How to Eliminate The Smoke Smell After a Kitchen Fire

While house fires can start from many different sources, you should know that the majority begin in the kitchen, the heart of the home, according to Hunker.com. With plenty of flammable appliances and materials nearby, that’s no surprise, but you may not realize how easy it is for a kitchen fire to ignite.

In fact, the most harmless cooking ingredients and items can easily catch your kitchen aflame. Take special caution when using oranges, flour, non-dairy creamers, and aerosols near your oven or stovetop. You should also regularly scrub your stove’s surface.

If you periodically leave caked-on grime and leftover food on the stovetop, you're just inviting a potential fire to happen. Around 8% of kitchen fires start this way, so be careful and stay vigilant when you’re having fun in the kitchen.

First things first: if you haven’t already, you want to get fresh air flowing throughout your home as soon as possible. Thankfully, you don’t need a professional service to do this for you. Just follow this “All Fans On Deck” Plan:

1. Immediately open all windows and doors. Let the natural sunlight and airflow kill any smoke-building bacteria.
2. Gather & turn on all the fans in your home— bathroom & kitchen exhaust fans, ceiling fans, standing fans, and box fans. 
3. Place your box fans in the windows facing outwards to recirculate clean air from outside, back into your home.
4. Home Made Simple recommends buying an air purifier or dehumidifier. A humid environment is a place where smoke odors can thrive and dehumidifiers can dry any moisture in the air. 

Take it up a notch and order some air-purifying plants as another natural way to keep your environment fresh & clear of toxins. Decorate your home with peace lilies, chrysanthemums, snake plants, and aloe vera plants. 

As you air out your home, take advantage of the free time and try using different deep-cleaning agents to remove excess odors.

Vinegar Rinse Cycle

Use your regular household detergent, but at the start of each rinse cycle, Hunker suggests adding a cup of vinegar.

Baking Soda Fabric Softener

Wash your clothes with your preferred detergent. Before you start the cycle, add a few tablespoons of baking soda to your fabric softener dispenser.

Mouthwash Method

According to Food52, the Red Cross has stood by a seemingly unconventional idea. Add two cups of mouthwash to a load of laundry and it'll take care of the smell.

While your smoky items & smelly fabrics take on a refreshing wash cycle, try your hand at mixing your own cleaning solutions from common household items.

Ammonia Wash

Mop your kitchen floors and wash your walls with a solution of ammonia & room-temperature water. Don’t use an ammonia wash on finished or sealed surfaces like floorboards or cabinets.

Note: Because Ammonia is considered a hazardous material, always make sure to wear rubber gloves & goggles when exposed to that substance.

Baking Soda Solution

A little bit of baking soda mixed with water is a classic solution to removing that nasty smell of smoke. Dip a sponge or washcloth into the mixture and thoroughly wipe down all appliances, cabinets, countertops, etc...

This 3-step repetition can save you some headache when you’re struggling with how to tackle your floors: sweep, mop, vacuum. Sweeping gets rid of any leftover smoke-smelling debris while mopping and vacuuming clean your floors more thoroughly. Try to add one of the baking soda or vinegar solutions to your mop and vacuum jobs for a deeper scrub.



Don’t forget to change your vacuum filters in between cleaning sessions!

Once you’ve cleaned all affected appliances & furniture, laundered smoky fabrics, and deep-cleaned your floors, you can still add one more protective layer to your clean-up plan. Aromatic household items can work wonders for keeping the air fresh for weeks. 

According to Home Made Simple, homeowners everywhere use these items to maintain an inviting aroma:

• Activated Charcoal
• Cat Litter
• Baking Soda
• Vinegar
• Coffee Grounds
• Lemon Peels

Depending on the extent of the damage, there are tons of ways to eliminate a pesky smoke odor from your kitchen and the rest of your house. You might be surprised to know that some of the most effective odor eliminators are right under your kitchen sink!