In-House Smoke Damage Cleanup Tips

You probably have many questions about smoke damage. Smoke contains harmful gases, particles, and residues that stick to things like furniture and walls. The worst thing you can do is just clean it without the proper equipment or know-how. If you let smoke damage stay there for a long time, it will ruin your walls or paint and also make your house smell bad. So remember to contact an expert with us at United Water Restoration Group of Melbourne if you have any of these problems with smoke in your home or business; they will remove the smoke and make it safe again! Below are some tips to help you remove smoke damage from our experts if you plan to do it yourself.

Smoke damage is dangerous. You need to make sure that it is not too bad for an at-home remedy. If the smoke damage is too broad,  you can call our smoke damage restoration team at (321) 348-4639 to help fix it. But if the smoke damage has been there for a long time, give us a call! An at-home remedy can make it worse.

 

The At-Home List

Most people have the things that they need to clean up small, simple amounts of smoke damage. To clean up this kind of damage you need some of these items:

• Fan
• Vinegar
• Sponge
• Clean rags
• Bucket with hot water
• Soot remover
• Shop-vac
• Dry-cleaning sponge
• Rubbing alcohol

 

Let the Room Breathe

First, you need to open all the windows in your home. Turn off your HVAC system so that it does not spread smoke and soot from a fire. If you have big fans, turn them on too to help airflow. This will make airflow better and help remove the smoke smell from the house.

 

Stay Safe

If you want to clean, wear protection. If there is a lot of soot or smoke in the area, use a respirator. Wear long pants and long sleeves to protect your skin. You should also wear gloves and eye protection when cleaning the house. When you are cleaning, make sure that you put down floor protection and take away any furniture that is not damaged.

If the damaged area is too small, then it should be okay to just cover furniture with plastic or sheets. But if you are cleaning an entire room, it’s best to remove all furniture. This will prevent contamination of anything in that room by soot or smoke-related substances from spreading throughout your home.\

 

Upholstery

Soot and smoke can be difficult to remove. You will need to get your hands on a strong shop-vac, they usually have a high suction power. Use the brush attachment, but be careful not to scrub too much because it might make the stain worse.

 

Use a Dry-Cleaning Sponge

If your home has a smoke stain or soot marks, use a sponge for dry-cleaning. It will get the stains off. Never use water on the stain before using a dry-cleaning sponge because if you do, it will make the stain impossible to get out with a chemical sponge.

When you are using the dry-cleaning sponge, wipe the wall without putting too much pressure on it. You rotate away from the dirty parts of the sponge. When your sponge is all covered in dirt, cut off these parts and put them in a dishwasher with plastic covering it. DO NOT scrub stains as this might spread them deeper into the walls!

 

How to Use Chemical Cleaners

Once all the soot is gone, you can use cleaning products. Use a clean rag with one of these: soot remover, rubbing alcohol,  vinegar, or paint thinner. It doesn’t matter if there is no noticeable smoke damage, you should still use these cleaners on all surfaces. You can mix dish soap and hot water in a cup to make some cleaning solution. Take the rag and wipe away any marks that are left, but not too hard! Keep using this until the damage is gone. Make sure to get new rags when they get dirty and keep changing your water now and then when it gets dirty. Depper spots will take more time. However, once cleaned then use clean water and a rag over the spots one more time.

 

Wipe The Surface

A dry rag can help you dry your house. You can use fans to help the smoke get out faster. Smoke will go away after a few days but might smell for a while last. If you have soft things in the room like a couch, curtains, or carpet that smoke might damage you will need to move them. Placing them in a separate room will prevent smoke damage.

If there is any fabric in the room that might catch fire from smoke (curtains, carpet) then take them off and clean them with steam because they may have been damaged by the smoke. Steam clean any upholstery with soap and water to remove hidden soot and smoke damage.

Remember to not use artificial scents that will restrict the fabric from breathing. Changing your HVAC filter is ideal in speeding up the process.

Hire a Smoke Damage Restoration Team

When your home has smoke or soot damage, it is hard to clean. You clean a small room by yourself if you want to. But contact our professionals from United Water Restoration Group of Melbourne if the damage is in more than one room or your whole home. Our techs are experts in soot and smoke damage restoration. They use IICRC-certified techniques and state-of-the-art equipment for the smoke removal cleanup process. Contact our restoration experts at (321) 348-4639.