How to Remove Smoke Damage from Furniture?

[Haven]

Does anyone have experience with this?

My toaster oven caught on fire about two hours ago. It wasn''t a huge fire, everyone is okay, but my entire house now smells like smoke.

We quarantined the animals in the family room, which didn''t get much smoke at all because the doors to enter were shut. We have every screen door and window wide open in the house, and our fans are running backward to push the air down and out, apparently.

Is there any product or method I can use to clean the furniture to get the stink out?

(I feel like it was just yesterday that I posted about getting the skunk smell out of my house! We''re like a stink zone!)

Thanks for your advice, all.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

It sounds like it was a pretty minor fire. I''m glad the animals (and you) are okay. I would just keep the windows open and get the air circulating. Time and fresh air will most likely get any smells out of the furniture.

 

[Haven]

Do you think so, HH? I hope so.

The house was filled with smoke, which was really surprising because it was a small fire. But, it''s a small house, too.

The clothes I was wearing STINK, and my sofas really reek. I really hope that time will get rid of it. It''s so nasty.

 

[kama_s]

Light candles. Doesn't have to be nice smelling ones, just plain ol' tea lights works wonders. That's what I do everytime I cook Indian food.

Glad everyone's okay. The same thing happened to me once at my mum's house - toaster ovens are apparently notorious for it.

 

[Haven]

I had no idea tea lights would get rid of smells, Kama. Thank you!

DH already said "no" to a replacement toaster oven. We''ll be getting one of those pop-up type toasters, instead. I have to admit, it was scary!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Oxyclean gets smell out of nearly everything. My kids recently went to a camp fire and their clothes smelled terrible and after a wash in hot water/oxyclean, the smell is gone. If you can use a handheld carpet cleaner and use oxyclean, you may be able to get the smell out. That product works so well, it even got the smell of cat pee out of my couch cover. (You can wash the couchin covers in hot water and then hang dry them overnight)

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Haven, surprisingly toaster ovens are one of the leading causes of house fires. I set mine on fire last year while toasting a pita in it, so I totally feel your pain. Another thing you might want to do is place bowls of vinegar around the room. Also, the smell might be in your nose so you''re projecting to to be stronger on things in your house. Just be patient and give it a few days. If the vinegar and fresh air doesn''t work, try sprinkling baking soda on the furniture, letting it sit for a few hours and then vacuuming it off.

 

[Haven]

Date: 3/10/2010 1:59:34 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
Haven, surprisingly toaster ovens are one of the leading causes of house fires. I set mine on fire last year while toasting a pita in it, so I totally feel your pain. Another thing you might want to do is place bowls of vinegar around the room. Also, the smell might be in your nose so you''re projecting to to be stronger on things in your house. Just be patient and give it a few days. If the vinegar and fresh air doesn''t work, try sprinkling baking soda on the furniture, letting it sit for a few hours and then vacuuming it off.

I had no idea. Now we''re really not going to purchase another one.

I have this (slightly) irrational fear of house fires, in general. There''s this routine I have to go through every time I leave the house, I check all of the outlets and make sure nothing is plugged in, I touch each stove burner dial to make sure they''re off, and check that I didn''t leave any lights on. I think it''s because my mom has always had this teddy bear with melted button eyes, and she used to tell me the story of how he was the only thing that survived her sorority''s house fire in college.
When I was little I used to sleep with my most prized possessions gathered up in my baby blanket so I could easily grab them if I had to run out of the house in the middle of the night because of a fire. Oy. (You''ll be amused to learn that these prized possessions were stuffed animals and costume jewelry--a PSer since childhood!)

Now my fear isn''t at all about saving my stuff, but about keeping my furbabies safe!

I think you''re right that the smell is probably in my nose, because it''s all I can smell when I step outside, too.

Everyone''s suggestions are wonderful, thank you. I''m going to try them all! We even have the Oxyclean, which I LOVE, by the way.

 

[EricaR]

We lived through a huge wild fire that got as close as directly across the street from our place. Trust me, every single thing we owned smelled like smoke.

Baking Soda!

Baking soda is your friend. We would sprinkle it onto everything (carpet, furniture, even added it to laundry). Brush it in with your hands, let it sit for about 20 minutes, then vacuum it up. After a few treatments the smoke smell was much much much better.

 

[CasaBlanca]

Had the same thing...used ODO BAN you get it at most retailers. It is a liquid enzyme that attacks bacteria...in this case it will also remove the smoke odor. It has a fresh sweet aroma, you need to smell it first and make sure you are good with it. You can peel back the lining underneath your sofa and hit the wood work in the frame with a spray of odo ban. Also you can spray the inner lining beneath your cushions if they are removable.

But I would now remove what is removable and try to get as much air flow as possible. You can stand your sofa on it''s end upright like a refrigerator this will allow a larger area of clean fresh air to penetrate. If you have removed the cushions, air from a fan directed on it will flow right through the springs and frame.

Also there is a gizmo thing called an Ozone machine. Hotels use it between smoking guests. If all else fails you need to rent one. Sharper image used to offer them. I don''t know anyone that does now. It does something by releasing positive ions or removing the negative odor causing ones...it is also used by car dealers to remove cigarette smoke from smoker cars.

So sorry, glad you are ok...and your fur babies are too!

 

[Rachel9]

Glad to hear everyone is okay! My brother's coffee machine cought on fire last year but he wasn't that lucky, the whole kitchen had to be re-done. Whirling a vinegar dampened towel over your head can neutralize some of the smell, walk around whirling is not fun but it works, also placing small bowls filled with vinegar in every room to soak the smell might help, I always leave 1/2 C filled with vinegar next to the stove while cooking Chicken Curry. Good luck!