My son fell asleep while cooking beans. When he woke up they were very burnt and the house smelled bad. This was Friday night. The house still smells. He has tried sprays, candles, potpourri, warming oils as well as leaving the house open since Friday. I would appreciate any and all suggestions.
2007-01-21 16:25:12 · 17 answers · asked by Pam S 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Cleaning & Laundry
unfortunatly, the smell is not just drifting around that sprays and febreeze will remove or hide. The odor is from the residue left by the smoke from the burning food, and is a film most likely on the kitchen walls and celing. I'm sure you may have heard the term 'smoke damage', and unfortunatly it is what you probably will have to deal with.
If the smell is strongest in the kitchen, a solution of 11/2 cups of lemon scented foaming ammonia per 1 gallon of very warm water will be effective in cutting the residue from the smoke, and also as an odor neutralizer. The ammonia odors will be strong while cleaning, so make sure to open the doors and windows if you can. Start off cleaning all surfaces higher than the stove where the food burned. You will have to expand your cleaning with fresh solution farther and lower if the first pass up high doesn't get it all, but that's really the only way to get rid of it, and why cleaning services that clean smoke damage cost alot, it's labor and time to get the smell out, but it will wash off.
Good luck, and sorry for what happened.
P.S. DON"T use bleach...ammonia is a natural grease cutter, and has been used for decades before modern odor killers for deodorizing, and unlike bleach, won't harm most surfaces. Bleach is a disinfecting agent, not a cleaner/grease cutter, and won't deodorize odors from smoke very well, it's not bacterial or fungal. Also, start with just the areas mentioned...a pot of beans shouldn't have affected the furniture enough to need cleaning, or the carpet.
2007-01-21 16:44:52 · answer #1 · answered by Rides365 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Vinegar is the best way to get rid of aromas. Set shallow dishes of vinegar throughout the house. Dampen a rag with vinegar and twirl in the air as you walk around the house, may look silly but it does help/ Also put some vinegar in the pan the beans were burnt in and add some water and bring to a boil on the stove to help remove the smell from the pan as well
2007-01-21 16:52:27 · answer #2 · answered by Gary S 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are commercially available deodorizers on the market. but if you have already tried that...
Locate the source of the worse smell (if there is one). Remove or clean.
Leave little trays of baking powder. Lots of them. Just a shallow layer is sufficient. It should absorb the smell.
If you have a friend with an air purifier that accepts CARBON filters, use that. It will be very effective in removing smells.
If the room has an air-con, you can use that instead. Buy a CARBON filter and place it over the other regular filters. Tape it if necessary.
CARBON is able to react and "traps" odors. And toxins, for that matter.
I hope that helps.
2007-01-21 20:26:18 · answer #3 · answered by Stanley W 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Did you try opening your windows (is this what you mean when you say leaving the "house open")? Even if it is cold out (like where I live), open all the windows in your house for about 15 minutes.
Also, I like Febreze Air Effects for removing odors in the air. Take out the trash (where I'd imagine the burnt beans are), and clean up the pot. Maybe Leave a box of Arm & Hammer open and out in the kitchen to absorb the smell (just like you would do in your fridge).
2007-01-21 16:33:50 · answer #4 · answered by CharmedTeri 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is great motivation to start your spring cleaning a bit early this year.
I love the idea of having your carpets cleaned. Nothing make a house smell fresher.
Ease off the smelly things for a while and clean everything.
Keep a couple of candles going durring the day.
You can clean with Odo Ban.This stuff is amazing.
2007-01-22 04:36:27 · answer #5 · answered by Cammie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Strategically place shallow bowls of white vinegar throughout the house to adsorb the odor. Vinegar is a great odor absorber. I use 1 part vinegar to 1part water in a spray bottle for as air freshener among other things---
2007-01-21 17:50:49 · answer #6 · answered by busymom 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You may want to change out the air filters to a better quality one (they most likely need changing anyway) and run the fan for an hour or two.
If you have an air cleaner unit, like the Sharper Image or Oreck, try that too. Leave it on high for a few hours.
Otherwise, it'll pass with time....a lot of time.
2007-01-21 17:13:05 · answer #7 · answered by bundysmom 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
febreeze stinks and it just masks the odor try Oust or leave a large bowl of vinegar sitting out for a day, you will smell the vinegar during this time but it also sucks in all the odor and once you dump the vinegar aaahhh clean air again
2007-01-21 16:33:46 · answer #8 · answered by just me 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Baking soda-- you can sprinkle it on the pad that goes on the bottom, let it sit to absorb the odor and vacuum it up. Then wipe it down with a damp cloth. The white vinegar answer is also safe. I didn't know it eliminated odors, but it does disinfect and is totally safe. I always use it to clean my floors since baby crawls around there.
2016-05-24 13:16:14 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
get a pyrex or glass bowl and fill it half way with water and put lemon slices in it. and throw it in the microwave for about a minute. or u could try cooking up a bunch of spices on the stove. cloves,sliced apples. anything that smells cook in a pot on the stove
2007-01-21 17:23:12 · answer #10 · answered by skizzie72 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