8 ways to get rid of the burning smell after a fire

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It is so difficult to remove fumes from your home because it eats into your surroundings very quickly. Fabric, wallpaper, upholstered furniture, dishes - everything is saturated with this stench. The sooner you start cleaning it up, the better your chances of saving some things and breathing fresh air again. Let's start the article with instructions on how to get rid of the smell of burning in an apartment when it first appears.

Why does the burning smell appear?

In a living space, after a large or local fire, a burning smell always appears. Being a mixture of soot, smoke and soot , it easily penetrates the porous structure of materials . Possessing high volatility and chemical activity, combustion products bind to the molecules of plaster and concrete, furniture, wall and floor coverings and fill them with a pungent and unpleasant odor, which can pose a hidden threat to household members.

Even after extinguishing the fire, it is extremely dangerous to be in the affected area.

Causes of olfactory hallucinations

Among the main reasons for the appearance of phantom odors are damage to the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract, organic or functional disorders in the functioning of the corresponding parts of the brain. A similar phenomenon can be observed when:

upper respiratory tract infections;
traumatic brain injury;
benign and malignant formations in the brain;
epilepsy;
Parkinson's disease;
migraine;
alcoholism;
taking medications and certain medications;
various mental illnesses, etc.

A ghost may be the only sign of a cerebrovascular accident. They rarely occur in isolation, most often in combination with auditory and visual hallucinations. When a person experiences phantom odors, their heart rate may increase, they may experience increased sweating and salivation, and they may experience nausea or dizziness.

About 14% of women experience ghostly smells in the first weeks of pregnancy. Moreover, people prone to emotional outbursts often experience a similar phenomenon. For example, if a person has a smell associated with a certain significant event in his life, he may smell it during flashbacks or strong emotional distress.

Why is the pungent odor dangerous?

The thing is that combustion products contain up to 100 different chemicals . All of them, when inhaled, first enter the human respiratory tract, and then into his blood and spread throughout the body. As a result, intoxication occurs , which leads to a deterioration in well-being. The person begins to feel headaches, fatigue, vomiting and nausea. And this is only part of everything that can result from prolonged exposure to a burning smell on a person.

Therefore, in order to make it comfortable and safe to live in the apartment in the future, you need to carefully consider a plan for eliminating all traces of fire that contain harmful resins.

Helpful information

Tips for eliminating burning smell from an apartment:

When working with chemicals, you must strictly follow the instructions. Some formulations act for a certain time, after which they need to be washed off.
Processing should be started in a well-ventilated area. Don't forget about personal protective equipment.
First, the apartment needs to be thoroughly cleaned. Only after this can you use aromatic products.
Experts recommend leaving the apartment for 2-3 days to allow the chemicals to take effect. During this time, they should disappear, taking with them extraneous aromas.

You will find useful tips and recommendations for eliminating burning smells in this section.

What determines the concentration of burning odor?

Before solving a problem, it is necessary to correctly assess its severity. To do this, the following factors should be taken into account:

Volume of fire. In a large fire, a large amount of materials is burned, which means there will be more burning and smoke in the room;
Room area. The concentration of smoke will directly depend on the size of the room. In small apartments its value will be maximum, which means the smell will be more persistent and pungent;
Duration of the fire. The smell will be stronger if the living area has been exposed to smoke for a long time. In this case, all porous materials will be saturated with combustion products and it will be more difficult to remove the unpleasant aroma;
Material of burnt objects. Any material leaves different odors after combustion. When organic substances are burned, carcinogens are released, which pose a real threat to human health and the environment;
Temperature of combustion . If the fire occurred in a low temperature range, the result will be the fattest soot with a strong and persistent odor.

To completely eliminate the negative factor, it is necessary to carefully analyze the burned materials that caused the burning smell and only then select methods of influence.

Only complete removal of the source, which is soot, will permanently remove the smell of burning from the house.

Diagnostic methods

To cure a person, it is necessary to identify the damaging factor. To do this, it is recommended to consult a doctor who will prescribe an examination. Some tests can be performed at home, while other tests are performed in clinical settings.

Home test for odor sensitivity
. A man closes his eyes as various objects and foods are brought to him. It detects smell.
Examination by an otolaryngologist
. He assesses the condition of the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx. A general examination can reveal polyps, inflammation, swelling, and mucus secretion.
General blood analysis
. The level of formed elements is determined. Infectious and inflammatory processes can be detected in a timely manner. If they are present, the number of leukocytes and ESR increases.
Nasal swab
. The bacterial composition is determined. If there is an infection, indicate the antibiotic to which it is sensitive.
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Radiography
. The method helps to identify the condition of the sinuses. For example, the filling with exudate and damage are determined.
CT, MRI
. The monitor shows a layer-by-layer image of the tissues of the skull, brain, blood vessels, and nerves. Determines the exact location of the lesion. The doctor can detect a tumor, inflammation of the nerve fibers.

