Safety comes first
Don't go back into a property after a fire until the fire and rescue service says it's safe. Fire can damage the structure, gas and power supplies, and smoke residue can contain irritating and harmful substances. Have gas, wiring and appliances checked by qualified professionals before using them again.
Wear gloves, old clothes and a well-fitting mask while cleaning, ventilate as much as possible, and keep children, pregnant women and anyone with breathing problems away from affected areas.
Call your insurer before you start
If you have buildings or contents insurance, contact your insurer as soon as possible and before you throw anything away or start major cleaning. They'll usually want photos, and many insurers appoint specialist fire restoration companies to assess and clean. Keep receipts for any emergency costs.
Tenants should report a fire to their landlord immediately. The landlord's buildings insurance normally covers the structure; your own contents insurance covers your belongings.
Types of smoke residue
Not all soot is the same, which is why some marks wipe away and others smear. Dry soot from fast, hot fires (such as paper or wood) is powdery and can often be vacuumed. Wet, greasy soot from slow, smouldering fires or plastics smears easily and needs a degreasing cleaner. Protein residue from cooking fires is almost invisible but leaves a strong smell and a yellowish film on surfaces.
What you can usually clean yourself
After a small, contained fire – a pan fire, for example – you can often clean minor smoke residue yourself:
- Vacuum loose soot from hard surfaces and soft furnishings with a brush attachment
- Use a dry chemical soot sponge on walls and ceilings, wiping in one direction
- Wash hard surfaces with a degreasing cleaner and warm water, working from the top down
- Wash curtains, cushion covers and clothing that are washable, following labels
- Clean inside cupboards and appliances near the fire
- Throw away food that was exposed to smoke or heat, including tins that have been heated
Get quotes from local cleaners
When to call specialists
For anything more than a small, contained fire, specialist fire and smoke restoration companies are the safer option. They use soot sponges, specialist detergents and equipment such as HEPA air scrubbers, and treat odours with methods like thermal fogging or hydroxyl generators, which neutralise smoke molecules in the air and in porous materials.
Smoke travels through a house and into soft furnishings, carpets, insulation and ductwork. Without specialist treatment, the smell can keep returning, especially on warm or damp days. Carpets and upholstery often need professional cleaning or replacing; see our carpet cleaning page.
Walls, ceilings and kitchens
Walls and ceilings usually need cleaning before any redecoration, or the smoke smell and staining can come back through new finishes. Specialists clean first and may apply a stain- and odour-blocking primer. In kitchens, every cupboard, drawer and appliance near the fire needs cleaning inside and out, and extractor hood filters should be replaced. Our kitchen deep cleaning checklist shows the scale of a full kitchen clean.
Preventing kitchen fires
Most house fires start in the kitchen. Never leave cooking unattended, keep tea towels and packaging away from the hob, and clean grease from the hob, oven and extractor regularly – built-up fat is a fire risk. Test smoke alarms monthly. Our guides to cleaning an extractor hood and cleaning a tumble dryer cover two common fire risks in the home.
