How Do I Clean Soot Off the Walls After a Fire?

Soot naturally occurs during a fire.

Even if a fire doesn't destroy your home, it can drastically change your house. After the fire has been extinguished and you and your family are safe, you are left to clean and repair what is left of your house. You have to deal with smoke damage, and you inevitably will face the problem of removing soot. Smoke creates a layer of black, oily, difficult-to-remove residue known as soot. Soot is typically found on walls after a fire, but will be present on any items that came into contact with the smoke.

Things You'll Need

• Rubber gloves
• Water
• Two 5-gallon buckets
• TSP
• Sponge
• Towels

Instructions

1. Provide the room with adequate air circulation and ventilation. If possible, open the doors and windows.

2. Wear a pair of rubber gloves.

3. Pour 1 gallon of cool water into a 5-gallon bucket. Add 1 tbsp. of TSP--trisodium phosphate--a heavy-duty cleaning agent available at many home improvement stores.

4. Fill another bucket with clear water. Place both buckets near the walls where you will be working.

5. Submerge a sponge into the mixture. Wring the excess from the sponge so it is damp, not soggy.

6. Begin scrubbing the walls with the sponge. Start at the bottom, working upward in small sections at a time.

7. When the sponge becomes dirty with soot, rinse it in the bucket filled with water. Then submerge it into the TSP-water mixture, and continue scrubbing the walls.

8. Repeat Step 7 until you have removed the soot from the walls. Wipe the walls dry with towels.

Tips & Warnings

• Use fans to circulate the air and help dry the walls.

References

• University of Florida: Handling Smoke Damage After a Fire--Getting Soot and Smoke Out
• University of Missouri Extension: After the Fire is Out: Cleaning Household Textiles and Clothing
• Creative Homemaking: How to Clean Smoke Damage From the Kitchen