Whether it’s a kitchen grease fire or an out of control candle, even a small house fire can be overwhelming or stressful. In addition to the trauma of the fire itself, smoke will cause stains and smells in your home. Since smoke stains quickly, it’s important to start cleaning as soon as possible. Our guide covers how to clean smoke damage as well as the best cleaners to use.
How to Clean Smoke Damage
You should start cleaning smoke damage as soon as it’s safe after a fire. Smoke is very acidic and will stain floors, cabinets, walls and ceilings within hours. The sooner you begin, the better your chances of getting the smoke stains out.
What you’ll need to remove smoke stains:
- Shop-style vacuum
- White distilled vinegar
- Baking soda
- Water
- Bucket
- Rags
- Dry cleaning soot sponges
- Stain Blocking Primer
- Paint
1. Vacuum Soot and Ash
Start cleaning smoke damage by vacuuming up loose soot and ash with a shop vac. This is usually necessary after larger fires where parts of your home are charred or burned. However, you can usually skip this step for smaller fires.
2. Start Airing Out Your Home
Next, you can start airing out your home. While you should open your windows to let in fresh air, avoid using fans. They can spread smoke and soot to other rooms. Also, you may want to cover your HVAC vents with a few layers of cheesecloth for the same reason.
3. Clean With Vinegar and Water
Since it forms a fine, oily powder, the best way to clean smoke stains is with equal parts vinegar and water. The vinegar is great at removing oily smoke stains for almost any hard surface like countertops, cabinets and walls.
4. Use a Dry Cleaning Soot Sponge
To clean stubborn smoke stains, use a dry cleaning soot sponge. These are special sponges that will remove smoke and soot for floors, walls, ceilings and other hard surfaces.
5. Cleaning Smoke from Carpeting
Unfortunately, cleaning smoke damage from carpets is more difficult. Start by using dish soap and cool water to gently scrub out the smoke stains. Then steam clean or shampoo your carpeting to restore the carpet pile.
6. Remove Smoke Odors
After cleaning smoke stains, you may need to deal with smokey odors. Baking soda works best at removing smoke odors. Just sprinkle it around your home, then vacuum it up a few hours later. You may need to repeat the process a few times for intense smells.
7. Paint Your Home
Even after cleaning, you will still probably need to paint some parts of your home. First, use a stain-blocking primer then apply at least two coats of paint. Not only will this cover stains, but it can also reduce smoke odors as well.
Tips for Cleaning Smoke Stains
Here are a few tips to help you get the best results in removing smoke stains after a fire:
- Keep the vacuum hose just above the surface to prevent rubbing in smoke stains.
- Clean walls and cabinets side to side, top to bottom to keep from dripping on areas you’ve already cleaned.
- Since smoke travels further than flame, look for stains in nearby rooms.
- Cover HVAC vents with damp cheesecloth to prevent the spread of smoke and soot.
- Clean your ducts after a very smokey or intense fire or they will spread smoke for weeks or months.
- Although ozone machines will remove smoke odors, they are dangerous so use them with extreme caution.
- Call a smoke damage restoration company for large areas or extremely thick smoke stains or intense odors.
While our how to clean smoke damage guide covers the basics of cleaning up after a small fire, cleaning after larger fires can be challenging. Our smoke damage restoration specialists are here to help you after any size fire. They will remove smoke stains and odors, then restore your home fast. Call 1-888-443-3110 now for a free estimate on smoke damage cleanup.
