Soot is an accumulation of products of incomplete combustion of carbon, resulting from the combustion of organic and inorganic substances. The accumulation of deposits on the inner surface of a fireplace, stove, pieces of furniture, interior decoration of housing and other premises after a fire negatively affects health, so it is important to understand in detail how you can wash off soot in a way that reduces cleaning time and minimizes the impact on the body.
How to clean soot
The first thing to do is to move the furniture away from the damaged area and, if possible, remove it from the room. Remove large pieces of soot using a spatula or vacuum cleaner. Remains of contamination can be removed using a folk or special ready-made product that is designed to remove such stains.
Folk remedies
If you need to restore a stove, chimney or other damaged surface to proper condition, you can use a folk remedy made from improvised materials. The easiest way to clean the chimney and the inside of the stove. To do this, just add salt, potato peelings or aspen firewood to the fire. This method can also be used for prevention to protect pipes from unwanted damage.
If you need to clean soot from the walls, ceiling or floor, you can prepare one of the following folk remedies:
- A soda solution consisting of 2 tablespoons of soda dissolved in 2 glasses of water.
- A soapy solution made from dishwashing or toilet detergent dissolved in water.
In this composition, you should thoroughly moisten the sponge and treat the damaged surface with light movements. After the soot has softened, you can try to scrub it off with a brush, and then re-treat it with a sponge soaked in a folk remedy. If after cleaning there are stains on the chimney or the surface is damaged, then it should be additionally treated with a primer.
Important! When trying to wash away soot after a fire, you should first put on a respirator, closed clothing and gloves. When interacting with water, it will begin to release caustic toxic substances; it is very important to protect the skin and respiratory organs from them.
Ready set after a fire
It is easier to deal with the problem by purchasing a special ready-made product for treating damaged areas from soot. This product is easy to use. To do this, it is enough to moisten the damaged area by spraying the composition on it or treating it with a soft sponge. To improve the effect, you need to preheat the air temperature in the room to 25 degrees.
Sometimes it is necessary not only to clean the surface from visual damage, but also to get rid of an unpleasant odor. The ready-made special kit after a fire also includes a special liquid. To refresh the room, it is enough to treat the areas affected by soot with it, then open the window and ventilate the room throughout the day.
Professional compositions
You can also wash off soot after a fire using one of the ready-made products:
- Mazbit+ is a product designed to clean surfaces after a fire or smoke. It is an aqueous base containing organic and alkaline substances. Therefore, it easily copes with stains, while being safe for health.
- “Facade Cleaner No. 2” is another effective concentrate designed to clean contaminants from the surface of building materials. Its advantage is the presence of a spray bottle, which allows you to significantly save its consumption.
- "Chist-Dezo" is a special chemical composition designed to remove burning stains and odors. It effectively affects combustion molecules, causing them to volatilize and split.
- “BZ-2” is another effective cleaner that allows you to wash soot off the ceiling and any other surface. Additionally, it is endowed with antibacterial properties.
The method of using each product is identical. To do this, you need to dilute the active composition with water, apply it to the damaged area using a sponge or spray bottle and wait until it is completely absorbed. After this, just wash it off with a damp cloth. To find out in what proportions the active substance should be diluted with water and how long it needs to be completely absorbed, you need to carefully study the instructions.
Removal products
Today there is a wide variety of substances and methods that can be used to wash soot from any surfaces or materials effectively and quickly. Folk and specialized remedies, mechanical and chemical effects - all this is aimed at successfully combating soot deposits at home.
Note! Before washing off soot, you must carefully read the instructions for the substances used or follow all safety measures aimed at protecting the skin and mucous membranes from aggressive solutions.
Inventory
Mechanical action is the simplest way to easily clean soot without using special solutions. To work, you will need a gentle mechanical brush with metal bristles or a regular scraper. It is important to use tools with a handle extension feature to increase the maximum permissible pipe cleaning area.
Special means
There are many different chemical solutions against soot on the market, thanks to which it is possible to effectively and quickly clean any surface. The main active ingredient in these products is a highly concentrated alkali, which instantly destroys soot deposits.
Scientists recommend using special solutions that:
- safe for humans;
- remove unpleasant odors;
- quickly clean;
- can be used on any materials without loss of effectiveness.
