If you have a fireplace in your home, you’ll know that one of the biggest problems with it is the smoke smell. It can linger in your home for weeks and even months, seeping into every nook and cranny of your house. Obviously, it can be really challenging to get rid of, especially if it gets into your carpets, furniture, and curtains. But don’t worry; for every problem there’s a solution.
In the following article, we’ll talk about what you can do to completely remove or just mask the smoke smell in your house. Every method that we’ll share with you requires some amount of effort and time on your part, so be prepared for that. Getting rid of the smoke smell from your house is not an easy task, but in the end, it will definitely be worth the trouble!
Best Ways to Get Rid of Fireplace Smoke Smell
1. Clean Your Fireplace Regularly
If it’s been a while since you’ve used your fireplace, but your house still has that familiar smokey smell, then it’s probably time for a clean-up job. Burnt wood, ash, and any other sort of residue might be contributing to the smokey smell that is dissipating through your home. The best way to combat this is to clean your fireplace after each use or, more precisely, after you extinguish the fire.
The easiest way to remove the ash is by using a fireplace shovel and a plain old trash bag. Alternatively, you can vacuum the ash, but make sure to clean your vacuum after. If the whole process seems too messy, get yourself a couple of handfuls of ground coffee and sprinkle it over the ash. Ground coffee will help absorb the smell, making the cleaning much easier on the nose.
After you’ve removed the ash, burnt wood, and residue from the fire, make a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar and use it to clean up your fireplace. Vinegar will help get rid of the lingering smoky odor.
2. Repair and Clean the Chimney
Sometimes, cleaning the fireplace is not enough to get rid of the smoke smell in your house. Why? Well, because that’s not the root cause of it. Sometimes it’s the chimney that needs cleaning. Ideally, you should clean your chimney once a year, preferably at the start of every spring.
If the smell of smoke still persists, then it might be time to hire a professional that can ascertain if there is structural damage to your chimney that needs to be repaired. In most cases, the smell is caused by small cracks in a chimney that allow moisture to seep in. Moisture mixed with ash and burnt wood might be responsible for the foul odor.
To prevent moisture from getting in, you should definitely consider installing a chimney cap. If the smell is still around after you’ve installed the cap, then the reason for the smell might be small cracks in the bricks of your chimney. Unfortunately, there is no foolproof and easy way to fix this yourself. It’s best to hire a professional to assess the situation and tell you exactly what needs fixing.
3. Spray the Fireplace With Deodorant
Once you’ve cleaned your fireplace and have gotten rid of the root cause of the smell, don’t be surprised if it still lingers around your home. That’s because the smell has seeped into the bricks and mortar of your fireplace.
So, how to get rid of it? It’s simple—use a special, fireplace deodorant. Just place a bottle of deodorant on the smoke shelf and pull up the wick. With this method, you’ll buy yourself a couple of odor-free months.
4. Get Rid of Smoke
On rare occasions, the smell of smoke you’re sensing is because of the smoke itself. Your chimney might be clogged and/or damaged in some way, and because of it, all the smoke from the fireplace can end up right in your living room.
If this happens, apart from extinguishing the fire immediately, you should also open all the windows and try to get a draft going to help get rid of the smoke faster.
5. Deodorize Your House
To get rid of the smell completely, you might just need to do some spring cleaning and wipe down a few of the items near and around your fireplace. If you don’t know where to start, here’s how you do it:
- Pour baking soda over your carpets, pillows, and any upholstered items where smell can seep into. After an hour or so, vacuum up the baking soda. If the smell still persists, repeat the process until it doesn’t.
- If you have washable walls, you should wipe them down with a mixture of white vinegar and water. Use this mixture to wash the inside of windows as well or any other piece of furniture you have that won’t be negatively affected by vinegar.
- Throw the curtains, pillow cases, and anything washable into a washing machine. Alternatively, you could use the water and white vinegar mixture to spray it on the curtains. But be cautious, as this mixture can sometimes lead to discoloration.
- Fill a couple of bowls with baking soda or vinegar and leave them around the room. This will help soak up any lingering smoke smell. Just be careful if you have pets or small children around. In that case, leave the bowls far away from their reach. You could also place a bowl with baking soda inside your fireplace. Just make sure you put it in a place where it’s easy to spot. You don’t wanna start a fire with a bowl of baking soda in your fireplace.
- Another great way to get rid of the smoke smell from your fireplace is to use charcoal. Just put a couple of lumps of charcoal in your fireplace and let it sit for a couple of days. That should help soak up the smell.
- Get an air purifier. Even if you do all of the things in the list above, and the smell of smoke is still around, you might wanna consider investing in an air purifier. They are designed to clean the air and get rid of a variety of unpleasant smells.
6. Get Professional Help
If all else fails, turn to a professional. Maybe it’s the lack of time, energy, or desire to do everything yourself. In that case, hire a professional cleaner to help you get rid of the smokey smell.
Look for a cleaning company or a crew that has previous experience with this exact problem. Getting rid of the fireplace smoke smell in a house is not your “run-of-the-mill” task.
Conclusion
To get rid of the fireplace smoke smell in your home, be prepared to invest an adequate amount of time and effort. First, start by cleaning your fireplace from any ash or wood residue that’s left over from the fire. You could either use a vacuum to do this or a fireplace shovel, it’s completely up to you.
Vinegar and baking soda are great at removing lingering smells, and this includes the smell of smoke. Mix vinegar with water and use it to clean your fireplace. Sprinkle baking soda over your carpets and leave it there for a couple of hours. Vacuum it afterward, and repeat the process if the smell persists.
A damaged fireplace that allows for moisture to seep in might be the root cause of the lingering smoke smell in your home. To help prevent the moisture from getting in, consider buying a chimney cap. If that doesn’t work, there’s a chance that your fireplace needs either cleaning or repairing. Ideally, you should get someone to clean and conduct maintenance on your fireplace at least once a year.
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