7 Must-do Things If Your House Has a Burning Smell

A burning smell in your home can be scary, but it doesn’t always mean a serious issue. It happens a lot with heating and cooling systems. 

During the summer, dust builds up on the parts of your furnace. When you turn on your heating system for the first time in the winter, the dust burns off and gives off a burned smell. But finding any fire smell’s source is important to ensure everyone is safe. 

This article will show you what to do if your house smells of fire. Our advice will help you get through this situation, from finding the source to figuring out the problem. We’ll give you tips on fixing the problem and making your home smell fresh and clean again.

Types of Burning Smell

Burning smells can have different aspects depending on where they come from. Burning dust is very different from melting or burning plastic and burning electricity. 

If you smell something burning in your house, note what it is. Is it your air ducts or pipes that smell like burning dust? Or is it something else?

Below we have discussed types of burning smells in the house so you can easily figure out the cause of the smell. 

  1. Plastic Smell 

There are a variety of potential causes for a plastic burning smell in the home. The smell of burning plastic can indicate faulty wiring or overheated equipment. 

It could be an overheated blower motor in your HVAC system caused by excessive dust or a dirty air filter.  

Find the source of the smell by trusting your sense of smell. Turn off the power and call a professional if it’s your furnace. If the odor continues while you wait, open windows or run the exhaust fans. 

Plastic and other materials can give out fumes that are not only unpleasant but also hazardous to one’s health.

  1. Burning

When things like the oven, fridge, toaster, clothes dryer, run, they can sometimes produce an electric smell. If you smell burning electricity, unplug the machines immediately or turn off the power at the circuit breaker or electrical switchboards to ensure safety.

We highly recommend hiring professional electrical services that offer guidance on what size conduit to use, the thickness of insulation, or the number of individual conductors required to set you up.  

  1. Other 

A few other smells produce a musty or moldy stench, rotten eggs, or an oily smell. 

If you have an oil furnace, the smell of oil could mean a leak in the oil supply, problems with the burners, or even a problem with the heat exchanger. 

A smell similar to rotten eggs can cause a gas leak that requires quick attention. If you smell something musty or moldy, it could mean mold is growing in your conduit or the coil attached to your furnace.

7 Things To Do To Remove The Burning Smell From The House

If a burning smell comes to your house, you don’t want to live with that smell. Consider looking for options to remove it. We will give you some tips to remove the smell. 

  • Open the Windows

When removing the burning smell from your home, the simplest solution is to open the doors and windows. 

You may eliminate most foul odors, including burnt scents, by opening the windows and doors and letting fresh air circulate through the space. 

  • Use Baking Soda

One of baking soda’s many uses is that it absorbs smell. Although baking soda may not be effective if a great deal of smoke or a burnt smell is extremely strong, using it with vinegar removes the odor.

You can use this to clean the surfaces in your home. Or you can spread baking soda in bowls and leave them there for a few days to help reduce the smell.

  • Use Air Purifier

Air purifiers do more than just collect germs and cat dander. These tools are also effective at eliminating unpleasant odors.  

However, only an air purifier with a packed activated carbon filter would eliminate the odor. HEPA filters remove particles from the air, while activated carbon removes volatile organic compounds and odors. 

Simply turn on an air purifier close to the source of the burnt odor in your home. Use all your air purifiers at once to get rid of odors more quickly. 

  • Use a Bag of Charcoal

If you don’t have an air cleaner with an activated carbon filter, you can eliminate the smell of burnt things with charcoal, also made of carbon. Activated charcoal is a great way to get rid of smells. Like baking soda, the carbon in activated charcoal can grab molecules in the air that cause smells. 

Depending on the strong smell, spread the charcoal powder around your stove or put the charcoal bag in the kitchen. 

You can also spread bowls of activated loose charcoal around your house to eliminate smells you don’t like.

  • Wash Clothes

Smoke tends to stick to surfaces, including different fabrics, and the smell can remain even after the burnt smell is gone. So, you should wash any clothes that might have come into touch with the smell.

  • Neglected Areas

You can go to places where you don’t go often or which are often neglected. For example, you can reduce the smell by wiping off light bulbs, plugs, and shelves and cleaning the window coverings.

Also, remember the filters in your heater and air conditioning system, as they can catch smoke particles too. By cleaning this, you can get rid of the smells by cleaning these places. 

  • Clean the Surfaces

As burnt smell clings to surfaces, whatever comes in contact with it. Once you’ve gotten rid of the smell’s, wipe down any nearby surfaces to remove any smoke residue. This will help get rid of the smell in your home. 

You can use any cleaning products for this purpose, or simply white vinegar and hot water can do the trick. 

Bottom Line

Burnt smells in your home can be very unpleasant and hard to remove. But with these crucial 7 tips, you can make your place a pleasant and odor-free environment to enjoy the comfort of your smart home.

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