Folk remedies
The use of table salt as a way to clean or prevent the formation of soot in chimneys is widely used at home. Before heating, you need to put a couple of tablespoons of salt in the firewood. The method is ineffective because it can only remove a small amount of plaque.
Potatoes are another popular folk remedy for cleaning chimneys. The starch released into the pipe interacts with soot and causes plaque decomposition. The method is ineffective with massive deposits, but can prevent the formation of soot in pipes for a short time.
Clean up soot after fires
Fire or smoke leads to damage to property, loss of human life and health, and other irreparable consequences. Afterwards, the room is covered with black spots and filled with a burning smell. Even carrying out repair work does not always solve this problem. This can be done if you act correctly, from garbage collection to air freshening.
Important! Do not try to remove soot using a damp cloth or soft sponge soaked in clean water. Thus, the contamination will only increase in size and cannot be removed.
Garbage collection
The first step in soot removal is removing debris. All unusable damaged objects must be removed from the premises: furniture, books, remnants of clothing, etc. If the walls have managed to smoke, then the finishing material must be carefully removed from them with a spatula.
We will also have to say goodbye to those objects that were not damaged by the fire. These include wooden furniture, windows, doors and decor. They have the ability to quickly absorb odors, so even after all soot stains have been removed, a burning smell may continue to be present in the room. Before you take them to the trash, you need to try to eliminate the odor by taking them out into the fresh air or treating them with a special solution.
Dry processing
After removing the debris, you can begin dry cleaning the affected areas. This requires several steps:
- Cover the flooring with film.
- Using a spatula, remove the finishing coating from the walls.
- Use a vacuum cleaner or stiff brush to remove soot from the ceiling and walls.
- Remove soot from corners or cracks.
- Remove dirt from the floor.
Garbage collection and dry processing boils down to the removal of all objects that contain a burning smell or soot from the room. After this, it will be easier to clean the walls after a fire with special compounds.
Wet processing
When carrying out wet cleaning to remove carbon deposits, you need to use a folk remedy (soda or soap solution), a professional kit or a ready-made product. They need to carefully remove soot from the ceiling, then continue wet cleaning from top to bottom. After completing this action, it is recommended to additionally treat each surface with a primer to level the damaged walls.
Air purification
Another important step in eliminating traces of a fire is air purification. For this purpose, it is recommended to use special disinfectants or an ozonizer that helps instantly eliminate carbon compounds. To do this, just turn on the device and in a few days it will completely eliminate the unpleasant odor from all surfaces and objects.
If there is no ozonizer and a special disinfectant, then you can try to eliminate the unpleasant aroma using the folk method. It is simpler, less expensive, but also less effective. To implement it, you need to pour water into a deep saucepan with a dense bottom and boil the liquid for several hours. Thus, the air will be saturated with hot moisture, and under the influence of steam, the burning smell will disappear.
Important! Of course, for a single air purification you do not need to buy an expensive ozonizer. Currently, in every city there are cleaning services where you can rent this equipment.
How to get rid of soot smell
After cleaning, no matter how diligently it is, there is still a burning smell in the room.
To eliminate the odor, you can do the following:
- Ventilate the room for a long time. If the weather does not allow you to open the windows, you need to close the door tightly and turn on all air conditioners and fans for 1-2 hours.
- Walk over all surfaces with cotton wool soaked in a weak vinegar solution (1 tbsp per 5 liters of water). You can’t use more vinegar, because it leaves its own smell.
- Hang wet bed linen and towels around the room. They will absorb the smell, but then you will have to throw them away.
- Place several large bowls of water with essential oils on the floor. The proportions are not important, only the aroma.
- Run a hot bath and open the door wide. Turn on the steam generator and humidifier, if you have such devices.
Cleaning the walls in the bathhouse
Most often, those objects where there is a constant thermal load are exposed to soot and soot. It is not so easy to wash them off. You can remove soot from wood using one of the following methods:
- Mechanical. Wood perfectly absorbs odors, so in order to completely remove soot or soot, you need to completely scrape it off with any hard object or sanding machine.
