Smoke, for the most part, will not go away on its own unless cleaned because the smoke particles cling to surfaces around your home.
A fire, even a small fire in Kingman, Kansas, can be tremendously destructive in regards to structural damage and to household items. It can be a difficult thing to struggle with knowing what to do after a small fire occurs in the home. Sadly, even after cleaning up, the smell of smoke may be evident. Smoke from a fire permeates porous materials such as paint, drywall, carpeting, flooring, drapery, clothes, and other areas in the home. Smoke, for the most part, will not go away on its own unless cleaned because the smoke particles cling to surfaces around your home. Common areas where smoke smell lingers include:
- Curtains and window treatments
- Wallpaper
- Carpets and rugs
- Bedspreads and other fabric covered home furnishings, couches, and chairs
- HVAC system – air ducts/vents
SCIENCE BEHIND THE REASON SMOKE SMELL LINGERS
Smoke is a complex mixture of toxic gasses and particles, which are generated from the vast array of materials that burn during a fire. Studies haven’t even scratched the surface to determine all the potentially adverse health effects that may result from exposure to the chemicals released from the combustion of the multitude of products in a structure fire. These include plastics, foams, textiles, carpets, wood products (treated lumber, plywood, flooring), synthetic fabrics, wool, electronics, furniture, household chemicals, and the list goes on. This results in a mixture of soot and smoke that contains a composition of toxic particles that would be impossible to predict given what was possibly involved in the fire in Kingman, Kansas. These particles then permeate all areas where the smoke has traveled through.
WHY WOULD SMOKE SMELL LINGER IN THE HVAC SYSTEM – AIR DUCTS AND VENTS – WHEN IT WASN’T EVEN ON?
The answer is air flow. Air currents carry smoke and soot away from the fire and deposit residue in interesting ways. Even when the forced-air system isn’t running, smoke still finds its way into the ductwork and makes its way through according to the air current in a home in Kingman, Kansas. Smoke is naturally attracted to metal surfaces and is corrosive in nature. As the smoke enters the air ducts it will cling to the steel, and will absorb into the debris within the air duct system. After a fire occurs, the HVAC system, all registers, and ductwork should be cleaned thoroughly, because smoke particles will have been trapped by the filtration system. Removal of soot and smoke odors located throughout the HVAC system is a crucial and necessary step to bring the ductwork back to proper working condition.
If you have unfortunately experienced a fire, our thoughts are with you. Fires are a terrible and traumatic thing. We can help make sure your HVAC unit, air ducts, and vents are cleaned and free of corrosive smoke and soot particles that may be lingering and causing issues with smoke odors – getting your home’s air quality back to its clean and safe state.
“We were extremely pleased with the results from the cleaning day. So much was done, and so well, at a very reasonable price. We recommend without reservation.”
— Danny K in Hutchinson, Kansas
