To remove the smoke odour and ash particles after a fire:
- ventilate your home
- wash hard and soft surfaces
- wash your clothes.
Open the doors and windows
Sunlight and fresh air will help remove the odour.
Wash hard surfaces
This includes furniture, walls and floors.
Wash indoor surfaces with mild soap or detergent and water.
For persistent smoke and soot, try 4 to 6 teaspoons of washing powder and one cup of household chlorine bleach added to 4 litres of water. Wear rubber gloves, and follow the safety directions on the bleach container.
Wash cooking utensils with detergent and hot water. Polish them with a polishing agent to remove discolouration.
Wash soft furnishings
This includes upholstered furniture and bedding.
Air soft furnishings outside in the sunshine and wind.
It's almost impossible to get the smell of smoke out of feather pillows or foam. Specialist mattress repairers may be able to clean your mattresses.
Wash clothing
Wash affected clothing normally.
Rewash clothing that was left on the line. The wind might have removed some smoke odour, but soot, particles and ash may still be on the clothes. Rewashing them ensures that you protect sensitive skin, such as a baby's skin, from possible irritants.
Air clothing outside in the sunshine and wind.
For persistent stains and smoke odour, try 4 to 6 teaspoons of washing powder and one cup of household chlorine bleach added to 4 litres of water. Wear gloves, and follow the safety directions on the bleach container and the clothing labels. Take care, as this mix bleaches clothes.
After washing, rinse the clothes with clean water and dry them well.
Manage ash
Ash settles around your home and garden for several days after the fire has gone. Low levels of ash on household surfaces are unlikely to harm your health.
Download our Ash fact sheet for more information about the health risks of ash and how to clean up ash after a fire.
Updated