- Another way to remove soot from walls is to create a cleansing scrub designed for treating wooden surfaces. It may be based on sand or crushed brick. It should be mixed with a small amount of water, and the resulting slurry should be used to clean the damaged surfaces.
- Another way to wash soot in a bathhouse is to use ready-made products. It is necessary to purchase only those household chemicals that are suitable for treating the internal surfaces of baths. Most often, they contain alkaline substances. They are not absorbed into wood and will begin to affect the human respiratory system when heated.
Getting rid of soot can be difficult. In addition, during the cleaning process you can damage the walls, floor or ceiling, and it will be almost impossible to get rid of the resulting defects. Do not allow soot to appear. To do this, you need to wipe the surfaces with soap and water after each visit to the bathhouse or sauna.
Cleaning algorithm
After the equipment is ready, put on a work robe or overalls. Hair is tucked under a headscarf or cap. Use a mask and goggles, and rubber gloves on your hands.
Getting rid of trash
All things must be taken out before general cleaning. There is no need to leave plastic curtain rods or baseboards damaged by fire. The same applies to a suspended ceiling that is partially damaged. It will have to be torn down and taken out. Remove damaged linoleum or tiles from the floor. All items, carpets, and upholstered furniture are given to professionals for cleaning.
Dry cleaning of the premises
You need to start cleaning using the dry method. If the floor is in good condition, then it is covered with paper or film. The edges of the covering should be secured with tape. First, clean the ceiling and walls with a vacuum cleaner. Then remove the remaining wallpaper with a spatula. From top to bottom, brush vigorously with a stiff brush. We must try not to rub soot into the surface structure. For cleaning, you can use rollers with sponges soaked in special solutions.
They use a broom to sweep away all the soot, construction debris, and scraps of wallpaper from the floor.
Cleaning various surfaces
The method by which soot should be cleaned must be selected depending on the type of surface on which soot or smoke has formed. To a large extent, the formation of this type of damage includes metal, plastic, concrete, brick, and wood. Less commonly, such defects appear on glass or textiles.
Metal
The most gentle means that can remove soot from a metal surface is a highly concentrated solution or acid. Its advantage is that it is able to quickly corrode soot without leaving a trace of it. After cleaning, all that remains is to wipe the treated area with a damp cloth. But, if gasoline or solvent is used as the main component, then it can only be sprayed from a spray bottle; hands and respiratory organs must be protected.
A similar coating of gruel or river sand or crushed brick will also remove soot from metal. The pre-dry composition needs to be diluted until a slurry forms. A small amount of it needs to be gently distributed over the metal surface with a sponge and made several smooth movements. After these manipulations, the carbon deposits should completely disappear.
Plastic windows
In the event of a fire or smoke, windows also suffer, since plastic perfectly absorbs volatile substances. Therefore, the sooner contamination is removed from this type of surface, the less likely it is that it will have time to absorb the aroma of burning and soot. The first thing to do is to get rid of dry surface particles that can cause scratches. This can be done with a broom or vacuum cleaner.
After dry cleaning of plastic, it is necessary to remove soot or soot using a wet method. To remove plaque from plastic, it is recommended to use a special detergent for this type of material or for washing dishes. The active substance must be mixed in equal proportions with water, dip a soft sponge into it and transfer it to the window. All that remains is to wash it off with a damp cloth.
Basic moments
You can easily get dirty with soot, for example, when cleaning a chimney in a country house or doing work in a house after a fire, but removing it from clothes is not so easy. The fact is that it contains both fatty and resin components, which give the stain greater resistance. Regular washing cannot cope with such stains, so you must immediately take the trouble to choose a cleaning agent.
Among the washing and cleaning compositions that can help, you can choose one of the following options:
- kerosene;
- acetone;
- solvent 646, 647, white spirit;
- a mixture of soda, vinegar and dishwashing liquid;
- turpentine and egg yolk;
- household stain remover.
Please note that before use, you should test the cleaning composition on an inconspicuous area of the fabric, for example, on a fold or near a seam. Perhaps the solvent removes not only soot from clothes, but also paint.
Among all the solvents, this one smells the least
We will not say that it is advisable to clean fresh stains from clothes, and it is clear that it is much more difficult to deal with old stains. But let's return to the listed means, let's look in detail at how to act with each of them.