With the received data, they return to the attending physician. Based on the tests, he indicates the diagnosis in the medical history. Treatment begins immediately.

First actions after a fire

It is necessary to take measures to eliminate the consequences of a fire in an apartment as early as possible. Otherwise, all combustion products will penetrate deeply into the structure of surfaces and objects and it will be more difficult to get rid of them.

In this regard, the first thing to do in such a situation is:

Open all windows and doors in the apartment . By creating a draft in the room, only visible smoke can be removed. If the house has a supply and exhaust ventilation system or a duct or cassette type air conditioner, and it was not damaged as a result of a fire, then you can use it. To do this, you need to close the windows tightly and turn on the device so that it draws out all harmful fumes from the room;
Throw away items that cannot be restored. Household items, textiles and other interior elements must immediately be taken out into the fresh air. This should be done as quickly as possible, since they are one of the sources of the acrid smell in the apartment. Items that have been damaged by fire and cannot be repaired should be thrown away, and the rest should be dry cleaned;
Perform water procedures. Moisture absorbs unpleasant odors, so after the previous steps, you must begin water procedures. To do this, it is advisable to take several containers, fill them with water and place them around the apartment. You can also add a few drops of essential oil to the water to slightly neutralize the burning smell.

Important! When cleaning a house after a fire, it is not recommended to use air fresheners. When their aroma is mixed with smoke in the room, an even more unpleasant odor is formed.

Hydration

Specialists working in cleaning centers recommend humidifying the air in the apartment as much as possible after a fire. The fact is that moisture absorbs the burning smell, helping to eliminate it as quickly as possible.

You can increase the humidity in the affected apartment by:

turning on the water;
moistening towels;
installing a basin of water in each room;
filling the pan with water mixed with aromatic herbs.

Turning on the water

To quickly increase the humidity in your home, just turn on all the water taps. If the smoke is not strong, one tap open in the kitchen is enough. It is recommended to open the tap with hot water, as it evaporates more, saturating the air with water molecules.

It is advisable to immediately wipe off condensation that settles on objects and squeeze the water into the sink.

Wet towels

Wet towels hung in each room perfectly capture the burning smell, quickly absorbing it. The larger the towel or sheet, the faster the unpleasant odor will disappear. If the fire was severe, the towels are moistened not with ordinary water, but with a vinegar-based solution.

It is prepared as follows:

take 2 tablespoons of vinegar;
dilute them in a five-liter container with water;
moisten the towels with the resulting solution.

Basins with water

An equally effective way to quickly humidify the air in a room. One or two basins of hot water will be enough to significantly reduce the pungent, unpleasant smell from a fire.

Pot with herbs

A saucepan with aromatic herbs, placed on the fire, not only saturates the air with moisture, but also releases aromatic oils that clog the pungent odors of burning.

The following herbs are used:

mint;
caraway;
cloves;
lemon balm;
lavender.

Sometimes one pan is enough to completely neutralize the effects of smoke.

Traditional methods of eliminating burning smell

On the Internet you can find a considerable amount of advice on how to quickly get rid of the consequences of a fire using available means. However, most of them are effective only if there is a slight burning smell in the apartment . In more severe cases, traditional methods will be ineffective .

Therefore, if there was a small fire in the apartment and the exposure to smoke was short-lived, the following means are suitable to combat the fumes:

Vinegar. To restore freshness to the room, you need to soak towels in a weak solution of vinegar and hang them in the apartment;
Activated carbon. Despite the fact that this adsorbent will not add pleasant aromas, it can do an excellent job of neutralizing a slight burning odor. To do this, you need to take several coal tablets, crush them and place them on plates in places where they will not interfere with movement. For the smell to be completely absorbed into the coal, 3-4 days are usually enough, and the adsorbent needs to be changed every two days;
Ammonia and starch. Starch with a few drops of ammonia absorbs unpleasant odors well. To eliminate them, you need to put the mixture on plates and place them in rooms;
Soda and salt. By scattering these products in the corners of the room, you can eliminate the faint smell of burning;
Coniferous branches and aromatic herbs. By laying them on the floor and window sills, you can simultaneously fill the house with pleasant aromas and thoroughly disinfect the atmosphere;
Citruses. Citrus peels give good results in the fight against stench. They need to be cut and placed around the apartment. To enhance the effect, it is better to pre-dry the citrus peels a little in a frying pan;

Coffee. Ground coffee does an excellent job of absorbing unpleasant odors. To do this, just put it in saucers and place it around the apartment. The results of the procedure can be felt within 2-3 hours.
use spices to neutralize the faint burning smell . But for this method, you should choose only cloves or cinnamon , and provided that no one in their household is allergic to them.

