It may be tough to deal with the consequences of smoke or fire damage in your home. Paint peels and chips away, leaving a thick oily residue on the walls that sticks like a permanent marker, and everything seems to be coated in a film. While cleaning up a smoke-damaged home is a nightmare, certain key steps are taken to reduce the cost and time involved.

Tips for Cleaning Up Smoke Damage

The more prepared you are for what is to come, the more effective your action plan. If you are dealing with smoke or fire damage, keep reading to learn more.

Furniture

Start by washing the soot off any wood surfaces with a dry chemical sponge if your furniture is salvageable. Scrub lightly to avoid crushing the smoke particles into the wood grain. Then, gently wipe off any wood surfaces using a cotton towel and a 14 cup oil soap solution (or wood cleaner) in a gallon of warm water. Steel wool may be required to remove the tough soot from the wood. After removing all of the soot, wipe the furniture off with a damp cloth and let it air dry.

Walls

Wipe down the walls and ceilings to get rid of any surface residue that is easily removed. Next, dissolve one tablespoon of TSP in a gallon of warm water. Rubber gloves, goggles, and a face mask are all recommended. After that, the sponge may be used to clean the damaged sections one at a time.

 

You will have to re-rinse the walls with water after using the cleaner. If you have drywall, be careful not to oversaturate it with water since it may damage and encourage mold growth. If necessary, you must also repair any damage, such as chipped and peeling paint or bubbling wallpaper. You may need to remove and change wallpaper if you have it.

Textiles

Before you can erase the smoke smell, you must first clean your linens and carpet soot. The regions should be vacuumed. Brush attachments should be avoided since they tend to drive dirt and soot deeper into the fabric fibers. Deodorize the affected areas after removing the soot. Because household remedies may only temporarily hide the stink, hiring a professional may be the best choice.

Hire Experts

If there is a lot of soot or smoke damage after a fire, you should call a professional. Cleaning and deodorizing walls and furniture is a difficult task that should be left to the professionals. It may have been more cost-effective to hire a professional by the time you bought all of the required equipment and spent your own time trying to clean up the damage. It is best to search online by typing, “restoration companies near me”.

Conclusion

It may be a time-consuming and challenging task to repair your home after being destroyed by smoke. Before starting the project, be sure to assess the problem and prepare for it. If you are not sure, get the help of a local expert.