Short answer: to get rid of smoke or burnt smell in your house, ventilate with a cross breeze, remove anything burnt, wash curtains and cushions, clean walls, the range hood and surfaces, and then neutralize the air with a nebulizing diffuser loaded with the BENDIS Cotton Fresh neutralizer. It's formulated for hydrocarbons and mercaptans, the molecules behind smoke, burnt smells, toilet odor and sweat.
Why smoke and burnt smells are so hard to remove
Smoke is full of hydrocarbons: particles and compounds that stick to anything porous, like curtains, sofas, rugs, ceilings and the inside of cupboards. That's why, even if you air the place out, the smell comes back as soon as you close the windows: the fabrics keep releasing it little by little. Something similar happens with toilet and sweat odors and mercaptans, sulfur compounds your nose can detect in tiny amounts.
How to get rid of smoke smell in your house step by step
- Ventilate with a cross breeze. Open windows on opposite sides so air flows through the whole house, not just one room.
- Remove the source. Burnt leftovers, ashtrays, pans or paper. If something still smells, take it out of the house.
- Wash the fabrics. Curtains, covers, cushions, blankets and any clothes that were nearby. That's where most of the smell lingers.
- Clean surfaces and the range hood. Walls, tiles, furniture and the hood filters, with water and mild soap. Smoke leaves a film that keeps smelling.
- Neutralize the air. Place a nebulizing diffuser with Cotton Fresh in the affected area, stronger for the first few days and gentler afterwards.
How to get rid of burnt smell in your house after a kitchen mishap
If you've burnt some food, the smell usually lasts a couple of days. Turn off the heat, take the pan or pot out to the balcony, turn the range hood up to the max, ventilate, and clean the stovetop and hood that same day. The neutralizer speeds up the removal of whatever is left in the air. If the smoke came from a fire, even a small one, it's best to get a professional cleaning first: soot on ceilings and in ducts keeps smelling for weeks.
Toilet and sweat odors: the same neutralizer
Cotton Fresh is also the best option for fecal odor in the bathroom and sweat odor in locker rooms and gyms, because they belong to the same chemical family. If what smells in the bathroom is urine, however, the Jazmín (Jasmine) neutralizer works better.
The Cotton Fresh neutralizer
It's a refill for nebulizing diffusers that acts on the bad odor instead of masking it, and leaves a soft clean cotton note.
| Odor | Cotton Fresh effectiveness | Otherwise, use |
|---|---|---|
| Smoke and burnt | Maximum | - |
| Toilet (fecal) | Maximum | - |
| Fuel and solvents | Maximum | Jazmín as a second option |
| Sweat | Maximum | Jazmín as a second option |
| Cigarettes, damp, pets, fish | Not its family | Aloe Vera |
| Frying, food, garbage | Not its family | Jazmín |
See the Cotton Fresh neutralizer
Where to use it
- Homes with a smoke or burnt smell, for example after burning something in the kitchen or from fireplace smoke.
- Bathrooms and restrooms with toilet odor, at home, in offices or in bars and restaurants.
- Locker rooms in gyms and sports centers.
- Workshops, garages and storage rooms that smell of fuel or solvents.
- Freshly painted apartments or homes after renovation work.
How long it lasts and how much it costs
Cotton Fresh costs €29.99 for 150 ml and €34.99 for 250 ml. Up-to-date prices in the fragrances and neutralizers collection.
| How you use it | Approximate duration of 250 ml |
|---|---|
| Intense, with the device running 24 hours | 1 month |
| At home, normal use | 2 months |
| Gentle and only a few hours a day | 3 to 4 months |
It also depends on the size of the space and the diffuser. For a home or a bathroom, a device from the home collection is enough.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get smoke smell out of clothes?
Wash them with your usual detergent, add a glass of white vinegar to the rinse and air dry them. The neutralizer is for the air in your home, it isn't applied to clothes.
How long does it take for smoke smell to leave a house?
For burnt food in the kitchen, one or two days if you clean and ventilate. A house with smoke from a fire can take weeks, and in that case a deep clean of fabrics and walls is essential.
Does it work for cigarette smell?
Stale cigarette smell that lingers in sofas and curtains is better handled by the Aloe Vera neutralizer. Cotton Fresh is for smoke and burnt smells in general.
Does it remove toilet odor from the bathroom?
Yes, fecal odor is one of the cases where it's most effective. If the smell comes from the drain, first check that the trap has water in it.
Can I mix it with a fragrance?
Not in the same device. Neutralizer in the area with the odor and fragrance in another room, each in its own device.
Not sure what kind of odor it is? Check out the guide to choosing an odor neutralizer.
Source: BENDIS neutralizer effectiveness chart by type of odor.