Cleaning furniture, walls, curtains, appliances

Things that are exposed to even slight smoke need to be cleaned. With the help of available products, it is easy to rid carpets, curtains, furniture, and floors of the pungent odor. By taking note of these seven tips, you can deal with the clutter yourself.

Windows and frames. Wash away dirt and grime with soapy water. Wash the glass with glass cleaner and wipe dry. Plastic window sills and frames are difficult to clean from ingrained soot. Therefore, first carefully brush off the carbon deposits and then wipe with a cleaning agent.
Curtains. Remove and wash, choosing the appropriate mode. When washing, use conditioner or essential oil to add fragrance. If you couldn’t get rid of the stubborn odor the first time, wash it again. Dry curtains outside or in a ventilated area.
Blinds. Wash metal or plastic blinds with soapy water in the shower. Soak fabric blinds for a while and scrub with a brush.
Carpets. Spread a thin layer of baking soda over the carpet and leave overnight. Vacuum in the morning.
Furniture. Can be cleaned like carpets. If the smell does not disappear, it is better to contact a specialist dry cleaner or cleaning company.
Oven. Preheat oven to 90°C, turn off. Pour half a glass of ammonia and place it inside. Leave it overnight. In the morning, wipe the oven with a damp, then dry cloth.
Microwave. Pour a couple of tablespoons of soda powder into a glass and place it inside the oven. Close the door and leave for a day (the oven cannot be used during this time). Take out the glass and wipe the inside of the equipment.

After a fire, it doesn't hurt to freshen up your clothes. Take things out of the closet and ventilate them on the balcony or in a ventilated room.

Place sachets or homemade bags of zest, coffee, mint in dressers, cabinets and boxes.

Knowing how to remove the smell of burning in an apartment, you can return the living space to its original appearance after cleaning. It will take several days or weeks to restore the atmosphere in the apartment after a fire. Light smoke can be eliminated by ventilation and procedures with aromatic substances.

General cleaning of the premises after a fire

After the first steps are completed, it is necessary to begin more thorough cleaning of the apartment. First you need to do dry cleaning .

To do this, you should completely clean the walls and ceilings from wallpaper and paintwork, remove soot from surfaces and in cracks with a vacuum cleaner. After dry cleaning, you can begin wet cleaning using special chemicals.

What should you not do?

Actions prohibited after a fire:

Do not start washing electrical appliances connected to the network;
do not trample soot and soot into the covering on the floor;
Do not touch clean surfaces with dirty hands - this will cause the smell to spread to new products;
Do not use aggressive substances or products with a pungent odor for cleaning;
You cannot clean with the windows closed; the room must be well ventilated.

Eliminating burning smell with special means

As already mentioned, in order to get rid of the burning smell forever, it is necessary to eliminate its source. To do this, you need to carry out high-quality cleaning of the apartment using chemicals. There are a huge number of similar products on the market. However, according to consumers, as evidenced by numerous positive reviews on forums, the following are considered the most effective:

Odorgone. A powerful professional product that can effectively eliminate burning odors of any complexity. The advantage of this composition is that after processing it not only absorbs unpleasant odors, but also interacts with burnt areas at the molecular level. The Odorgon series of products quickly and permanently removes odors of burning, rot and smoke in the apartment, and can be used to neutralize odors in cars. The compositions can be sprayed, treated with hard-to-reach surfaces , or used as a universal remedy for solving most household problems;

SmellOff. The water-based liquid preparation does not contain aggressive chemicals. It not only masks the smell after a fire, but also completely eliminates it. When working with chemicals, you must have a spray bottle or sponge on hand. With their help, the composition is applied to the surface to be treated and left to act for a day;
SYNTILOR Fuoco . A high-quality product for removing soot, carbon deposits, soot and burning odors. It actively dissolves contaminants due to its special composition, which contains alkaline composites and special additives. The product is biodegradable and has absolutely no odor;
Dufta. The series of products from this manufacturer includes a special product for removing burning odors. Many who have tried it note the high speed of exposure to the chemical composition. Literally a couple of hours after applying the product in the room, the smell either completely disappears or it becomes less pungent. If the smell was not completely removed the first time, the procedure must be repeated. The drug is safe for humans because it mainly consists of enzymes, which act as odor absorbers after a fire;
Spartan Airlift Smoke . Detergent with excellent characteristics, which is excellent in combating various odors. It contains a solvent and potent substances that suppress the smell of smoke. The drug acts on the surfaces being treated at the molecular level, is economically consumed and can be used in diluted form .

Air fresheners

Fragrances and fresheners are one of the effective ways to remove fumes after a fire. Industrially produced formulations or homemade products effectively eliminate stench. Proven folk methods of combating smoke are:

baking soda, salt;
freshly cut pine needles;
Activated carbon;
roasted coffee beans.

