How to Clean Fire Damaged Walls

Remove stains from fire damaged walls.

Fire leaves quite a mess for homeowners to clean up. Smoke from a fire leaves walls covered in soot and smelling smoky for a long time. You'll need to clean the walls, even if you plan to repaint your walls or replace the wallpaper. Soot comes off easier if cleaned soon after the fire, so don't wait too long to remove fire damage from walls.

Things You'll Need

• Fan
• Chemical dry cleaning sponge
• Sponge
• Rubbing alcohol/paint thinner

Instructions

1. Ventilate the room. Open a window and set up a fan inside the room.

2. Wipe the fire damaged walls with a dry chemical dry cleaning sponge. Wash the sponge and let it air dry when it becomes full of soot. Repeat until most of the soot on the walls is removed.

3. Dip a regular sponge into rubbing alcohol or paint thinner. Rub the sponge gently over the walls until the soot stains are gone.

4. Air dry the walls. Repeat the steps if you are not satisfied with the results the first time.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear protective gear. You need to wear a mask, long gloves, goggles and clothes that cover your body well. This is necessary because of the smoke and fumes that remain in the air long after a fire is out.

• Use a sturdy ladder to reach high places and work on the walls from top to bottom.

• Place a drop cloth on the floor under the areas that you intend to clean to avoid staining or damaging it.

References

• University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service: Handling Smoke Damage After a Fire--Getting Soot and Smoke Out