Fire can leave soot throughout your home and even stain your clothes. Unfortunately, regular washing isn’t enough to remove soot stains. In fact, drying your clothes before getting rid of the stains could actually ruin them forever. Our guide covers how to get soot out of clothes after a fire. Plus we look at dry clean items and curtains as well.
How To Get Soot Out of Clothes
These five steps explain how to get soot out of clothes after a fire.
- Shake Out Your Clothes – Shaking out the clothing will remove loose soot and make them easier to clean. You can also brush the stain lightly with your hand or a rag. However, don’t brush too hard or it may actually set in the stain.
- Soak Up Stains With Baking Soda – Baking soda is great at soaking up oily soot stains. Sprinkle on a layer and let it sit for half an hour before shaking off. If you’re out of baking soda, you can use salt instead.
- Pre-Treat the Stain – Apply a small amount of stain remover and gently dab with a damp cloth. For the best results, use stain removers meant for grease or oil. You can also use liquid dish soap.
- Wash Your Clothes – Separate your clothes and wash like-fabrics together. Use the warmest setting the fabric will allow and add a normal amount of laundry detergent. Avoid overloading your washing machine with clothes. Repeat steps three and four until the stain is completely gone.
- Dry on Low – Once the stain is gone, dry your clothing on low. If there are smokey odors, hang the clothing outside to dry. The sun and air will leave them smelling fresh and clean.
How To Remove Fire Soot From Clothing That Is Dry Clean Only
You should never try to remove fire soot from dry clean only clothing on your own. Instead, take them to a dry cleaner that specializes in cleaning clothing damaged in a fire. Otherwise, you risk permanently damaging your clothes.
If you can’t find a specialty dry cleaner in your area, you may need to send your clothes out. Ask your local dry cleaner for a recommendation. You can also search the internet for a specialty cleaner.
How To Get Soot Out of Fabric and Other Items
You can follow basically the same process to get soot out of fabric like curtains and bedding. Start by shaking them out and cleaning the stains with baking soda and a stain remover.
Then rinse the fabric and give it an extra soak in baking soda and vinegar to pull out the soot. Alternatively, you can even soak them in oxygen-based bleach. Once the stains are gone, wash and dry normally.
Do you have smoke and soot damage after a fire? Call 1-888-443-3110 for a free quote on fire damage restoration services.
