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The smell of burning is very pungent. It is quickly absorbed into interior items, and textiles are especially affected – wallpaper, upholstery, curtains. However, you can still get rid of it.
In this article, we have collected some simple tips that will help you quickly remove the smell of burning in the apartment.
Ventilate the room
First of all, especially if not only food, but also accessories were damaged by fire, and there is dense smoke in the apartment, it is necessary to ventilate the room as best as possible.
Open all windows and doors.
Install powerful floor fans so that one brings fresh air into your house (for example, in front of the door, towards the apartment), and the other removes the fumes (towards the window in the kitchen).
Turn on the cooker hood.
Good air circulation is the best weapon in the fight against unpleasant odors. If you have a fire, the procedure may need to be repeated for several weeks while you are at home.
Get rid of burnt food and objects
After you have launched fresh air into the apartment, eliminate all sources of smoke.
Put burnt food in a bag and tie it tightly before throwing away so that the smell does not spread further. Better yet, take the trash out of the house.
If a fire breaks out, discard all burnt items. What else can be restored, put it on the balcony, or take it outside, if possible.
If you do not remove all burnt objects, the smell of burning will remain in the house.
Clean up the fire affected area
To get rid of the smell of burning, you need to wash everything that has absorbed the smoke. Put everything you can in the washing machine and dishwasher. The remaining surfaces must be wiped with cleaning agents.
Collect all fabric items in rooms where there is a strong smell of smoke: curtains, tablecloths, clothes. Wash with fabric softener or chlorine bleach if this does not damage the fabrics.
Wash all dishes. Smoke eats especially well into plastic containers – it is better to shift their contents somewhere, and dispose of the container itself.
Wash carpets with a special product.
Wash all floors, tables, shelves. Use chlorine bleach or another disinfectant.
If you have a fire, you need to wash every surface in the kitchen, including walls and ceilings. If left untreated, smoke and soot residues from surfaces and objects will continue to pollute the air in your home. For this purpose, sodium orthophosphate is best suited. Dissolve the substance in water at the rate of 30 g per liter of water. This is a fairly strong chemical, so use rubber gloves when handling it and do not use it on metal surfaces. Dip a sponge into the solution, wring it out and rub the areas contaminated with smoke well.
All of the above tips do not cancel, but complement each other. You can simultaneously wash the surfaces with a solution of sodium orthophosphate and ventilate the room.
How to cover the smell of burning
If the smell of smoke and burning disturbs you during cleaning, make sure that you ventilate the room well. It can also be covered with household items:
The surest way is an ordinary air freshener. In this case, it is better not to save money, but to purchase more or less high-quality household chemicals based on essential oils – brands Chitron, Pure, Air Wick, and so on. Do not spray too much freshener, as they can also leave a strong perfume smell.
If you don’t have an air freshener at home, you can make it with the help of improvised means. Fill a spray bottle with water. Add a couple of tablespoons of essential oil, perfume, vodka, brandy or tea tree oil. Close the bottle and shake well. Spray around the house.
You can also make a spray with citrus water. Cut a lemon or orange into large pieces. Boil water (if your stove is not damaged), throw in chopped fruit and boil for 15-20 minutes. The air in the kitchen should be refreshed. Allow the solution to cool if necessary, pour into a spray bottle and spray around the house.
Sometimes the smoke is poorly vented from cabinets and sideboards, due to the fact that it is difficult to get fresh air there. Cups with coffee grounds will help to solve the problem – put them on closed shelves. Coffee helps to neutralize the smell of burning.
Other natural adsorbents can replace coffee grounds. For example, activated charcoal tablets or balls made from starch impregnated with ammonia can be laid out in a closet and apartment. Regular ground coffee will do, not coffee grounds. You can also spread orange slices around the apartment – it will exude a pleasant smell thanks to aromatic essential oils. If the temptation is great to eat fruit, you can get by with just grated zest. To increase efficiency, it is advisable to heat it in a pan.
Attention! This material is subjective, is not an advertisement and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.