How to Clean Smoke Damage from Your Home From After a Dinner Disaster
- On April 2, 2018
Even the best chefs have an occasional dinner disaster where the kitchen fills with smoke. How many times has your smoke alarm gone off when you were cooking bacon or something spilled in your oven and you didn’t notice until smoke started spilling out? All it takes is a moment’s distraction and you are looking at smoke damage. There are some things you can do to help rid your home of minor smoke damage, should disaster strike.
1. Wear protective gear. Fumes from the soot could cause trouble with respiration so always wear gloves and some kind of face mask. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but make sure your first step is to stay safe.
2. Get rid of the smoke odor by opening any windows and placing a fan in the windows so that they are blowing outward. This will help freshen the room.
3. Start with a dry sponge. Wipe down surfaces, walls and the ceiling to get rid of any loose ash.
4. Next, mix one tablespoon of TSP into a gallon of warm water. Start with the ceiling and work your way down on the walls. Make sure you get the insides and outsides of all cupboards. TSP is very strong and hard on your hands, so be very careful and don’t forget the gloves.
5. Change all your air filters. The soot will be caught in your filters and you will end up having to clean the soot repeatedly if you don’t change them.
6. If the smoke damage has spread to rooms other than the kitchen, use the same method of cleaning from the ceiling downward. It is likely that any wallpaper will have to be replaced to get rid of the smell and walls painted with a flat paint may need to be repainted.
7. Now that the soot is gone, you will still have to combat the odor. There are several ways you can remove smoke smell:
- Use a cleaner and fabric refresher with a citrus orange scent. Citrus is great for neutralizing odors.
- Set out cups of white vinegar.
- Sprinkle rugs and upholstery with baking soda and allow it to set for several hours before vacuuming.
If This Doesn’t Work
Sometimes the damage is so extensive that anything you try to do on your own doesn’t work. If this is the case for you, contact us at EHS Restoration. We have years of experience with smoke damage restoration and will have you back in a sweet-smelling home before you know it.
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