# Burned food, now how do I remove the smell??

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burned-food-now-how-do-i-remove-the-smell/825027>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 24, 2018, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burned-food-now-how-do-i-remove-the-smell/825027 "2018-11-24T21:22:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2018, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burned-food-now-how-do-i-remove-the-smell/825027/1 "2018-11-24T21:22:39Z")

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A friend burned pierogies on the stove and the apartment she rents filled with smoke. She has aired the place out, washed the curtains and so on, but there’s still a strong smell. She has no renters insurance, of course. What further steps should she take?

Wash the walls - with white vinegar and detergent?

Baking soda on the carpets - let sit and vacuum up after 24 hours?

those are two big things I know she should do, what else? Leave the windows open as much as possible?

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**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2018, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burned-food-now-how-do-i-remove-the-smell/825027/2 "2018-11-24T23:23:35Z")

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Blow a fan out of the window. I have mixed white vinegar and Downey fabric softener to get a smell out someone’s house. You can wash painted sheetrock or wood and most other solid surfaces ( test, of course) with it. Any soft surfaces( fabric or carpeting) should be washed or shampoo’d. Light candles, use febreze. Time will cure it, for sure.

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**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2018, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burned-food-now-how-do-i-remove-the-smell/825027/3 "2018-11-24T23:34:21Z")

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fill about 10 small bowls with coffee grounds and leave them sitting around the apartment for a few weeks.

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**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2018, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burned-food-now-how-do-i-remove-the-smell/825027/4 "2018-11-25T00:06:55Z")

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If the smell persists, she’ll need to wash every inch of the kitchen–walls, ceiling, appliances, exhaust fan (if she has one), floor, cabinets (including undersides. Vinegar and detergent didn’t work for me. I had to use TSP, available at hardware stores. If it’s in the living room, etc., too, she may need to clean the sofa and upholstery.

I had to rent an ozone machine because smoke had gotten to places I couldn’t get to to clean, including the inside of the air ducts. Got renter’s insurance right after that.