Smoke filled house

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The good news is that it was just the smoke from a piece of wood. The worst to deal with is plastics or protein fires!! A good cleaning and airing out will probably do it.
 
gonna have to "grin-n-bear it", or "freeze-n-bear it", that smoke has to get out, otherwise it'll soak into everything, it just doesn't go away. Tell everyone to put on coats and stuff, then open all up, fans and all, might take a few hours, then close up and get back to heating. Thankful, you still have a house.
But, P.S., don't worry, we've all done stupid stuff, take care!
 
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So.... those clearance to combustible numbers ARE important!

I've occasionally put a piece of wood on top of the stove, but ONLY for a minute or two until it was fed into the stove.

Of course that just when it's easy to be distracted and wind up with the issue you've described, or worse.

Thanks for the reminder that this short cut should never be used!
 
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I would open a few windows when going out for awhile , hopefully it’s not in the fabrics of carpets bedding , clothing
 
You may want to rent a carpet cleaner that has a furniture attachment for the soft stuff.

I've had some luck with baking soda, a brush, and a shopvac also (scrub the dry baking soda into the fabric, then vac it out).
 
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Wow--didn't know I was going to start such a storm. I am a she--that's an exasperated me in the middle of the picture. I have learned my lesson. If was just wood smoke but a thick layer. I was mainly concerned if it was harmful for me. But thanks for all the advice. Already on my third airing out with windows and doors open. Next step bring up the fans. Then see how much absorbed into upholstery, rugs etc.
 
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3rd airing ? Oboy ( girl ) did you try any white vinegar in a spray bottle yet ? This works pretty well at neutralizing some odors just a light spray and allow to dry , I would avoid anything with fragrance as they mask odors rather than remove . The sprinkled baking soda is a good suggestion too for rugs and other fabrics ( not with vinegar ) if you have any curtains or drapes hang them outside if weather allows . You may need to damp wipe ceilings and walls if smoke was that thick . Good luck
 
Ozone machine. I have one because of that very reason as OP. First fire in new house and found out the top of the flue was covered with a piece of door screen. Eventually plugged up and smoke alarms went off in basement. Smoke filed basement so much you could see the light from the can lights making a cone of light in the smoke. After trying charcoal, vanilla, vinegar etc with no results I borrowed an ozone machine. 24 hours later it was gone....all of it. Bought my own and have had one for 18 years. There's a right and wrong way to use one, so do your homework.
 
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Yes I have one as well. It is a great air purifier. But it is an air purifier not a furniture cleaner. Yes in high enough levels ozone can kill mold. But you aren't going to get those levels without going to a commercial unit.

Sorry for the late reply. I’ve been out of the country, south of the border, not needing or caring about hearth stuff.

Vinegar, baking soda, and Fabreeze are not furniture cleaners either. Just saying...

Which purifier do you have?


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Sorry for the late reply. I’ve been out of the country, south of the border, not needing or caring about hearth stuff.

Vinegar, baking soda, and Fabreeze are not furniture cleaners either. Just saying...

Which purifier do you have?


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Actually the first 2 are very effective odor neutralizers.
 
Good luck trying to "clean" every single surface in the house to try to eliminate the odor.
There's always the "guaranteed to work" ways to clean and "absorb" smoke odors. coffee grounds, vinegar, orange peels, baking soda, etc, etc. Just look for "secrets" to getting cigarette smoke out of cars. Good luck with that.
This probably isn't a good time of year to leave ALL the windows open so - time.
Everything you can clean will help a little bit. At least vacuum everything you can to try to get the ash that floated around and stuck to everything.
Dryer sheets might even help even if all they do is mask the smell with something worse. :)
 
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Not at all. I just implied it’s a fools approach. I use baking soda and vinegar, but who would use it on every inch of their house and furniture? It’s silly.

Sure, scrub your floors with it maybe. Put it in your laundry. But for sanity sake, don’t waste your time with an inferior solution that will cause other issues. Not to mention time...

It’s truly silliness to hold on to your precious opinion so hard Hahahaha


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Let’s examine bhollars need to be “right” at all costs.

First of all, there is no right answer other than the one or combination of two or more that work. Work doesn’t just mean cheap or some other qualification. I had some personal advice based on MY experience. Deal with it.

Science: ozone is a better (read: more effective) oder neutralizer.

Time: it’s practically impossible to wash your house and all its belongings down with vinegar or baking soda, or Fabreeze (as if Fabreeze would work anyway). Ozone reaches into fabrics and almost any material air gets into, effortlessly.

