White vinegar or baking soda are great options to get rid of burnt smells in your house. Place bowls or jars filled with vinegar or baking soda near the burn site and around the home to absorb nasty smells. Another reliable option to neutralize burnt smells is coffee.
Get the Air Moving
As soon as the burnt food is out of the house, the next step is to get some fresh air moving into the house. Open windows and doors to help circulate. Ceiling fans can also help push the burnt smell out once the bad air has a place to escape.
The post-fire smell is from VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Some (but not all) are bound to particles and can be trapped by a particle filter. Those VOCs can deposit on walls and other surfaces, and will likely keep off-gassing for a long time (weeks to months).
Baking soda is odorless but absorbs other odors — making it the perfect deodorizer. Sprinkle and let it sit, soaking up the smoke smell — and other odors — for at least 20 minutes, then vacuum.
Place small containers of baking soda in key areas to neutralize and absorb burnt smells (but keep out of reach of kids and pets). Introduce fresh scents into the room.
Try wiping down furniture, washable walls, floors, etc. with white vinegar. Also, try placing several bowls of vinegar around the room with the smoke damage, leaving them there for several days. If you can't stand the smell of vinegar, try mixing a bit of lavender oil into the bowls to help cut the odor of the vinegar.
Because tar is thick, it coats surfaces and will, eventually, cause walls, tables, and paint to turn yellow. As a general rule, the smell of cigarette smoke can take at least six months to dissipate. The timeline is even longer if the walls and furniture have absorbed the smell.
A bowl of vinegar can start absorbing odors almost immediately and is typically adequate for up to 24 hours. When left out in a room, the acetic acid in vinegar neutralizes alkaline odors, such as those from smoke, cooking, or pet accidents, by binding with the odor molecules and neutralizing them.
Use Febreze Air Effects Heavy Duty to help eliminate smoke odors, not just cover them up.
Steam is another useful tool for removing a smoke smell. The heat breaks down oils that contain the smoke molecules and the water helps to wash them away. Rent or buy a steam cleaner and use it on furniture or walls.
Baking soda is probably one of the most useful tools in eliminating odors from your home. Instead of masking odors like air fresheners and candles, baking soda absorbs and neutralizes them. It has a reputation for being one of the best carpet deodorizers.
Similar to boiling lemons or making stovetop potpourri, vinegar steam is a great way to neutralize potent smells. Add half a cup of vinegar to one cup of water and simmer on the stove while you cook (or after) to absorb any smells in the air.
A burning smell can be attributed to dust burning off of the heating elements, overheated electrical or mechanical components, or burnt or frayed wiring.
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, or sodium hydrogen carbonate, which is a base. Contrasting with vinegar, baking soda absorbs acidic smells. Such as spoiled food, which makes them excellent choices for refrigerators. It will absorb smells and can even be used as a breath freshener.
If you're worried that cleaning with vinegar will make your home smell like pickles, don't worry – the smell disappears pretty quickly, especially if you air out your space properly. Open windows and doors to encourage air flow. Once dry, you'll find that vinegar leaves a fresh scent.
"Vinegar can help neutralize odors in the home, such as in the kitchen or refrigerator," says Katie Dills, senior vice president, The Cleaning Authority. The best part? All you have to do is leave a dish filled with 1/2 inch of white vinegar in the offensive-smelling room for it to work its magic.
The best way to eliminate the smell is to open the windows to increase ventilation and air circulation in your house. Then, use white vinegar to wipe down walls, furniture, and floors. Try steam-cleaning carpet and other upholstered items to remove the smell of smoke.
Use baking soda, white vinegar, activated charcoal, and ozone treatment to absorb and neutralize smoke odors on surfaces. Clean fabrics with vinegar, use a steam cleaner, replace air filters, and consider repainting and replacing heavily affected items to completely eliminate smoke residue.
Activated charcoal bags naturally and effectively absorb and eliminate unpleasant odours. Thanks to the practicality of their format in 120 g bags, they can be placed in a wide variety of environments, from wardrobes to shoe cupboards, storage boxes, motor homes, etc.
Homeowners also can use some common household items to help absorb the odor while they clean. Baking soda, for example, is an inexpensive and natural odor-absorber. Peek suggested leaving bowls of baking soda around the house for several days for full effect. “Activated charcoal also is an option to help absorb odors.
To remove soot and smoke from walls, furniture and floors, use a mild soap or detergent or mix together 4 to 6 tbsp. tri-sodium phosphate and 1 cup household cleaner or chlorine bleach to every gallon of warm water. Wear rubber gloves when cleaning with this solution.