Soot will leave a light grey to thick black stain on surfaces throughout your home. Because soot is highly acidic, it will stain most surfaces in as little as a few hours.
Porous materials like drywall, paint, wood, carpeting, and fabric are most susceptible to soot damage. While more resistant to stains, soot can still damage non-porous materials like metal, stone, and glass.
Depending on the materials that burned in the fire, soot can be either a fine dust or a sticky oil. Soot can still settle on surfaces even if the fire didn’t produce a large amount of smoke.
Because it can travel much further than flames, soot may spread to other rooms not impacted by the fire itself. Soot may also settle in the ductwork of your HVAC system, which can spread it even further.