How to get rid of smoke smell in a house

By Muhammad Ishaq Hassan. Updated October 29, 2026. 4 min read.

Short answer: Smoke smell comes back until its source is removed. Clean away the soot first, wash every surface and fabric, replace the heating and cooling filter, clean the ducts, and seal stained surfaces before painting. Light odors can often be handled at home. Odor after a real house fire usually needs professional cleaning and deodorizing.

After a fire, the smell of smoke can linger for months. It hides in drywall, insulation, carpet, furniture, clothes and air ducts. Air fresheners only cover it for a while. This guide explains how to get rid of smoke smell in a house, what homeowners can do and when professional help is needed.

Why smoke smell lingers

Smoke is made of tiny particles and gases. The particles settle as soot on every surface and work their way into porous materials. Warm air and humidity release the odor again later, which is why the smell often comes back on hot or damp days. Kitchen fires that burn food, called protein fires, leave a thin, greasy residue with an especially strong smell.

Steps to remove smoke smell

1. Ventilate the home with open windows and fans blowing air outside, when the weather allows.
2. Remove soot first. Lift loose soot with a dry cleaning sponge and a HEPA vacuum before using any water.
3. Wash hard surfaces, walls, cabinets and floors with a cleaner suited to the residue. Greasy kitchen residue needs a degreaser.
4. Launder clothes, curtains and bedding, and have delicate or heavily soaked items professionally cleaned.
5. Clean upholstery and carpet, or replace pieces that still smell after cleaning.
6. Replace the heating and cooling filter, and have the ducts professionally cleaned so the system does not spread odor.
7. Seal stained or smelly walls and ceilings with an odor blocking primer before painting.

Do not run an ozone generator in an occupied home. Ozone can harm the lungs. Professionals use it only when the home is empty and aired out afterwards.

Home remedies that help with light odors

• Bowls of baking soda, activated charcoal or white vinegar to absorb odors in closed rooms
• Washing hard surfaces with a mild detergent solution
• Sunlight and fresh air for fabrics that can go outside
• Replacing air filters more often for a few weeks

These help with light, recent odors. They do not remove odor soaked into drywall, insulation or ducts.

What professionals do

Fire restoration companies combine deep cleaning with deodorizing methods such as thermal fogging, hydroxyl generators and ozone treatment in empty homes. They clean or replace insulation, clean ducts and seal surfaces so the smell does not return. For contents, they use specialist cleaning for clothes, furniture and electronics. Read about smoke damage cleanup and soot removal.

Getting smoke smell out of clothes

1. Shake off loose soot outside, while wearing a mask.
2. Wash in cold or warm water with a strong detergent. Hot water can set some stains.
3. Add a cup of white vinegar or baking soda to the wash for extra odor removal.
4. Air dry outside if possible, and smell before machine drying, since heat can lock in odor.
5. Repeat if needed, and send delicate or dry clean only items to a cleaner experienced with smoke.

Painting over smoke damage

Paint alone will not cover smoke odor or soot stains. Walls and ceilings must be cleaned first, then sealed with an odor blocking primer, often a shellac or oil based sealer, before the final paint. Skipping these steps is why smoke smell and yellow stains sometimes bleed through fresh paint.

When to call a professional

If the smell keeps coming back after a fire, a professional smoke cleaning service can clean soot from walls, ducts and contents and deodorize the whole home in one visit.

• After any fire larger than a small, contained kitchen flare up
• When the smell is still strong after cleaning
• When soot is oily, sticky or spread across several rooms
• When the odor comes from inside walls, insulation or ducts
• When anyone at home has asthma or breathing problems

How long it takes

Light odors can fade within days of cleaning and airing out. After a larger fire, professional odor removal often takes days to weeks, depending on how far smoke traveled and how much has to be cleaned, sealed or replaced.

Quick answers: how to get rid of smoke smell in a house

Related

• Smoke damage cleanup
• Soot removal
• Fire damage restoration near you
• What to do after a house fire

This guide covered how to get rid of smoke smell in a house. For more background, see the National Fire Protection Association, and if you need help, Sifixit can connect you with a local provider.

This guide is general information for homeowners, not professional, insurance or safety advice for your situation.