General recommendations
When using any chemical, you must follow basic safety rules - protect your respiratory system with a respirator, and the skin of your hands with clothing, long sleeves and thick gloves. Otherwise, there is a risk of irritation or burns. It is recommended to further protect the mucous membrane of the eyes by wearing glasses.
When treating the ceiling or upper parts of walls, it is worth protecting your hair and scalp by wearing a hat. Before using a finished chemical, be sure to study the instructions and treat only those surfaces for which they are intended.
Preparation
You need to start cleaning your apartment after even a minor fire with preparatory measures. It is better to prepare everything in advance to ensure a successful wash. They take into account in which rooms the surfaces need to be cleaned and what material they are made of. The quantity of soot and its quality play a role. It is necessary to clean everything so that soot particles do not eat into the walls and furniture.
Degree of pollution of the apartment
The quality of soot cleaning in an apartment depends on the degree of its settling on the surface. If everything is covered with a thick layer of soot, then you will have to have the furniture professionally cleaned. And some items will have to be thrown away. After all, they will emit a smell in the apartment for a long time, which is difficult to get rid of.
Taking things out
Before cleaning, all things are taken out, completely emptying the rooms. This makes it easier to deal with major contaminants. If possible and weather conditions permit, then take objects and things into the open air. In winter you can go to the balcony or loggia, or to the basement.
Removing curtains, drywall, carpets, baseboards
A room free of furniture is cleared of those things that cannot be washed immediately:
- If the curtains on the windows are just dusty, then they can be washed thoroughly in an automatic machine. Covered with a thick layer of soot, you can’t clean it off. You should say goodbye to them.
- Walls and plasterboard products will be cleaned using dry methods. But the fumes are deeply embedded in them, so it is better to replace such parts of the interior with new ones.
- Carpets strongly absorb odors and soot particles, so they must be removed. It's worth getting them dry cleaned.
- The question of whether it is worth tearing off the baseboards should not arise. To prevent soot from remaining inside them, they are removed. It is better to replace them with others over time. Plastic ones can be washed and reattached after cleaning.
All work is performed wearing a mask, goggles, and gloves. Windows and doors should be opened.
Ventilation
It is difficult to work in an apartment with a persistent burning smell. Therefore, it is necessary to leave it for a day or two with the windows open. You can also use non-aggressive liquids to freshen the air.
Inventory
For cleaning, you will need tools to remove most of the dirt. In addition to the usual containers, brushes, you must have a vacuum cleaner. After all, they start with dry cleaning of the layers of soot.
Bowl, bucket
The container is chosen for washing in such a way that it is comfortable to hold in your hand when washing ceilings or windows. For the walls you need a bucket.
Vacuum cleaner
They pass the vacuum cleaner over the ceilings and walls from the beginning of cleaning. It should be ordinary, not detergent. Select hard brushes for it so that dust can be cleaned well from surfaces.
Rags
For washing you will need soft rags that absorb moisture well. They will have to be changed several times as they become dirty. Therefore, it is worth purchasing a special rag for washing in the store.
Broom
Use a broom to sweep away small dirt and sweep the floor. After the procedure, it is washed, dried and continued to work.
Scoop
It is advised not to sweep soot from the walls onto the floor, otherwise the resulting layers will be difficult to remove. Therefore, you need a large scoop. Then sweep the floor dry, immediately removing the soot.
Hard bristle brush
After sweeping away the surface debris, you need to clean the surfaces with a dry brush. Effort should be made to remove heavy stains. The brush should be used with sharp strokes from top to bottom.
Brushes and spatula
Layers of soot must be removed with a spatula. Removal of deep contaminants with the tool is successful. Then use a brush to sweep away small particles.
Roller, tray for it
A sponge roller impregnated with special substances for dry cleaning can be purchased at a hardware store. It comes with a tray for collecting soot.
We recommend
DOCKER MAZBIT PLUS is a concentrated product for cleaning surfaces from the effects of fire. Designed for effective quick cleaning of any surfaces (wood, concrete, plaster, stone, tiles) from various contaminations by combustion products, such as soot, soot, carbon deposits. Without smell. Does not contain chlorine or acid.
More details
How to wash soot off metal How to wash off soot after a fire
