How do you get rid of smoke smell in a house?

Smoke is a mixture, not a single substance. The EPA describes it as a complex mix of gases and fine particles produced when wood and other organic materials burn. The gases are what you smell first. What keeps the smell around is the residue the smoke leaves behind on walls, ceilings, cabinets, carpet, upholstery, and clothing.

Los Angeles County's public health department makes the point plainly in its guide to cleaning up smoke and soot: smoke odor stays in fabric until the residue is washed out, and much of that residue cannot be seen. Opening the windows clears the smoke that is still in the air. Fresh air does little for residue that has already settled, which is why a house can air out for days and still smell like a fire.

The damage also reaches further than the flames. The U.S. Fire Administration's After the Fire guide warns that belongings the fire never touched may still be ruined by smoke, that anything you want to keep will need careful cleaning, and that the soot and dirty water left behind may contain things that could make you sick.

More of them start in the kitchen than anywhere else. Cooking is the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries in the United States, according to the National Fire Protection Association's Home Cooking Fires report. Using 2017 to 2021 data, NFPA estimates an average of 158,400 home cooking fires a year, 44 percent of all reported home fires.

The same report found that about 80 percent of those cooking fires never spread beyond the pan or appliance where they started, and that unattended cooking was the leading factor. More than half of the non-fatal injuries happened when people tried to fight the fire themselves.

Timing matters here as well. Tennessee's State Fire Marshal's Office calls winter the most dangerous season for home fires in the state, which makes fall the right time to check that every smoke alarm in the house works. Our home maintenance checklist covers how often to test and replace them.

The order of the steps below matters. Wiping surfaces before the loose soot is lifted off spreads it, and filtering the air without removing the residue treats the symptom instead of the cause. The EPA's guide to air cleaners is direct about it: filtration does not replace controlling the source of the pollution and ventilating.

Ozone does have a narrow professional use. The EPA notes that high concentrations are sometimes used to treat odor in an empty building during fire restoration, with conditions controlled so no person or pet is exposed. The same page says little is known about the chemical by-products those treatments leave behind, and that ozone can damage rubber, electrical wire coatings, fabrics, and artwork. None of that supports running a consumer ozone machine while people are living in the house.

Throw away food, drinks, and medicine that were exposed to heat, smoke, or soot. The American Red Cross says to discard them, with one exception for frozen food that still has ice crystals.

The USDA does not make that exception: its Fires and Food Safety fact sheet, which University of Tennessee Extension makes available to Tennessee families, warns that smoke fumes can get into food through cardboard and plastic wrap, and even into a refrigerator or freezer, because the door seal is not airtight. The fact sheet says to discard food exposed to smoke fumes. When two good sources disagree about food safety, throwing it out is the safer call.

Most reported kitchen fires stay small. NFPA found that about 80 percent of reported cooking fires never spread beyond the pan or appliance where they started, and a contained flare-up that left a smell and a film on the cabinets is usually something you can handle with the steps above.

The question is how far the residue traveled. The table below sorts the common situations.

If you are not sure which row you are in, a restoration contractor can tell you on site. If a contained kitchen flare-up does not need TrustPoint, we will say so.

Standard policies usually cover it when the smoke came from a sudden fire. Smoke is one of the named perils on standard homeowners, renters, and condominium policy forms, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Coverage limits and terms vary from policy to policy, so read yours or ask your agent before assuming either way.

Washington State's insurance regulator puts the general rule clearly in its guide to smoke damage and homeowner insurance: standard policies typically cover sudden and accidental smoke damage, including from a kitchen fire, and pay for cleaning, deodorizing, and repairs. Long-term damage from smoking tobacco in your own home is not covered. Your own policy is what decides it.

The U.S. Fire Administration recommends calling your insurance company right away and asking what to do first, confirming whether you or your insurer will pay for cleaning, getting cleaning estimates in writing, and keeping every receipt. The Washington guide adds practical advice for the claim: photograph everything before you clean, keep damaged items until the adjuster has seen them, and ask for the attic, crawl space, insulation, and HVAC system to be inspected. If the smell or residue shows up again later, you can ask for a reinspection.