Where smoke odor actually lives
Smoke leaves a sticky residue that coats walls, ceilings, cabinets, trim, window blinds and light fixtures. It also works into carpet, pad, curtains and upholstered furniture. In a home where people smoked indoors for years, that film can be thick enough to discolor paint.
Painting over the residue without cleaning it first rarely solves the problem; the odor can come through new paint. A lasting result depends on removing the residue and the soft materials that absorbed the most smoke.
- Walls and ceilings, especially above where people sat
- Kitchen cabinets, doors and trim
- Window blinds, curtains and light fixtures
- Carpet and pad
- Closets, where clothing and shelving trap odor
- Vehicle headliners, seats and carpet
Our approach, room by room
- Walk the space We note how heavy the residue is in each room and which materials are likely to be salvageable.
- Remove what holds the most odor Carpet, pad and heavily affected soft items are removed if cleaning will not be enough.
- Wash hard surfaces Walls, ceilings, cabinets, trim and fixtures are washed to take the residue off rather than cover it.
- Seal where needed After washing, surfaces with lingering odor can be coated with an odor-blocking primer ahead of repainting.
- Deodorize If some odor remains once residue is gone, we may use deodorization equipment, with ozone limited to unoccupied spaces.
Small fires and soot
We can clean light soot and odor after a small, contained fire, such as a kitchen incident. Larger fires that cause structural, electrical or roofing damage need a fire restoration company and contractors, and we will say so if that is what we see.
A note on drug smoke
Smoke from drug use can leave residue that needs a different approach from tobacco. Tennessee's quarantine and cleanup rules apply to properties where methamphetamine was manufactured, and those properties must follow the TDEC process with an authorized contractor. If you suspect drug use in a property, see our meth residue and smoke cleanup page and confirm quarantine status with local law enforcement before any work begins.
Equipment, safety and realistic results
EPA states that ozone may mask odors but there is little scientific support for claims it removes them, and that ozone can react with indoor chemicals to form irritants. EPA also notes ozone can damage rubber and fabrics. When we use ozone, nobody, including pets and plants, stays in the space, and we ventilate before anyone returns.
Smoke odor can also travel through the HVAC system. We recommend an HVAC contractor for duct cleaning and filter replacement, since odor in the ductwork can redistribute through a cleaned house.
We cannot promise complete odor removal in every home, particularly where smoke reached insulation or framing, but we will tell you what we expect after the walkthrough.
What you can do in the meantime
Ventilating the home helps, and so does removing loose items like curtains and bedding for laundering. Avoid scented sprays and plug-ins, which add another layer of odor and make it harder to judge progress. If you plan to repaint or replace flooring, hold off until the residue has been dealt with.
Rentals, sales and vehicles
Landlords often call at turnover, and sellers call before listing a home. Hotels with smoking-related room complaints, car dealerships and other businesses call as well, and smoke odor in an attic or other unfinished space is assessed on the same walkthrough. In both cases we can plan the work so painting and flooring contractors can follow. For cars and trucks, saturated headliners and seat materials sometimes have to be replaced by an upholstery shop. We work across all 41 counties of Middle Tennessee; see odor removal for other situations we handle.