Smoke Damage or Lingering Smoke Odor
Steps to Consider if Your House Has Sustained Only Smoke Damage
Removing smoke damage is important and depends on the severity of the damage or fumes. It’s crucial to remember that when a fire burns through communities, it doesn’t just consume vegetation; homes, cars, businesses, and various hazardous materials are also burned. Toxic substances like lead, asbestos, dioxins from burned plastics, and heavy metals such as copper, lithium, nickel, and cobalt from cars or EVs can become airborne. This is not meant to alarm you but to encourage sensible precautions when re-entering your home.
Take your shoes off before entering the house.
Avoid opening windows and doors until you’re certain that toxic soot won’t blow inside.
Never open doors or windows if there’s smoke in the air or a breeze.
Eventually, rain will wash away outdoor soot.
If the damage is extensive, you will need professional help, which may be covered by your insurance policy. Be sure to take extensive, narrated video footage of every room and closet, even if you don’t believe you’ll file an insurance claim—this can be invaluable later.
There’s no universal standard for addressing smoke damage. You’ll need to evaluate the severity of the odor and damage and determine your tolerance for risk.
For Heavy or Moderate Smoke Damage (or if You Want to Be Extra Cautious):
Do Not Open Windows or Doors: Keep the HVAC system turned off to prevent circulating toxins.
Encapsulation and Air Scrubbing:
Hire a professional service (like us) to encapsulate each room and install an air scrubber. Air scrubbers will remove toxic air while cleaning walls and hard surfaces.
During encapsulation, cleaning surfaces ensures that all dust is captured and cleared by the air scrubbers.
HVAC Cleaning:
Professionally clean the ducts to remove any soot.
Replace the HVAC system’s air filter before restarting.
Exterior Cleaning:
Power wash the exterior before opening windows or doors to avoid reintroducing soot into the home.
Avoid opening doors or windows until there’s no active soot or wind carrying debris.
Soft Surfaces (Upholstery, Linens, Clothing):
Refer to the guidance below for dealing with fabrics and absorbent materials.
For Light Smoke Damage:
Ventilation:
Power wash the exterior to prevent contaminants from entering when you open windows.
Once the exterior is clean and the air quality is safe, open windows and doors to ventilate the house.
Fires in Southern California often linger until substantial rain extinguishes them. As a result, you may need to power wash the exterior multiple times before safely ventilating.
If outside air quality remains poor, use air purifiers to clean indoor air.
If air purifiers are unavailable, keep windows closed and run your HVAC system on fan mode with the highest-grade air filter possible.
HVAC System Maintenance:
Replace the air filter before running the system to remove particles from the fire.
Running the system before moving back in can push out toxins trapped in ducts, which can then be captured during cleaning.
Wear a mask during cleanup, and consider using a dedicated set of “dirty” clothes, washed separately, for this process.
Cleaning Hard Surfaces:
Vacuum First: Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to clean all surfaces before mopping or wiping. Vacuuming removes toxins instead of spreading them.
Wipe and Mop: After vacuuming, clean surfaces with a mild detergent to remove lingering odors.
Upholstery and Linens:
Smell test items like curtains, clothing, and linens. Items that retain odors can be dry cleaned or laundered.
Upholstered furniture or carpets that hold odors may need professional cleaning or replacement.
Heavily damaged items should be discarded. If there’s any doubt about their safety, it’s better to toss them—especially bedding and clothing.
Taking these steps ensures your home is safe and livable after sustaining smoke damage. If you need professional assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out!
