How to Get Rid of Smoke Odor in an AirBNB or Rental Property

Smoke odor in any home isn’t ideal; particularly in an Airbnb or rental property that generates income. Unfortunately, there is a wide variety of things that can cause odor issues within a rental property, including tobacco or cigarette use, cooking odors, and more.

Left untreated, long-term odors can cause significant damage to carpets, furniture, and even paint – especially when it comes to smoke. That’s why it’s essential to hire an experienced professional like Abbotts Fire and Flood San Diego for odor removal in your rental property.

What Causes Smoke Odor in a Rental Property?

Smoke from cigarettes and even cooking can quickly attach to surfaces and leave a sticky, yellow-brown residue that renters can smell. Areas exposed to long term smoke are subject to both odor and discoloration; and eventually, it can also contaminate other areas throughout the building as smoke travels through its HVAC system.

Once it travels through the HVAC system, odor can start to damage walls, floor coverings, roof surfaces, cupboards and fixtures, furniture, and more. Visible staining on surfaces is easily transferable to humans and absorbed into our bodies by odor vapor and direct contact, where the health effects on nonsmokers or small children can be devastating.

How to Eliminate Smoke Odor

Air it out and improve airflow

The smell of smoke usually lingers in the air before landing on your ceiling, walls, carpet, and windows – which means that the first step to remove it is to air the space out. Having active airflow with fans or air vents will help remove the majority of the smoke smell left indoors. Fans and vents should redirect air outside or push air through a filter to remove smoke particles floating in the air.

If your Airbnb property has air vents or ducts in place, you likely already have air filters installed in them. Replace air filters on a regular basis to help keep your property smelling fresh.

Clean and scrub surfaces that might be affected

When hot smoke rises, the first place of contact is the ceiling and walls where it leaves behind a greasy residue. This residue can stain the surfaces in your house, leaving behind a smoke smell similar to the grease that’s left behind in your kitchen after you finish cooking.

To remove the greasy residue left behind by the smoke, you will need to use a degreaser and cleaners like bleach, ammonia, or trisodium phosphate. When cleaning with these chemicals, make sure to wear rubber gloves and safety glasses. Have the windows open to keep the area well-ventilated.

Hire a professional

Unfortunately, some odors can’t be fixed by simply cleaning or scrubbing, and a deep clean by a professional like Abbotts Fire and Flood San Diego is required. Often this deep cleaning is done with an ozone or hydroxyl treatment.

An ozone treatment is when a generator emits ozone (O3) throughout a house or apartment to saturate everything and help remove the smell of tobacco from the residence. It can take up to 24 hours to completely saturate the unit and must be completely vacant during this time and up to an hour after completion due to health and safety regulations.

After smoke damage has occurred, Abbotts Fire and Flood San Diego can help restore your home to its original state by removing smoke odors and residue. Abbotts Fire and Flood San Diego professionals are experienced and highly skilled in tobacco smoke restoration procedures, and will work with property owners in the San Diego area to restore their property in an efficient and timely manner.

We know your goal is to get back to normal as quickly as possible – and we’ll make that happen. Contact us today for professional odor and smoke removal services in San Diego County.