[roger underhill]

Hi,

Booked a job for next week; It is tapestry upholstery, lounge, hall and bedroom carpets (80/20 mix) to clean following smoke contamination. (In lovely house, 1million plus)

The smoke came from a burning pan that was left on the cooker whilst the occupier was out.

All the walls, paintwork have been cleaned and there is no evidence of the smoke on anything other than the distinctive smell. The smell is not overpowering but definitely evident.

I plan to use pure clean with citrus boost additive for the pre-treatment on all of it. What are the best products to use to help neutralise the smoke odours.

Thanks in advance.
Roger.

[richie]

Hi Roger,

The smell of smoke may well be in all the wallpaper, woodwork as well as soft furnishings.  Y-o-u may have to use other methods such as fogging.

Richie.

[markpowell]

Hi Roger,
I would clean using ultrapac renovate hot pre-spray rinsed with fabric and fibre rinse.Ultrapac renovate was designed to remove fire residues, carbon and soot.
As far as the odour is concerned use odour neutrelizer, this product can be added to cleaning solution or applied to all areas by sprayer after the clean. You can also use it in a fogging machine if you have access to one.
Odour neutrelizer is about £40.00 for 5 litres it dilutes 1-100 it is well worth having on the van.
good luck Mark

[John Kelly]

This is whats called a "Protein Fire" what was in the pan has now vapourised and impregnated every surface. If it was meat based then the problem is even greater as the proteins start to break down and smell like decayed flesh.
If the impregnation of the carpets and upholstery isn't too great then you may have success in cleaning these. However the odour may still linger in the property and they may well put that down to the carpets and upholstery when in fact it will be the walls etc which will be smelling. This odour even absorbs into paint which being plastic readily absorbs odours. We have even had to have doors stripped completely as even 3 coats of paint could not mask it. We have had to re-heat the buildings and blast the walls and ceilings with airmovers on some bad ones.
Just be aware that although you may well get a good result on what you are cleaning this will not guarantee to remove the odour from the property which may become worse over time.

[murky]

Are you doing this as a job for them or have the Insurance Co asked you to do it.

I would stear well clear of this until you are sure of what you are doing, you could do a lot of work and not get paid for it, as John said there is a lot of work involved in these jobs, having done over 15 years of fire and flood work be sure of what you are getting into.

It may not clean up and will need a redec, then the Loss Adjuster might not pay you, why pay for a clean if they are going to strip the walls in the end.

What are you going to charge? They will want an estimate at least, and a method statement, what process and solutions will you use.

Murky

[roger underhill]

Hi,
Thanks to all of you for the quality of your replies, they have
been a great help to me and also I am sure to others reading this thread.

I will keep you informed as to developments.
Best regards.
Roger

[JandS]

The smoke may even have got into the plaster on the walls and if so you will still have the smell whatever de-odouriser you use.
If it was a chip pan then all the oil, as John says, will have vapourised and coated every surface the smoke managed to permeate.