Posted by: Chris Laney on June 18, 2019

How to Remove Smoke Odor from Clothing

Having a house fire is a devastating experience. In addition to the fear and stress of returning to a ruined home, it because evident quickly just how much damage the fire actually caused. Not just from the flames, but the smoke smell and damage can be nearly as difficult to clean from your home and belongings.

Let's learn how to remove the smoke smell from clothing and fabric after a house fire.

Follow These Steps to Remove Smoke Smell From Clothing

1. For clothing that is machine washable, laundering is the easiest way to remove the smoke smell. However, it isn't as easy as throwing clothing into a washing machine. First, examine each piece of clothing for the level of damage. Any clothing with holes or burn marks should be thrown away.
2. Remove clothing from your home and take them outside in the fresh air. Shake them off to remove any loose soot particles, and leave the clothing in the outdoors for 24 hours. The longer the clothing is in the fresh air, the better the chances are of removing the smoke smell naturally.
3. Before washing any clothing, try to remove any excess soot with a high powered vacuum cleaner. Use the attachment provided with the machine, trying not to grind the soot into the fabric of the clothing. This can make it harder to repair damaged clothes.
4. Start cleaning your clothing. Any dry cleaning should be professionally cleaned, while machine washable clothing can be washed directly in your machine.
5. It is highly recommended to soak your clothing in a detergent of 4 to 6 tablespoons of trisodium phosphate, one cup of bleach, and a gallon of water. Keep the clothing soaking in this mixture for 24 hours, then wash them as normal in your machine.
6. If the smoke smell persists, you may need to call in a fire damage expert to help you rid the clothing of the smoke smell.

Bringing in a Professional

At Water Out Fort Wayne, we know what it's like to experience fire damage and how overwhelming it can be to think of everything necessary to bring life back to normal. Our fire restoration teams take the work out of the process for you.

We will bring in cleaning crews, contractors, and work with other professionals to help clean your personal belongings and restore your home as quickly as possible. Our expert team is ready 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – we know disasters strike at any time, day or night.

Call us for more information, and visit our website today.