How to Get Rid of the Smell of Smoke From the Apartment After the Next Fire
Just because your apartment isn’t on fire doesn’t mean you don’t have to do a ton of cleaning afterwards.
A few months ago, the apartment below me caught fire. I went out to do a few errands before going out of town, and my neighbor had a cooking mess that turned into a pretty horrible fire. I went home to all my neighbors on the street, the firemen on my roof and a lot of uncertainty about the status of my apartment as the fire was right below me (thanks to my Wi-Fi security camera I was able to check it outside).
My neighbor’s apartment was completely destroyed. Luckily my studio and dog were fine, but my apartment was very smoky and since it was right over the fire it was also very smelly. The best way to describe the smell is plastic burning (after all, most of the fire was caused by paint, plastic tiles, and kitchen cabinets). And I didn’t have tenant insurance (huge setback on my part, don’t be me).
It was unbearable for several days, but after talking with several fire suppression professionals, I decided to get rid of the smell as follows:
Open all windows
It’s pretty obvious, but I hesitated to do it. Since the fire was below me, a strong stench came from the windows, which were now gone. But opening windows is a necessity. Get some fresh air and release all the air. I also bought a window fan to circulate air in and out of my apartment. I left the windows just above the place where the fire started, closed, but everything else was open for several days.
Get some fresh air
Take a huge fan and install it outside your apartment (if possible) and blow clean air. Obviously, this is not something that you can do for a long period of time, but even an hour or so can make a big difference to your quality. a life.
Wipe it all off
If you are as close to the fire as I am, or if your windows were open when a nearby building was on fire, then chances are good that you have soot, at least on your windows, if not on the walls too. I made a solution of a gallon of water, a quarter cup of white vinegar, and a teaspoon of dish soap, and then used it to wipe down all the windows, sills, and walls on the side of my apartment where the fire was burning. … Small particles of smoke have probably settled all of these places, and it cuts through them like nothing else. I also pierced the windows with window cleaner and washed the wood.
If your home was smoky like mine, you should also look out for things like lamps and bookshelves high up. Most likely the smoke rose and then the donkey settled. They also need to be erased. You can also rinse window screens (if you have one) with a garden hose or in the shower.
Washable everything is washable
Are there curtains? Take them off and wash. A blanket? Wash it. Anything you can throw in the washing machine you should. I also decided to buy a mattress topper (I didn’t have one before) to save my mattress.
Febreze is your friend
I hate Febreze. I have always associated this smell with people who tried to hide some other smell (for example, from their dog or pack habit) with a smell that, in my opinion, is not much better. This is unless the smell you are trying to hide is burning plastic from the fire below you.
I reluctantly bought a bottle of Febreze to sprinkle on my mattress and a few other pieces of furniture and was really impressed with how it handled the smell. Was it a little overwhelming at first? Definitely. But as soon as the smell of Febreze cleared, the smell of smoke disappeared.
I also bought a Febreze brand air freshener that sprays mist in the room on a timer. Again, this would have been overkill for me on a regular basis, but when it came to smoke war, it was a killer addition to my arsenal.
Plan Better Than Me
If you are reading this and there has been no fire under you lately, I highly recommend purchasing renter insurance. I delayed getting the policy because it is very unlikely that my house will be burglarized because of where it is. I didn’t consider what could happen in a fire. If I had a policy, I would have to take care of a lot.