Cities Most Commonly Serviced:

Why Household Cleaning Products can Permanently Lock in Smoke Odor

The smoke smell after a fire that lingers is always one of the worst effects. Some homeowners think they can clean the damage and odors themselves with cleaning products or everyday household items. However, this is never the case. In fact, these products can actually lock the foul odors in, making them impossible to remove later on when restoration professionals are finally called in to help. For this reason, it’s always best to call a fire restoration company right away!

This smoke doesn’t just smell bad – it can also cause breathing issues for people and pets. Asthma, bronchitis, and allergy-like symptoms can occur from breathing in residual smoke after a fire.

As you might expect, larger fires cause worse smoke damage because they burn longer. But that’s not the only factor that determines how bad the smoke damage will be. The types of materials that burn also affect the smoke level. Plastics and synthetics tend to cause the harshest smoke smells, making them the most difficult to remove.  

When home materials and furnishings are exposed to fire, tiny smoke particles infiltrate anything porous, resulting in significant home smoke damage. Furniture, flooring and carpets, wall paint, books and papers, art, and other items. Exposing these items to home cleaners is not only ineffective, but in some cases impractical. For instance, trying to spray all the carpet in a home with deodorizer spray would be a total waste of time.

Fresh air can reduce the smell of smoke but opening windows and running fans won’t get rid of it. Candles and sprays do not remove the smoke odor in a home at all either. They simply mask the smell for a short period, but then it will come right back. These products can also worsen breathing issues for those already suffering from the ill effects of smoke inhalation. Also, continued use of candles can put the home at risk for another home fire disaster.

Tactics like covering carpets and upholstery with baking soda and then sucking it up with a vacuum cleaner that contains a HEPA filter may remove some odors, but it might need to be repeated several times. Steam cleaning and dry cleaning can remove odors from smaller items but cannot get them out of an entire home like professional smoke removal techniques.

Smoke odor removal requires specialized equipment to do the job efficiently and effectively. Give our restoration professionals a call today!

Additional resources:
Recovering after a home fire
Candle smoke danger
Who should you call to help with fire damage?
Fire restoration services 101
Finding a fire restoration company nearby
Top fire restoration companies do this...
Fire restoration costs explained
Removing fire soot
How to clean up after a fire
Fire clean up products
How to know if I need smoke damage restoration
Smoke remediation companies
How to clean soot from smoke
Essentials of smoke damage cleanup
What home cleaning products work against smoke damage