A strong stench, after intense smoke, requires the use of special-purpose industrial compounds. Modern powder or granular deodorants effectively absorb harmful suspended matter in the room. This method of air purification requires compliance with certain conditions. It is necessary to ensure good circulation of flows in all rooms, maintaining the required level of humidity and temperature. You can spray regular air fresheners in all rooms.

Combating burning smell using equipment

Some people mistakenly believe that if after a fire everything is quickly and thoroughly ventilated, washed and treated with various means, this will help get rid of the burning smell forever. Alas! Such methods do not always work, and sometimes in order to remove deeply settled soot particles, you have to resort to much more serious cleaning methods using special equipment and instruments. Cleaning companies have many effective cleaning methods in their arsenal, but you can do some of them yourself. Moreover, such companies often rent out some of such equipment.

Ozonizer to combat burning smell

The procedure for ozonizing a room after a fire is one of the most effective. Using an ozonizer, you can clean, disinfect your apartment, and deodorize the air .

The ozone released during operation of the device has an antibacterial effect and eliminates toxic and chemical combustion products.

During processing, ozone penetrates deep into materials that have been damaged by fire, including hard-to-reach places. The duration of cleaning a living space with professional equipment will depend on the extent of the damage caused, the size of the room and the performance of the ozonizer. It takes about 3-10 hours to treat an apartment that is saturated with a burning smell .

The advantages of cleaning an apartment using an ozonizer include:

complete disintegration of unpleasant odor molecules after treatment;
the process is carried out naturally and without the use of chemicals ;
gas penetrates into all places and cleans even the most inaccessible areas;
after ozonation, the room does not need to be cleaned ;
Furniture and interior items do not deteriorate under the influence of ozone .

Since there are no ozone-resistant microorganisms in nature, this method of air treatment will be the most effective for most rooms.

In addition, the cost of the ozonizer itself is much cheaper than paying for services for treating the premises with chemicals. At the same time, the efficiency of ozonation is many times higher .

Dry fog generators for odor elimination

Unlike all kinds of aerosols and fragrances, which can only temporarily mask the smell of burning, dry fog generators can completely remove it from the apartment . The procedure using such equipment is safe , since the components do not harm the health of humans and animals if precautions are strictly followed. The generated dry mist penetrates into any corner of the room and removes the acrid aroma of smoke and burning. In addition, such a device will rid the room of fungus and mold, eliminate unpleasant odors from pets, and also help rid the home of insects and various viruses and bacteria.

By choosing such a device for treating an apartment, you can get advantages in the form of:

uniform treatment of fire-damaged surfaces;
high cleaning speed and ease of use of the design;
complete process safety;
mobility and availability of equipment.

But the most important thing is that after exposing the room to dry fog, all odors will be eliminated without a trace.

The fact is that fog crystals replace particles of burning and soot . The substances used in the process are absolutely harmless and do not cause allergic reactions. Therefore, the dry fog treatment procedure can be carried out even in children's rooms.

Symptoms of deviations

When there is a feeling of foreign odors in the nose, you need to consult a doctor. He identifies the root cause using laboratory and instrumental tests and prescribes treatment. If this is not done, auxiliary signs will appear:

discomfort in the nasal passages, expressed in pain, itching, burning, tingling;
partial or complete loss of smell;
headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, other symptoms of neurological disorders;
nosebleeds;
secretion of clear mucus, which, when a bacterial infection is attached, becomes green or yellow and thick;
loss of appetite, malaise, fever with the development of systemic pathology;
mood changes, apathy, indifference, depression, lethargy.

Since there are many reasons, the signs may be supplemented, depending on the diagnosis. All deviations develop only in pathologies and are not formed normally. A person should not smell cigarette smoke or other foreign odors unless their source is close to him.

Signs often develop due to neurological abnormalities, but this is only detected through diagnostic tests.

When the first signs appear, they turn to a therapist. He prescribes general laboratory and instrumental tests to determine the cause. The patient is then referred to a specialist doctor. For example, neurologist, otolaryngologist, pulmonologist.

On what day can the sense of smell disappear during coronavirus infection?

Most often, anosmia develops 4-6 days after the onset of the disease.

It also differs significantly from olfactory dysfunction caused by a cold or ARVI. With other viral lesions of the respiratory tract, the nose is always frozen, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, partial loss of taste, body aches, chills, fever up to 38-39 ° C. With coronavirus, loss of smell is the only symptom.

In severe cases, nasal congestion and dryness of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract occur due to anosmia. There is a dry and unproductive cough, hyperthermia (up to 39-40 ° C), distortion or complete loss of taste, weakness, headache, shortness of breath.