Cost: sure an ozone machine costs more than baking soda or vinegar, but 1. If you aren’t poor you should have one for health, period. 2. What kind of fool values dollars over time? I guess we all can weigh that out on our own, but that doesn’t change anything about my reco. Wiping every inch of the place takes way too much time, and we’ve already determined that ozone is scientifically superior to baking soda or vinegar, not to mention the cost of ruining your stuff.

I’m not really hating baking soda or vinegar suggestions. If you go back to the beginning, I made a suggestion of ozone, I didn’t down other suggestions until bhollar claimed ozone wouldn’t work. And, more recently, that ozone is not a furniture cleaner... Ozone is just as much a “furniture cleaner” as vinegar or baking soda. Do you even logic?

Anyway, I stand by my recommendation. An air purifier that spits out ozone will do things baking soda and vinegar can’t.

Do I really care if anyone takes my recommendation? Not at all. It’s just fun to play logic games while feeling good about giving personal advice to a stranger.

Or, just spray Fabreeze up your nose. But it’s not a “furniture cleaner” either...

This all boils down to bhollar needing his reco to be The One True Advice. This just doesn’t exist. It’s unicorns. It’s peace on earth. What is this, Liberal Logic?



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Let’s examine bhollars need to be “right” at all costs.

First of all, there is no right answer other than the one or combination of two or more that work. Work doesn’t just mean cheap or some other qualification. I had some personal advice based on MY experience. Deal with it.

Science: ozone is a better (read: more effective) oder neutralizer.

Time: it’s practically impossible to wash your house and all its belongings down with vinegar or baking soda, or Fabreeze (as if Fabreeze would work anyway). Ozone reaches into fabrics and almost any material air gets into, effortlessly.

Cost: sure an ozone machine costs more than baking soda or vinegar, but 1. If you aren’t poor you should have one for health, period. 2. What kind of fool values dollars over time? I guess we all can weigh that out on our own, but that doesn’t change anything about my reco. Wiping every inch of the place takes way too much time, and we’ve already determined that ozone is scientifically superior to baking soda or vinegar, not to mention the cost of ruining your stuff.

I’m not really hating baking soda or vinegar suggestions. If you go back to the beginning, I made a suggestion of ozone, I didn’t down other suggestions until bhollar claimed ozone wouldn’t work. And, more recently, that ozone is not a furniture cleaner... Ozone is just as much a “furniture cleaner” as vinegar or baking soda. Do you even logic?

Anyway, I stand by my recommendation. An air purifier that spits out ozone will do things baking soda and vinegar can’t.

Do I really care if anyone takes my recommendation? Not at all. It’s just fun to play logic games while feeling good about giving personal advice to a stranger.

Or, just spray Fabreeze up your nose. But it’s not a “furniture cleaner” either...

This all boils down to bhollar needing his reco to be The One True Advice. This just doesn’t exist. It’s unicorns. It’s peace on earth. What is this, Liberal Logic?



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What does liberal or not have to do with anything?

I'm not sure what your beef is, but anybody who can read can re-read the thread and see that you contradicted yourself. You said vinegar and soda won't work, at all, for odors - then when someone said they will you asked who said they won't? And the answer was, you did. It's all right there.

It's also not that hard to re-post, and correct whatever it was you mis-spoke earlier about that led to the contradiction. Doen't make one a lesser person. Pretty sure I and lots others here have done that more than once.
 
What does liberal or not have to do with anything?

I'm not sure what your beef is, but anybody who can read can re-read the thread and see that you contradicted yourself. You said vinegar and soda won't work, at all, for odors - then when someone said they will you asked who said they won't? And the answer was, you did. It's all right there.

It's also not that hard to re-post, and correct whatever it was you mis-spoke earlier about that led to the contradiction. Doen't make one a lesser person. Pretty sure I and lots others here have done that more than once.

That’s not entirely how it wet down. I never said vinegar or baking soda weren’t effective odor neutralizers, which was what the more recent poster said I said. I said, as you are pointing out, that they will not work in this case. And they won’t. There is no way in hell that those two things alone will neutralize the odors. If anything, the air will do it best, which is the cheap mans ozone machine.

Go back and read how it started. I didn’t down vinegar or baking soda. I didn’t down anyone’s suggestion until mine was said to not work. Well, maybe Fabreeze... that’s a joke and most know that. What most may not know is ozone works better for smells. It works more effectively in reach and time, which for me means it’s cheaper too.


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Definition of Liberal: Not literal or strict.

Liberal Logic would be creative use of logic. As in, no logic.

Let me help you. Go back to the very beginning and read who criticized who first, will you? I dare you.

Don’t just pick and choose throughout the exchange what benefits you. It’s Liberal Logic again my friend...


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And with that we are done
 
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