How to Remove Smoke Damage From My Home

Ventilate your home to remove the smoke, soot and odor from your house. Open windows and doors if the weather is appropriate. Install box fans throughout the house to help move the air. Run the air conditioning or heating to draw out moisture from the air and to prevent mold during the ventilation process.

Check your furnace filter on a daily basis for soot, a by-product of the fire and smoke damage. Change the filter frequently, even daily if needed, as the system is working overtime to remove soot from the air.

Power wash the outside of your home to get rid of smoke damage, including ash and soot. Clean the smoke residue and odor off of the interior walls and wooden furniture in your home with a mild soap and water.

Remove smoke damage from upholstered furniture by scrubbing with your regular cleansers. If the odor remains, or if the furniture is moldy from water damage, you may need to discard.

Soak smoke-soiled clothing, washable toys and other soft fabric items in a mixture of a gallon of warm water and a cup of powdered or liquid dishwasher detergent. Clothing that can be bleached can soak in a gallon of water, a cup of bleach and tsp. of trisodium phosphate. Wash in the washing machine after soaking overnight.