Best Ways to Clean Smoke Damage During Winters

A house fire can be a devastating event for you as a homeowner. The process to clean smoke damage and the experience of sitting through a house fire can be traumatic and terrifying for you. Besides the physical damage of the fire, you also have to put up with the emotional trauma of losing out on many of your belongings and other items that were close to your heart. You don’t have to deal with this alone, call the fire and smoke damage experts at 911 Restoration!

Besides just filling in your place with new furniture and replacing the burnt-out items with new ones, you also have to run through repairs such as replacing windows, patching up holes, cleaning walls, and removing all signs of smoke damage from your place. 

Once you get over the initial shock and trauma of the fire damage, you have to settle into your shoes and find a way to clean smoke damage. The first step of moving on from the fire and starting afresh includes cleaning the smoke damage. 

In this article, we take a look at the best ways to clean smoke damage during the winter season. Keep hold of these tips and make sure that you follow them to get rid of all the pesky smoke stains. 

Vacuum All Ash from the Ground 

The first step in the smoke damage restoration process is to clear away the ash and the soot from the ground. The smoke particles and the ash from the fire may have scattered over the entirety of your home, which is why you need to get your cleaning boots on and get to clean the entire house. 

Soot can be dangerous for breathing and can negatively impact your lungs and cause breathing problems. You would preferably want to remove the soot from your ground as soon as possible, with an eye on precautionary measures. Make sure you are wearing gloves, goggles, and a mask during the cleaning process so that you don’t harm yourself physically in the process. 

Cleaning Soot Stains from Wall 

Once you have cleared away the ash and soot from the floor with a vacuum cleaner, you have to clean smoke damage from the walls. While you are cleaning your walls, you have to clear both soot and smoke stains from them, which is why you should be on the lookout for both. 

Before you can scrub smoke damage from the walls, you should first clear away all soot from the walls. The last thing you want to do is parry leftover ash and soot on the walls to unaffected areas of the home while wiping the smoke stains out. Address the soot first before you move towards cleaning the smoke stains. 

The cleaning process for soot stains is broken down into three simple phases. In the first step, you will have to dry clean the walls with a sponge. Once you are done with the sponge rub, you will preferably want to get your hands on a clean rag and some warm water. Create a concoction of your cleaning agent in the warm water and then dip your clean rag inside the water to scrub the walls. You should preferably opt for a commercial soot cleaner. However, if you don’t have a commercial cleaner available, you can make do with vinegar or paint thinner. 

Having done the above, you should move on to the final step of filling a warm bucket of water with a degreaser. Once this is done you can scrub the walls one final time to clear away the remnants of soot and smoke damage on the walls. 

Cleaning Smoke Stains off Windows 

The cleaning process for your windows is a little less complicated than the process you have followed for your walls. You will first have to clean smoke damage from your windows with soot cleaner and a cloth. You will then use the degreaser to scrub the window panes clean and clear away the remnants. 

You can also use a spray bottle while cleaning the windows. Just add some degreaser or white vinegar to a bottle of warm water and pour it into your spray bottle. The white vinegar present in this concoction will dilute the stains and then dislodge them from their place. 

Removing Smoke Odor 

Once you are done removing the stains on your walls, you should look to clean the smoke odor from your house. The smell of smoke can lead to allergies and does pose a significant health hazard if not dealt with quickly and appropriately. 

If the smoke damage was minimal, you can prepare a bowl of white vinegar mixed with baking soda to soak in the odor. The mixture can be left in the open for a couple of days or sprayed around to negate the odor. However, if the smoke damage is extensive, you will have to go for an ozone treatment to rectify the issue. 

Smoke cleanup can be an extensive process if you don’t have the right team available. 911 Restoration of San Fernando Valley is just a call away for you! You can get in touch with us to perform a thorough inspection of the damage in your home and clear it up for the future.