The sight of charred wood and the smell of smoke damage can be heartbreaking, but there are many items that can be salvaged. Smoke damage clean up is a project that requires a lot of elbow grease, but it can be done with the proper cleaning supplies and methods. The first step in smoke damage clean up is to survey the damage and determine what needs to be cleaned. This will require going through your belongings to keep what is salvageable, and throwing away any that are beyond saving.
Ventilation is crucial for this type of project, so open up all doors and windows. You will need to use a large shop vacuum to remove loose soot particles, as well as a rag to wipe down walls. A mixture of a commercial soot cleaner and warm water is ideal for wall cleaning, but you can also just use plain white vinegar mixed with warm water. If you’re going to be painting over the wall, a solvent-based stain blocker primer will help prevent new paint from bleeding through the existing layer of soot and odor.
Porous materials like drapes and furniture will need to be wiped down as well. The best way to wash these fabrics is to take them outside, and shake them out as much as possible. Then, you can wash them in a washing machine with hot water and laundry detergent. This process may take numerous washes to get rid of any lingering odors. smoke damage clean up