How to Remove Smoke and Soot After a Fire

4/12/2021 (Permalink)

Our team of certified professionals know how to clean smoke and soot damage that result from a fire. Look at those results!

When there’s a fire inside your home, you want it to be one that you know about, such as a fire flickering in your fireplace on a snowy day, a three-wick candle wafting a pleasant aroma (maybe cinnamon or lemon) into the air, or on a match as you light a birthday cake. Those fires are all fine inside your house. But, unfortunately, home fires do happen and can occur by many different causes, like a kitchen fire or your dryer. 

Here are tips for home fire damage clean up in Massachusetts, specifically for smoke and soot remnants, after the fire trucks have left and you’ve called your insurance company: 

• Assess the damage. Was the fire damage to your home contained to one spot, like the stove; one room; an entire floor; or your entire house? If it was a small, contained fire, then you may be able to clean it up yourself. If the fire was a larger scale, you may want to contact fire damage restoration pros like us. 
• Clean up the soot and smoke in your home. We don’t recommend that you do so yourself, as we offer “magic sponges” that remove soot and smoke damage, but if you want to give it a try, consider one of these home remedies. You can use white vinegar or bleach (separately! Do not mix these two items together) to work on removing soot damage to your home. Even disinfecting wipes could do the trick depending on the amount of damage. One other option is to use the skunk remover for dogs: a mix of ¼ cup of baking soda, 1-2 teaspoons of a mild dishwashing detergent, and 1 quart of Hydrogen Peroxide solution. This bubbles up and works to remove smoke stains.

If you need help with your home fire damage restoration, take a look at the steps of our fire damage restoration process, which includes removal of soot and smoke from all surfaces. Contact us here at SERVPRO of Stoneham / Wakefield for an assessment of your fire damage in Massachusetts.