How do I get the smoke smell and soot off of smoke damaged furniture?
by
Pat202797
+11
Our home burned.. the cleaning company ran out of insurance money before any furniture was cleaned. (they cleaned those items not smoke infused) We have now rebuilt the house and need to move in soon. How do I clean the furniture? Most that survived are wonderful mahogany and walnut, century old family pieces...but the smell is nauseating. Please help with your ideas! I do not wish to toss these lovely pieces.
11 answers
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Sunshine and time...others swear by baking soda. Having walked through a forest that was hit by wild fire years later you can still get hints of the smoke. Refinishing some of the furniture using Shellac as a sealer may be another option.
KMS Woodworks
on Sep 05, 2013
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open to baking soda and sunshine and air drying..be careful of warping though. soak with olive oil/furniture oil infused with something that smells good like mint or rosemary
Christine
on Sep 05, 2013
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Thank you...I will try this....have to clear the smoke smell throughout and the soot also needs removing, inside and out.
Pat202797
on Sep 05, 2013
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They have chemical sponges. You don't wet them but scrub with them, if it is wood, plastic, ect. This won't work on fabric. After you are done removing the soot which is what chemical sponges are for wipe down with dish soap or a mild cleaner, dry. Use a air purifier set the items in the a room or garage and turn the air purifier on. You have to remove the source of the smell which is soot. You can rent purifiers at a tool rental company. When my fathers house burned this is what we used. If it is in your upholstery have professionals do it. This worked very well for us a friend who owns a company that does fire clean up and he told me to do this. We bought a car that had been used by a smoker and used the air purifier in it after I cleaned it up and you couldn't smell it anymore. Hope this helps.
Sherrie
on Sep 05, 2013
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Honestly I would ask the cleaning company what they use. I also wanted to tell you how very sorry I am to hear of your loss. It must have been devasting. I hope you can salvage your pieces and the memories they are sure to hold.
Cynthia
on Sep 05, 2013
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I'm sorry for your horrible experience, compounded now by someone who should have been trusted. BTDT and don't want to ever do it again. My DH rescued our pets from the fire and the smoke stench was horrible in his jacket and hat. It was winter, so we couldn't turn everything over to the restoration people right away. Believe it or not, (and I can't address soot) Febreeze took the stink out of those clothes, so we could tolerate having them in the same hotel room as we were. We were astonished. You have a experienced a horrible remediation company. I'm so sorry. Ours put everything back EXACTLY as it was, or they set it up with something until we could replace what we wanted. No information, including file folders, labels, even crap in our drawers were handled with care. It got to be excessive. Even a dump salt and pepper shaker was wrapped like it was the Waterford! Ask them for the photo albums. They're not supposed to throw anything away without documenting and/or OKs from the victim. Get the sponges. Even if they "ran out of money" they're probably still doing business elsewhere and have their materials. I cannot believe they're holding you responsible for a job they underbid! That's just not how business works! I'd also "chat" with the insurance company. I can't believe they don't have some liability having probably recommended these people. If they didn't and they don't? I suggest changing insurance companies when all this is said and done. I'm so sorry and I hope everyone you love is safe.
Christine
on Sep 07, 2013
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I am not positive this will work but no harm in trying and dirt cheap. Fabric softener sheets. Lay them on your couch, just here and there, and maybe between the cushions, etc. and continue to do this when the couch is not in use for a week to 2 weeks. I once had a stepson borrow my car for 6 weeks with strict instructions not to smoke in my car...well, guess what...it smelled like a pool hall when I got it back and could not stand it. The cloth interior was horrible. I put 4 bounce sheets on the seats and tossed them every two to three days. After about 8 or 9 days the car was totally odor free. A warning though, it took another 2 weeks or so for the scent from the dryer sheets to dissipate. So choose unscented or a scent you really like. Hope this helps.
Tami Wilson
on Sep 07, 2013
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I Googled this and found that vineger and water can take the smell out of many things when it comes to furniture. It is suppose to work on cigarettes so might be worth a try on your furniture! Good luck and sorry for the loss of your home.
Ebbytwin2572
on Sep 07, 2013
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my dad's house burned down and we were able to save a few pieces of furniture..I put newspaper and charcoal in the drawers. Used "Zud" to clean items and fabreeze was sprayed to help remove the odor out of material items. I'm sorry you had to go through this horrible experience. You're in our prayers!
Tammy w
on Sep 07, 2013
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I was gifted an abused antique icebox that was used to store car parts, motor oil and axle grease. After scraping up the gunk, and numerous cleanings (including vinegar), I put several charcoal briquettes in the icebox. It really helped remove that old axle grease smell. Not sure, but it might help.
LeeAnn M
on Sep 07, 2013
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In my view,it is important to have a strong restoration company that can provide effective services in no time and ensure the damage is brought in control. Right insurance is the best way to begin recovers. In this situation you should consult your insurance company to see what is covered before you hire an expert. I have been in the same business for many years now and can understand the grave consequences that it can cause if remediation is not done at the earliest.
Kala Professional Restoration services
on Sep 09, 2015
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