The following guidelines are suggestions only. Training and experience will be the most helpful in deciding the best procedures and cleaning agents for use in fire and smoke situations. You can receive professional, in-depth training through an Aramsco Distributor in your area. Please view our education calendar here. Proper testing and care must be taken before using any of the following suggestions and products on any surface.
Types of Fires:
Safety First
Before starting a soot removal job, equip yourself with proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Wood soot contains many harmful chemicals, and the small size of the particles allows them to penetrate deep into the lungs. Additionally, soot can combine with moisture to form an acid, which is damaging to people and the property. Follow IICRC guidelines on proper PPE. At a minimum, wear an N95 mask, safety glasses, and chemical-resistant gloves.
Compatibility Testing
Before cleaning items, test to ensure that anything cleaned with water-based cleaning solutions is not sensitive to water. This includes distortion, color bleed, warping, etc. If an item is water-sensitive, dry cleaning methods will need to be used. Contact your local Aramsco if you have questions.
Timing
Soot is acidic and can quickly ruin the surfaces in your home. Soot can damage plastics, stone, metal, grout, painted surfaces, and textiles. Soot can also be inhaled into the lungs and contribute to severe respiratory illnesses. When removing and cleaning soot-covered surfaces time is of the essence. Begin immediately.
How to Remove Smoke Odors and Soot From Surfaces - Step by Step
Dispose of any heavily charred materials that can’t be salvaged.
Wood fires are generally the easiest to clean up. The soot left behind is often dry and more easily removed by vacuuming and the use of a soot sponge than plastic or protein fires. Use a HEPA vacuum to remove as much soot as possible. A non-HEPA vacuum will just blow the soot back into the air.
Follow the vacuuming up with a soot sponge (also called a dry cleaning sponge) or a lamb’s wool duster. Wear gloves and avoid getting the sponge wet as this will stop the sponge’s ability to "grab" soot particles. Use the sponge like a giant eraser. The sponge will provide physical agitation and remove soot that the vacuum can’t. Be careful not to apply too much pressure when removing soot with a soot sponge on porous surfaces. You want to avoid driving the soot deeper into the surface. Using the soot sponge, clean from the top down.
Soot caused by synthetic material, like plastic, will be oily and can’t be removed with vacuuming and soot sponges alone. Heavy-duty degreasers are required to break down the bonds the soot has with the surface. Most fires are a mix of synthetic and wood, so you’ll almost always need to use a degreaser to completely remove the soot. Glass, highly-polished metal surfaces such as appliances, and natural stone are quickly damaged by acidic soot. Clean these surfaces first.
Some odors are so extreme that they require a sealer to prevent them from returning. This is often the case with porous materials like drywall or wood. The small size of the smoke molecule, and the heat and pressure from the fire, drive the molecule so deep into the material that cleaners and deodorizers are ineffective at removing these odors.
In these severe cases, a sealer can be painted onto the material to permanently trap odors behind a water-permeable barrier. It is important to use a professional-level sealer. Cheaper sealers will cost you much more money in the long run since odors, and even smoke stains can reappear after painting over the sealer. This will require you to repeat the sealing process with a higher-quality sealer, ultimately costing you much more in labor and materials. Do it right the first time.
MISC. TIPS
Questions or comments? Leave a note in the comments section below.