Removing smoke odors from fire-damaged furniture takes time and patience. Wood and upholstery are porous materials that absorb smoke. If your furniture was exposed to fire smoke for a prolonged period, the cleanup job might seem impossible. But there are steps you can take to salvage your furniture, including irreplaceable heirloom pieces. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Air out the smoke-damaged furniture. If possible, move furniture outside on clear, sunny days. A carport or other covered area is ideal for airing out furniture. If moving larger items such as a sofa is impractical, open windows and circulate air with electric box fans. Smoke odors will gradually seep out of porous wood and fabric--that's why you continue to smell smoke--so keeping the air moving will speed up the process.
2. Sprinkle baking soda on upholstered furniture and let it sit for as long as possible, at least 24 hours. Baking soda absorbs odors and will help pull the stench out of the furniture fabric.
3. Vacuum the baking soda using a crevice attachment on your vacuum cleaner. Repeat the baking soda process as necessary until the odor begins to fade.
4. Buy and plug in an electronic air purifier. These units draw odors and contaminants out of the air and into a filter system, which will hasten the process of drawing smoke odor out of your furniture.
5. Spray the furniture with a smoke odor remover available in spray cans from home improvement stores. Test an inconspicuous area of fabric on the furniture before spraying the product directly on the upholstery.
6. Avoid using furniture wax or polish while you are getting rid of the smoke odor. Waxes will trap odors in the wood, only to release them once more when the wax begins to fade.
7. Use solid air fresheners to help obscure the smoke stench while the furniture is airing out.
Tags: baking soda, smoke odor, your furniture, begins fade, odors will
