First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Ventilate the room and put on household gloves and an N95 dust mask.
- Wash any ash off your skin promptly.
- Lift loose soot dry before any cloth or liquid goes near it.
- Use a dry chemical sponge first on flat paint, wallboard, wallpaper and bare wood.
Smoke leaves a dry, dusty or oily residue behind, and the unburned chemicals in it carry the smell into fabric and porous surfaces. Wetting it first is what makes it hard, because it pushes the soot deeper where it may show as a permanent stain. Porous materials can take several washes before the odor fully lifts.
Check whether the soot is still dry and loose, since that alone decides your first move. Soot stains on a big job go best room by room, so hold off on any wet solution until everything is dusted. If the smell lingers after the soot is gone, reach for an odor eliminator, or call a smoke damage cleanup crew for a large area.
8 items
What you'll need
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- Household glovesKeep soot and ash off your skin. (opens Amazon)
- N95 dust maskKeeps fine ash and dust out of your airway while you work. (opens Amazon)
- Vacuum with a soft nozzleLifts loose soot without brushes or beater bars that spread it.
- Dry chemical spongeLifts soot off flat paint, wallboard, wallpaper and bare wood before any liquid is used. (opens Amazon)
- Liquid laundry detergentUsed in the cold soak for washable items and in the final wash. (opens Amazon)
- Mild detergentFor wiping hard, non-porous surfaces and walls. (opens Amazon)
- Clean cloths and a bucket of clean waterFor rinsing each small area right away.
- Cellulose sponge (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 6
Gear up and ventilate the room
Open a window and run a fan so the air keeps moving, and put on household gloves and an N95 dust mask before you handle anything. If ash lands on your skin, wash it off promptly. Keep other people out of the room while you work.
Careful. Don't touch or wipe the soot during your first look, since handling it moves soot from item to item.
Step 2 of 6
Lift the loose soot dry
Vacuum the loose soot with the nozzle held slightly above the surface. On washable items, shake the soot off gently instead so it doesn't spread.
Tip. Empty the vacuum or shake items over a bag so the soot stays contained.
Careful. Don't vacuum with an upright or with brush or beater-bar attachments, since they force soot into other possessions.
Step 3 of 6
Dry-sponge porous surfaces before liquids
On flat paint, wallboard, wallpaper and bare wood, rub a dry chemical sponge over the soot before any liquid touches it. Use light strokes and turn the sponge often so you lift the soot instead of grinding it in. Move to a liquid only after the dry pass is finished.
Careful. Don't start with water or a wet sponge on sooty porous surfaces, since it can drive soot in as a permanent stain.
Step 4 of 65 minutes
Soak washable items in cold detergent
Rinse the item under cold running water first. Then soak it for up to 5 minutes in 1 oz (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) liquid detergent per gallon of cold water, skipping this for anything that is dry clean only.
Tip. Keep the water cold for both the rinse and the soak.
Step 5 of 6
Wash on the hottest safe setting
Wash the item on the hottest setting its care label allows, using liquid detergent or an odor-removing detergent. If any mark remains, repeat the wash before drying. For smoke odor, repeat the full wash three to five times without drying in between, since it can take several washes to clear.
Tip. Wash small loads so the detergent works through the whole item.
Step 6 of 6
Wipe hard surfaces with mild detergent
For hard, non-porous surfaces, wipe with a mild detergent and rinse right away, working one small area at a time. On walls, start at the floor and work up, and do ceilings last so drips don't land on clean areas.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for smoke
Use a liquid laundry detergent for washable items, a dry chemical sponge for porous surfaces, and a plain mild detergent for hard, non-porous ones.
OdoBan Odor Eliminator & Disinfectant Concentrate
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on these surfaces, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
See what to do for what you're seeing →If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →Pick what it is on
Smoke on every material
Clothes & laundry1
Carpet & rugs1
Bedding & linens2
Skin & hair1
Furniture & upholstery1
No match. Try the main search for anything else.
How to tell it's working
A stain that is lifting shows up on the cloth or sponge, and the surface looks lighter after each dry pass. If the item looks clean but still smells smoky, repeat the wash rather than drying it.
What changes for yours
Adjust for where the stain is
Professional smoke damage cleanup
Some jobs are bigger than a home cleanup. Smoke that has spread through a whole space is hard to reach with a sponge and a bucket.
A restoration service can work through the walls, ceilings and contents together, which a single room cleanup can't do. Ask them about odor treatment specifically, since that's often what lingers after the visible soot is gone.
Shoes, boots and hats
Start dry, the same as everywhere else, and knock off or gently vacuum the loose soot with the nozzle held above the surface. If you can't tell what the shoe or hat is made of, don't guess with a liquid; take it to a cleaner instead.
Leather can't take oxygen bleach or rubbing alcohol, so skip both on leather shoes. Skip scented sprays on the lining too, and air the item out in a ventilated room between dry passes.
Garage, basement or house
Air is the first job: keep the space ventilated while you clean, and work the surfaces in the order given above. Walls and ceilings are where this changes, since soot sits in paint and wallboard rather than just on the surface.
Stains that still show on painted walls after cleaning need a stronger fix, covered in the stubborn-stain notes. For the full process on those surfaces, see the Walls and Ceilings guides.
Bedding, pillows and stuffed animals
Most bedding and stuffed toys can go through the washing steps, so start with the dry lift and the cold soak. Check the care label first, since it decides whether the washing steps apply at all.
