How to Clean Small Amounts of Soot

2/15/2021 (Permalink)

The professionals at SERVPRO are available 24/7

It's best to leave soot cleaning to smoke restoration professionals

Fire disasters are notorious for causing severe amounts of damage to a property's structure.  

One of the most typical fire damage consequences is the development and deposition of soot on walls, surfaces, floors, interior, and exterior surfaces. Homeowners experiencing soot damage should first ensure adequate ventilation within the space; open up all windows and doors. 

For safety precautions, it is best to wear a PPE. Your PPE should consist of a respirator, gloves, and clothing when coming in contact with soot. Any surfaces and items that aren't damaged by soot should be covered and secured to avoid contamination. It is best to move all unaffected furniture to a different room or space to prevent any possibility of contamination. 

What is soot? 

Soot consists of dry and dusty tiny particles of carbon that result from incomplete burning or combustion of wood, oil, coal, and organic matter. Soot can adhere to pretty much any surface, and it commonly attaches to carpets, walls, floors, tiles, furniture, or heating and air-conditioning systems. Soot can be very resistant, and simple household cleaning techniques may make it worse and spread it. Professionals should handle the cleaning of soot and restore fire damaged items to ensure total removal. 

What materials can soot damage?

Soot can become adherent to any surface and leave permanent stains. Typical materials that need soot removal are bricks, stones, drywall, and wood. All home furniture can also be damaged by soot and will need to be professionally restored. 

All furniture that is damaged by soot, cleaned at another location to avoid the spread of soot. SERVPRO of Downtown Atlanta takes all fire-damaged materials to their warehouse for cleaning. 

How the professionals clean soot 

Fire restoration professionals will begin the soot cleaning process by using a soot vacuum and a soot sponge. They will carefully vacuum the surfaces and gently evacuate any loose soot particles. 

They will use a soot sponge to wipe off the damaged layer of soot on surfaces. Using a soot sponge is vital to the cleaning process and needs to be done carefully to avoid any additional spread of soot. Use the soot sponge only and avoid mixing the use of any other types of cleaning equipment. 

Leave the soot cleaning to fire restoration professionals 

The removal of soot requires deep cleaning and is a tedious process. In smaller areas, it may be manageable to try and clean the damage yourself. Yet, most people find it hard to effectively clean up even smaller areas as they don't have the adequate experience to clean soot. 

When dealing with significant damage, you must leave the job for professionals. SERVPRO offers professional fire damage repair and restoration services to clean your property effectively. They provide excellent services and are experts in deep cleaning soot and removal of the smoke odor. 

Contact the professionals at SERVPRO of Downtown Atlanta today! Upon calling, you will receive IICRC certified fire damage professionals who will use industrial degreasers to remove severe soot damages.