Removable, washable/cleanable items Wash or dry clean, as appropriate, clothing, curtains, bedding, etc. Send area rugs out to be cleaned, or clean as described for carpets below.

Walls: -Wash with ammonia or trisodium phosphate or detergent solution and rinse well. -Apply compound "BIN" (or others which act as both a sealer and a deodorizer). It seals the sooty residue which didn't wash off so it can't bleed through new paint; penetrates into dry wall and seals surface; seals smoky smell in. -Then repaint.

Carpets: Do NOT shampoo. Extract with steam extractor. Hire professional truck-mounted unit, which is many times the horsepower of home rental units.

Lingering Smell: If smoke smell lingers, rent a couple of ozone machines and put around house. They filter, circulate, and purify air. (Ozone is nature's way of purifying air.) Removal of smell is gradual but it works.

Check on commercial air purifying machines to see what they recommend using for removing smoke odors (may vary among brands).

Odor removers such as "Odor Away" and other brands may also help lingering odors.

This article was written by Anne Field, Extension Specialist, Emeritus.



MSU 2003