For pillows and stuffed animals, plan on repeated washes rather than one. Keep the item out of the dryer until the odor has gone.
Wool, suede and cashmere
These fibers need the most care, so check the care label before any liquid goes on. Lift loose soot dry first, with the vacuum nozzle held above the fabric.
If the label says dry clean only, or you can't identify the fiber, take the item to a cleaner with a deodorizing service instead. A cleaner can also tell you whether a wash is safe at all.
Car windows, paint and headlights
Loose soot on a car comes off dry before anything wet touches it, the same as on any painted surface. Once it's gone, the windows and headlights take the mild detergent wipe from the steps.
Glass and headlight lenses are hard, non-porous surfaces, so a wipe and a quick rinse is enough. For more on glass, see the Glass, Windows and Mirrors guide.
Sinks, bathtubs and grout
Sinks and bathtubs are hard, non-porous surfaces, so they take the wipe-and-rinse approach instead of the dry sponge. Lift any loose residue dry first, then wipe with a mild detergent and rinse before it dries.
Grout needs more care, since it's cement-based and the vinegar warning in the remedies applies to it. Test a small hidden spot first, and keep the wipe light so the detergent doesn't soak in.
Wood floors and hardwood
Bare wood counts as porous, so the dry chemical sponge pass comes first, the same as with flat paint and wallboard. If the floor is sealed, still start dry, and test a hidden spot before any liquid touches it.
Once the loose soot is lifted, use a mild detergent in a small area and rinse right away. If the odor stays in the boards after cleaning, a professional deodorizing service is the safe next step.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old soot that has been sitting for a while usually needs more than one pass, so repeat the dry lift before each wet round. Don't expect a single wash to clear it.
Once soot has dried into porous material, hard scrubbing is the wrong move, since rubbing can push it deeper. Go back to the dry sponge first, then the wet steps.
If smoke odor is still there after the repeated washes, a dry cleaner with a deodorizing service such as ozone is the next step for fabric. If a wall stain still shows after cleaning, a stain-blocking (anti-bleed) paint, typically lacquer or oil-based, is the realistic fix. Some marks on porous material may never lift fully, so judge the result against where you started.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on smoke?
Many home remedies are written for food and drink, so only a few belong in a soot routine. For tile, marble and grout, the order stays the same: lift the loose soot dry, then wipe with a mild detergent and rinse right away.
Skip6
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't use fabric softener on smoke-damaged clothes
Fabric softener should stay off smoke-damaged clothes until the odor is gone. Stick to the detergent in the washes, and check the smell once the item is dry.
Don't use fragranced cleaning products
Fragranced products only mask the odor, so the smoke smell is still there once the scent is gone. Choose plain products for every step.
Don't put dry-clean-only items in the washer
Drapes and other items that require dry cleaning don't belong in the washing machine, even on a gentle cycle. Check the care label before you start any step on those items.
Don't overdo the TSP on painted walls
Too much TSP can dull painted surfaces or remove the paint entirely. Use it sparingly, and test a small hidden area before you clean the whole wall.
Don't mix chlorine bleach with ammonia or other cleaners
Keep chlorine bleach apart from ammonia and any other cleaner, and rinse out each product before you switch to another one. If you use bleach at all, it goes on last, after everything else is rinsed out.
Troubleshooting
If the stain is still there
Pick what you're seeing:
Wiping left gray streaks on the wall
The soot was wetted or smeared. Let the area dry, go over it with a dry chemical sponge, then wash small sections with mild detergent and rinse right away.
A wall stain remains after cleaning
LA County suggests a specialized stain-blocking, anti-bleed paint, typically lacquer or oil-based, before repainting.
Soot won't vacuum out of the carpet
The Carpet and Rug Institute's soot advice is to vacuum and then call a professional, so stop there rather than adding liquids.
When to call a professional
Call a restoration service when smoke has spread through the structure or the residue is heavier than you can clean by hand. Heavy residue may need professional methods such as soda blasting, so don't stretch a home cleanup past what it can handle.
Questions
Does smoke, soot, or ash stain?
Yes, and ash counts as dry soot. The damage usually comes from wetting or rubbing the residue first, which can push it deeper so it shows as a permanent stain. Lifting it dry first keeps that from happening.
How many washes will smoke smell take?
Usually several, so plan on repeated washes rather than one. If the item is dry clean only, or you can't tell what fiber it is, take it to a cleaner with a deodorizing service instead.
What stain remover should I buy for soot?
For turnout gear, the safe move is to follow its care label and use a cleaner rather than a home product. For everyday items, a liquid laundry detergent, a dry chemical sponge and a plain mild detergent do the job.
Why shouldn't I wipe soot off right away?
Wiping spreads loose soot across the surface and can push it into porous material, where it may show as a permanent stain. Lift it dry first, with a vacuum or by shaking washable items, and the liquid steps come after.
Can white vinegar remove soot from marble or grout?
No, white vinegar is unsafe on marble, limestone, travertine, granite and cement grout. For tile and marble, lift the loose soot dry first, then use a mild detergent and rinse right away.
Will smoke smell go away on its own?
Not reliably. Ventilating helps, but the unburned chemicals that carry the smell have to be removed from the materials they're in, and that takes the cleaning steps above.
Odor guides
Still smells?
Related
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.