Fire Recovery Tips: Getting Rid of Smoke Smells in Documents with Steamatic

Hang them up to air them out.

Gently hang your book or business document over a railing or clothesline. Leave it there for as long as is feasible; a few hours should be considered the minimum, but a whole day is ideal. The air should help diminish the smell somewhat. Make sure to choose a shaded spot so as not to accidentally bleach your book.

Mask the smell.

Another handy trick is to seal your book or business document in a container filled with another smell. We recommend potpourri. Use fresh potpourri, and discard it when finished, as it may have absorbed some of the smoke smell. Leave your documents in this container for a day or so.

Use dryer sheets.

Place dryer sheets between the pages and let the document sit for a few days. Both scented and unscented dryer sheets are useful here, since the point is to absorb smell rather than to impart any.

Activated charcoal.

Charcoal may seem counter-intitutive, but activated charcoal (i.e. Not briquettes) will absorb the smell of smoke. Wrap the charcoal in cheesecloth to avoid marring your book or document with black residue; there does not need to be contact for the odour-absorbing effect to occur.

Try these simple document recovery techniques to tackle your stubborn smoke smell. If all else fails, Steamatic’s professional fire restoration, and document recovery services, are available 24/7!