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When there is smoke in your home, it can cause a lot of problems. Smoke contains harmful gases, particles, and residues that cling to everything they contact. Smoke also can leave an unpleasant odor. The worst thing you can do is ignore it or try to clean things without the proper equipment or knowledge. Smoke damage cleaning needs to be done quickly before the smoke reacts to the surrounding environment. The United Water Restoration Group of Jacksonville are experts in removing smoke from your property and returning it to you clean, sanitized, and smelling fresh again. Our experts gave us some tips below on how to clean smoke damage in your home.
The first thing you need to do is see if the damage is too severe. If it’s not too extreme, you can try doing it yourself. If it is deep and severe, then call our smoke damage restoration experts at (904) 469-1606.
If you have minimal smoke damage in your house, you might already have the things to clean up. Below is a list of items needed to clean up smoke damage on your property:
First, open your windows to let out the smoke and soot from a fire. You can use fans to help with this. That will help remove most of the smoke smell from your home. The more fans blowing, the more airflow support to help clear out the area.
When cleaning a home post-fire you’ll need protection. Wear a respirator if there is a lot of soot in the area. Put on long clothes and sleeves to protect your skin. Wear gloves and eye protection when cleaning too. Take away any furniture that is not damaged or small.
If it’s just a small area, then it might be okay just putting down some flooring protection or sheets over furniture if there is no other choice. For an entire room, take away all furniture so nothing gets dirty or contaminated! Seal off rooms that were unaffected by the smoke or soot too! This will prevent the spread or tracking of smoke or soot into other rooms.
Soot and smoke can be hard to get off of upholstery. To get the soot off, you need a vacuum with a soft brush attachment. Shop-vac’s are ideal, because of their strong suction power. Make sure you use a brush attachment but be careful not to scrub too hard because this will make the stains worse.
To remove smoke or soot stains a dry-cleaning sponge can be helpful! Please keep in mind, do not use liquid cleaners before the dry-cleaning sponge. Doing so will spread the stains, making them harder to remove.
You want to start at one side of the wall and wipe it while being gentle. Make sure to rotate away from the dirty parts of the sponge. When it is covered with dirt, cut off or get a new sponge. DO NOT scrub stains that you see, because it could cause them to go deeper into the wall!
After the soot is cleaned, you can use a cleaner. Choose from soot remover, vinegar, rubbing alcohol, or paint thinner. Wipe all surfaces with this cleaner. After that, get a rag and put some dish soap on it. Rub away any other marks you see in your home with this soap and hot water. Use these products as many times as needed until the damage is gone! Keep using clean rags and new water to make sure everything is clean again! Once finished, give the surfaces a clean wipe.
You can use dry rags and fans to help the process of drying. Smoke odors may linger for a few days. Remove any materials that might absorb the smoke, such as curtains and couches, into a safe place. Steam clean those things that are soft – like couches, carpets, and curtains – to get rid of any smoke damage.
However, do not use artificial scents because they will prevent the fabric from breathing well enough to let out all the smoke and soot. You should also change your HVAC filter as it helps filter out more than before.
If your home is filled with smoke or soot, cleaning it can be tough. If you only need to clean a little room, try to clean it yourself. However, if you want experts who can professionally remove any smoke damage occurrence contact United Water Restoration Group of Jacksonville. Our people are experts in fire and soot damage restoration. They use IICRC-certified techniques and state-of-the-art equipment. Give our smoke damage restoration experts a call at (904) 469-1606.
