Few things are more smelly than a kitchen that has filled up with smoke due to a stove top spill or unattended cooking. Burnt food odours can linger in the air for days, and can permeate into the walls and your furniture if not dealt with right away. Getting rid of kitchen smoke is surprisingly easier than you you might think. All it takes is a little fast thinking and these helpful tips:

Get rid of the smoking food immediately

When we burn something in a saucepan or in a frying pan, our instinct is to quickly fill up the pan with water to stop the smoking. In doing this, we are actually putting more smoke into the air.

The best approach is to get rid of the smoking food or pans immediately by tossing them into the oven. The sealed environment of the oven will put out the fire, and keep the smoke contained. Keeping the item in the oven for at least 15-30 minutes gives the smoke particulates enough time to settle to the bottom of the oven, where they can be wiped up with a damp rag.

Stop the moment of air

After the smoking food or pans have been placed in the oven, the next step is to stop the flow of air through your house.

In a home that is old and drafty, shutting the door will keep the smoke in the kitchen. If your home is newer or has central air or heating, the furnace/AC should be turned off. By turning off the furnace/air conditioning unit and or blower fan, the smoke is contained in the kitchen instead of circulating through the rest of the house.

Exhaust the air

Now is the time to open a window and exhaust out the smoke. Place a box fan or table tan in the ledge of the window, and face the fan so that it is blowing air outdoors. Open the kitchen door slightly, and the fan will draw fresh air in from the rest of the house and use it to propel the smoke outdoors. If your home is tightly sealed, you may have to crack open a living room window so that the fan has air to draw from. Within 5-10 minutes, the smoke will be outdoors and the windows can be closed.

To remove any lingering smell, a can of air freshener such as Lysol or Nok Out Odor Eliminator can help.