Cleaning Smoke Damage from Your Walls and Ceiling

There are an estimated 358,000 home fires each year.

If you have a fire in your home, the damage can seem unbearable. Not only does the fire destroy things, but the smoke damage can also cause many issues. That’s why it’s so important to clean smoke damage right after a fire occurs.

But how? How do you go about cleaning smoke damage off of walls and the ceiling? Keep reading and we’ll give you a few tips.

Circulate the Air

The first thing you need to do during a smoke cleanup is to open the windows to allow for air circulation. To make this circulation go faster, you can add a few fans to the mix or turn on the ceiling fans as well.

In addition to opening windows and turning fans on, you need to replace your furnace filter to make sure there is no soot on it. Continue running it and replacing it until you notice there is no more soot.

If there is water damage in addition to smoke damage, you will want to run a dehumidifier when the windows are closed.

Always Dry Wet Items Before Cleaning

Since the fire was most likely put out by water hoses, you will need to dry all the items before trying to clean out the smoke damage.

Many times, you will need to hire a professional for this task. Follow these steps to hire a professional:

Contact your insurance company to make sure you hire professionals that are under your insurance
Read reviews of these contractors
If you dry out the house before the professionals arrive, be sure you look for mold or mildew under floors and carpets – these areas will need to be removed to reduce the risk of health issues
Put fans all over the home

Most professionals can do a combination of water damage and smoke damage cleanup.

Clean the Areas

When it comes time to clean the smoke damage off the ceilings and walls, you will want to wear gloves and safety goggles to prevent the soot from getting in your eyes.

Place a tarp on the ground as well so you don’t just simply move the soot from the walls to the floor.

First, use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of the dry soot on the walls and ceiling. Once this is done, you will need a Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) solution to clean the rest. You need to scrub the different sections and then rinse those sections with water between cleanings.

Hiring a professional for cleaning can ensure that it is done properly as well.