The odor from smoke will remain after a fire because of porous articles that absorb and trap odors, causing particularly persistent problems in drywall, upholstery, carpet, drapes, mattresses and other similar materials.
Smoke damage restoration involves attacking the odor at the molecular level. But when we fog a room, either with ozone or other deodorants, the ability of the molecule to continue to release its bitter odor is eliminated.
How to remove smoke damage
To remove stains and odors from smoke, you must clean the affected item. How you clean them will depend on the composition of the affected materials as well as the size of the job. In extensive or extreme smoke damage, if your insurance plan or finances allow it, the most effective way to deal with smoke damage is to call a professional service with trained experts and specialized equipment. Professional fire and smoke damage remediation companies use “counteractant” chemicals to break down the molecules that cause the lingering smell of smoke, as well as other special procedures to clean soot and remove odors.
In DIY cases, do the following:
- Cover unaffected items with plastic until the cleaning is finished.
- Circulate the air. Open windows and install a fan to help circulate air and remove some of the ambient particles.
- Remove oily soot from carpets, draperies and other textiles (besides clothing):
- use a vacuum cleaner nozzle held close to, but not on, the surface of the item you are vacuuming but do not rub the textile or use brushes — this will send the soot into the weave of the textile.
- then have item professionally cleaned if possible
- washable textiles can be laundered but may need to go through several times to remove all oils and odors from walls:
- use a special chemical sponge from a cleaning supply company or a non water-based cleaner from clothing:
- dry-clean non-washable clothing
wash washable clothing in warm water with liquid detergent. It may be necessary to wash them several times. - For smoke odors that linger in clothing or washable textiles: soak the item with one cup of dishwashing detergent (the kind used in automatic dishwashers) per gallon of water, either in the washing machine or the bath tub. Submerge the item completely, let it soak overnight, then launder as usual.
- in general: all surfaces need to have soot removed, even if they are in cupboards or other places you don’t see. Smoke particles can get trapped in household ducts and linger or come back after a long while.
Follow these suggestions to avoid further damage while waiting for the remediation team to arrive.
Positive: Punctuality, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
“Clean Earth Restorations made the reconstruction process of our home a breeze. When we had a main pipe water break and flooded our home we contacted our home insurance and had another company come out (not worth mentioning) and did an okay job but their cost was up the roof! My insurance was not willing to work with them anymore. I had to go out of my way and find a new restoration company that was willing to stay within a budget and have an experienced team to take on this job. I called Clean Earth Restoration team to come to my home for an estimate. Not only was Shawn very professional but also demonstrated attention to detail and really pointed out what was important. He wowed us with his experience and answered all the questions we had. He is highly knowledgeable and he gave us an estimate on when the project will be done. The reconstruction of my home was finished ahead of schedule and we were in our home sooner! Hire this company! They will answer their phones and will attend to every detail of your home. Communication is key and they will give you details of progress if you need them. Our home turned out beautiful. Their contractor is also extremely knowledgeable and will make things right. Overall they exceeded our expectations. Definitely, a 5 Star company!!!”
“If I could give 1000 stars I would. Every single person I had dealings with from Clean Earth Restorations was professional, courteous, personable, and knowledgeable of the task at hand. They were always on time and always in communication with me on what the plan was and what was going to happen next.
Background: the unit above me had a water leak. My water heater closet and outside dining room wall that connected to the water heater closet was riddled with blue/black mold, smelt like chemicals, and was damp down to the 2x4s.
initially, John came to take a look and write an estimate of repairs and explain the basic process to me. He was professional and quick. In and out.
After the estimate was approved, Logan came in on a Saturday to set up the demo area. He was outgoing and personable. He helped me move my furniture out the way and set up a thick plastic airtight ceiling to floor quarantined area to protect the rest of my house/my family from what was to come. His work was like a masterpiece. It was so neat. He also placed some machines to start drying out the walls to get the ball rolling on repairs.
During the drying time, Clean Earth sent out a few testers to test the mold, dampness, air quality, and to check for lead, asbestos, all that. Even the testers were pleasant.
After all the tests, Cameron and Vince came back to move forward with demo work. Cam and Vince were knowledgeable, polite, and professional. I actually enjoyed their company during the time they were here to work. They kept me informed when they were here, always communicated when they would need to come and go and chit-chatted small talk here and there. They both had great attitudes and personalities. The types of workers you want around you in a bad situation to tell a funny joke or 2. They had positive outlooks and didn’t hold back or sugarcoat the job, they told the truth every step of the way. Cam and Vince were here to do the hard dirty work. The demolition crew. Breaking down the walls, sanding, hammering, drilling, all of the above. But with such a dirty task they were so clean and neat!!!!
They never left a mess during the time they worked and they cleaned up after themselves every day!!!
They never left anything laying out or around or trash left behind. I was so impressed with the standards Clean Earth Restorations held themselves to. Making a horrible situation into a pleasant experience. I thought this would be a long drawn out process but Cam and Vince got busy! They worked hard, they worked together and they worked quickly, which I 100% appreciated. When they finished I was kind of sad to see them go, but happy they were done hahaha 🙂 such cool guys!!
Once Cam and Vince finished, Shawn came. Shawn is the structural estimator. He came in to see what it would take to get my condo back to normal. He estimated cost for drywall, paint, carpet cleaning, all that good stuff. I probably sound like a broken record but even my dealings with Shawn were pleasant. He was very personable and polite. Once Shawn finished his estimates, he contacted me within a few days to let me know he had a crew ready to rock and come in to finish the job. His drywall crew had my house back to normal within 4 days. Walls, paint, baseboards….. it’s like nothing ever happened.
I 100% recommend Clean Earth Restorations for any need or situation you may have. I can not say enough and boast enough about the company, their values, their morals, and employees. It was a great experience and refreshing to know that there are companies still out there who take pride in customer relations and rapport, not just the job they are committed to doing.”
