My house reeks of smoke long after the fire is out in the fireplace.

My house reeks of smoke long after the fire is out in the fireplace.

Smokey House

Q: How can I stop the strong burnt odor smell from the fireplace and from my home? It is even there when I am not using the fireplace and it is an unpleasant smell. -GHJ

A: GHJ, The first thing you have to do is stop the odor at its source by closing off the flue and chimney airtight. Your damper will not do this since it is metal and it will not lend you a tight enough seal. You can use a chimney plug or a chimney pillow to seal it off so no more odor will descend the chimney. The creosote up there can give off a surprising amount of stink especially if the wood was moist or pitchy.

The white vinegar trick will work very well if you put a large flat bowl of it in the center of the room for about 24 hours. With kids or pets, this may not be very practical.

If the weather is nice you can also open the house up and use fans to exhaust the air outside. Turn your furnace off before you do this though. As my mother always said, “No sense in heating the neighborhood.”

If you need the smoke smell out of a surface then put baking soda on it overnight and vacuum it off in the morning. – Jason

The real issue of this question is indoor air quality. Read more about indoor air quality at http://www.theworldwomenwant.com/yourworld/home/air.php?page=ar