Even a small fire can cause extensive smoke damage.
Clean smoke soot off walls.
Several methods work effectively at cleaning soot off painted walls or drywall.
To clean smoke damage start by removing loose soot from the walls with the hose attachment of a vacuum cleaner or by wiping it with a dry chemical sponge.
For best results and to avoid difficult stains you should try to remove smoke char and soot as quickly as possible.
They are used dry and will remove much of the surface smoke damage before you use a liquid cleaning solution.
Rinse clean with a dampened sponge or cloth.
Next use a rag soaked in diluted tsp solution to wash the soot stains from the wall one section at a time.
Work from the top left edge of the stain to the bottom replacing the sponge as it becomes clogged with soot.
Place a drop cloth beneath the cleaning area.
It s a good idea to have a bucket with clean normal water nearby to rinse the sponge in so excess soot is washed off.
Our cleaning solutions show you how to remove black soot from walls from minor smoke damage without having to contact restoration services.
A steam cleaner can also help to loosen caked on smoke or its sticky residue.
Special sponges available at many hardware stores are made for cleaning soot off walls and most other surfaces.
Scrape off the sticky residue from the walls into a bucket.
Then rinse the area with a wet rag.
Soot and smoke stains can fall off of the ceiling and floor so laying down a dropcloth will minimize cleanup.
However using an ordinary sponge first will only smear the soot and add to the cleanup process.
Then dip the sponge back into the solution and apply again to the wall.
To clean soot stains from walls begin by using a dry cleaning sponge to wipe the soot from the wall with downward strokes.
Frequently change out the cleaning cloth on the applicator to keep from spreading the soot and smoke back onto the wall.
While a magic eraser may work at cleaning small areas it is not efficient for cleaning larger ones.
This is particularly true of walls and ceilings containing smoke damage and soot as soot will crumble and peel away.
The methods below are safe to use on most walls painted drywall plaster wallpapered but you should always test a cleaning solution in a small hidden area first to look for any adverse reaction.
