Let’s face it. Experiencing a house fire is devastating to anyone. It’s one of the worst accidents that can happen to anyone’s house as it destroys everything quickly. Not only will your home’s structural foundations be affected but also will be left with more problematic hazards that you will have to deal with later.
One of these problems is smoke odor because it can linger in your home. It can affect the air quality inside the house, and it can even pose long-term health risks and hazards if not dealt with properly. Here are some things you can do for effective fire odor removal.
Ventilate Your Home
The first thing to do is to air out your home properly. Open all of the doors and windows. This lets fresh air circulate into your home and flushes out the smoke particles. It’s also a good idea to place electric fans throughout the house so that they can push out the smoke odor.
Do Deep Cleaning
The next step in smoke smell removal is to clean out your home. Wash and clean up fabrics like clothes, furniture covers, rugs, blankets, and other items made from woven material. Fabrics soak up smoke and soot, and the smell can linger for a while longer if they’re not cleaned properly. Keep all clean woven items away from your home until the smoke smell is all gone.
For upholstery and carpeting, it’s best to have them cleaned by a professional cleaning service. They have the right tools and equipment to properly wash the soot and dirt away from your items. As for hard surfaces such as doors, countertops, and walls, they should be cleaned with a cleaning solution. Mix a half cup of distilled vinegar, a gallon of water, and some dishwashing soap, and use this mixture to clean your hard surfaces.
Replace the filters in your ventilation system and air conditioners as soon as you can. Clean out your HVAC system so that you can be sure that no smoke particles are left. Contact a professional HVAC service for a proper inspection and cleaning.
Repaint the Walls
You may not know it, but smoke particles can stick to the paint in your walls, even after you wash and clean them. If the smoke still won’t go away, it’s best to repaint the walls entirely. Clean off the walls with a cleaning solution of glycol or ammonia. Once they’re dry, apply some odor-locking primer before you paint over it with latex paint to seal it properly.
Removing the smoke smell from your home keeps everyone safe from its lingering effects. If you need fire damage restoration services, please contact InTech Maintenance Solutions immediately.