Do you have heavy black soot stains on your walls? Even small fires can produce a lot of smoke and soot. Soot will cling to your walls, ceilings, furniture, and cabinets, leaving a sticky, greasy, or powdery black stain. It takes quick action and a bit of elbow grease to clean soot stains on walls and woodwork. From the right soot cleaners to the supplies you need, here is everything you need to know about how to clean soot off walls and woodwork.
How To Clean Soot off Walls and Woodwork
Soot is the powdery or oily grime caused by incomplete combustion. Since heat rises, soot buildup is most common on walls and ceilings. However, loose soot particles will cling to almost any surface. The following steps explain how to clean soot from walls. Always clear the area to prevent additional damage before cleaning soot off your walls.
1. Vacuum Soot Residue
The first step to removing soot from walls is vacuuming up as much debris as possible. Use a shop vac to remove loose soot, ash, dust, and dirt that can scratch walls while cleaning.
Get the hose close to the wall without touching it because it can grind in soot particles, making it harder to clean. Also, always start at the top and work across and down.
2. Dry Clean Soot Stains
Next, clean the soot off your walls with a dry cleaning soot sponge. Start at the top and slowly move across and door the walls. When cleaning wood surfaces, scrub in the same direction as the wood grain to prevent damage.
While they can become saturated quickly, you rinse the sponge with water and use them again once dry. You can also cut away the stained portion to expose fresh material underneath. Continue using the dry cleaning soot sponges until the stain is removed or they stop being effective.
You can use melamine scrubbing sponges if you don’t have dry cleaning soot sponges. When using homemade melamine erasing sponges, make sure they are as dry as possible to prevent smearing the soot stains.
3. Wet Clean Soot Stains
If the sponges did not remove the soot from your walls, wash them with degrease or liquid dish soap and warm water. Mix the degreaser with a gallon of water and scrub your walls with a soft cloth. The stain can drip and spread if the cloth is too wet, so wring it out first. Clean walls across and down and wood in the same direction as the grain. If you notice the cleaning solution isn’t working, mix up a new batch and change out your cleaning cloth.
4. Prime and Paint Walls
Even after cleaning, you will probably have some stains on your walls. Painting your walls will block stains and limit odors. Start with at least two coats of heavy-duty stain-blocking primer and one to two coats of paint. Remember to work in a well-ventilated area.
5. Polish or Refinish Wood
In most cases, you can clean soot off wood surfaces but they will need polishing to bring back the luster of the wood. Follow the instructions for your polish for the best results.
However, it’s more likely that the wood will need to be refinished after removing the soot. Refinishing involves sanding, sealing, staining, and clear coating the wood. Since the process varies by product, we recommend following the direction on the label.
The sealer protects the wood and forms a base layer for the stain. The stain colors the wood, so choose something similar to the current wood color. Finally, the clear coat creates a nice shine and protects the stain against scratches and liquids.
What to Use When Cleaning Soot From Walls and Wood Surfaces
You will need a lot of supplies to clean up soot, so ordering in bulk is a cost-effective option. While many name-brand products are available, commercial or industrial-grade products are usually available in larger quantities and at lower prices. Some experts recommend using a trisodium phosphate solution when cleaning soot on walls. However, it’s a hard chemical that can make paint run or peel.
Dry Cleaning Soot Sponges
Dry cleaning soot sponges are one of the most effective tools for cleaning soot from walls and wood surfaces. They are also called soot remover sponges, chemical sponges, chem sponges, and wall brite sponges Dry cleaning soot sponges are available at most hardware stores and many online retailers. However, avoid using regular sponges. They are not the same and will only make the stain worse.
Melamine Scrubbing Sponges
Closely related to soot sponges, melamine scrubbing sponges are often marketed as magic dirt-erasing sponges. In addition to removing dirt and marks, they are also effective soot removers for both walls and wood. Unlike dry cleaning sponges, melamine scrubbing sponges do include cleaners and work both wet and dry. Melamine scrubbing sponges are available at major retailers and hardware stores.
You can make your own magic scrubbing sponges by soaking a melamine sponge in a quarter cup of water, a tablespoon of baking soda, and a teaspoon of borax soap. Allow the sponge to soak up the mixture, then wring it out until it’s just damp.
Oil-Based Wood Cleaner
Commonly marketed as oil soaps, oil-based wood cleaners are effective at gently cleaning soot from both finished and unfinished wood. Follow the manufacturers’ instructions for diluting and gently wipe the wood with a soft sponge or a microfiber cloth.
Avoid allowing oil soaps to soak into unfinished woods, as they may stain. When scrubbing finished wood, always work in the same direction as the wood grain to limit scratches. You can find oil soap wood cleaners at major retailers and hardware stores.
Degreaser
Household cleaners with a degreaser are another powerful soot remover. Degreasers are most effective on thick, oily soot stains associated with kitchen or grease fires. Avoid using any cleaner that is gritty, as it can scratch wood and paint. While degreasers may work on wood, they are most effective at removing soot from walls and ceilings.
Mix the degreaser with warm water and clean the walls with a soft sponge or a microfiber cloth. While you should apply some pressure, avoid scrubbing too hard as you may scrap away the paint. Degreasers for cleaning soot are available at most major retailers and hardware stores.
Liquid Dish Soap
Most liquid dish soaps are designed to fight grease, so they are a great alternative to degreasers. However, avoid using gritty dish detergent because it can scratch walls and woodwork.
You can make an effective soot cleaning solution with a few squirts of dish soap and a gallon of warm water. Then use a soft sponge or a microfiber cloth to clean soot from walls or wood. While you should apply some pressure, avoid scrubbing too hard. You can get liquid soap at most major retailers and some hardware stores.
White Vinegar
Regular household vinegar is one of the most versatile cleaners. If you don’t have a degreaser or liquid soap, it’s the best option for breaking down oily soot stains and set-in nicotine stains. White vinegar is available at grocery stores and major retailers.
Mix one part water to three parts vinegar, then wipe gently with a soft sponge or microfiber cloth to remove soot from walls, ceilings, or woodwork. Also, avoid using other types of vinegar, like cider vinegar or red wine vinegar, as they have more pungent odors and may leave their own stains.
Other Items You May Need to Remove Soot Stains
While the cleaning agent is the most important part of removing soot stains from walls and woodwork, many other items will help the process go smoothly.
- Rubber Gloves – Cleaning soot stains is messy and rubber gloves will help keep your hands from getting stained. They will also protect you from smelling like the cleaners as well.
- Microfiber Cloths – Microfiber cloths will help you apply the cleaners and wipe them away. They are also better at pulling soot off the wall than cloths or towels.
- Vacuum – A wet-dry shop-style vacuum with a hose is the best tool for sucking up soot, as it’s designed for high suction and has a large capacity. However, avoid using your regular vacuum cleaner.
- Bucket – A bucket is helpful for holding the cleaning agent. If you don’t have a bucket, a small pail, garbage can, or even a glass or plastic container will work just as well.
- Drop Cloth – A drop cloth will protect surfaces from damage while removing soot stains. While a heavy-duty canvas or cloth will work, plastic sheets offer better protection against drips and spills.
Do you have thick smoke and soot stains on your walls after a fire? Did the soot spread to several rooms? Do you have smoke damage, odors, or other fire damage? Let the experts at Restoration Local repair soot damage fast. We have local technicians available for immediate service. Call 1-888-925-0250 now for a no-risk free quote on fire damage cleanup.
