you don’t necessarily need to buy specialized chemical substances. You can do so by just hanging damp bedsheets and towels – water molecules are efficient in absorbing smoke particles.
You can also clear smoke out of your room by using well-known absorbing products:
- mix activated carbon, baking soda, and salt – this mixture, when spilled in the corners of the room, is good at absorbing any smells;
- potato starch can be used in the same way;
- you can also moisten several sponges in the vinegar solution and put them in different places;
- coffee beans make up another efficient natural absorbent;
- There is one more method: pour 100 ml of vinegar into the pan and boil it; after the fluid evaporates completely, the smell will dissipate.
To fill your home with fragrant scents that will suppress light smoky smell, you can:
- put lemon or orange peel in several places;
- place coniferous branches in vases;
- it is a good idea to hang fragrant herbs around – lavender, rosemary, mint, sage, etc.;
- or you can simply boil some water in an open pan, add aromatic oil, or any spices, and boil them for some time – their fragrant aroma will spread across your home quickly.
You should remember that there is one more method, which is aromatherapy. Aroma oils with a fairly strong scent (like citrus and evergreen leaf), as well as frankincense, will help make the slight smell of burnt food vanish.
Must read: What is a bamboo charcoal air purifier bag and how does it work
How to Remove Smoke Smell from Your Clothes
Smoke infiltrates the fabric structure, and many people just throw their clothes away because they don’t know how to remove the smell. Don’t rush into it just yet: perhaps regular washing will not save the situation, but there is still a chance to save your clothes.
If the smoke did not infiltrate the clothes too much, vinegar and liquid ammonia added during the washing cycle might help. What about things that can’t be washed, like hats, coats, or shoes? One of the most efficient ways is to stuff them with newspapers.
Another method that will be suitable for any clothes type involves baking soda. Place clothes infiltrated with smoke in a plastic bag and add a good amount of baking soda. Then, tie the bag, shake it well and let it sit overnight. Then take the clothes out and wash them in the washing machine as usual.
In addition, you can soak your clothes in water with vinegar and baking soda before washing them. Leave your clothes in this solution for at least one hour, then put them in the washing machine.
You can buy special aerosols designed to remove odors. We recommend choosing the one that does not just mask the smell, but rather neutralizes it and can cope with strong smoke odor.
