How to Clean Smoke from Walls

Even a small fire can cause extensive smoke damage. For best results and to avoid difficult stains, you should try to remove smoke char and soot as quickly as possible. Here’s what you need to know to get started.

Removing Char & Soot from Walls

Smoke particles, commonly referred to as char or soot, will smudge if you are not careful when you try to clean them. Fortunately, there is an easy way to get rid of char and soot without causing further damage to your walls.

What You Will Need:

Rubber gloves
Safety glasses
Chemical Dry-Cleaning Sponge
Paint thinner or rubbing alcohol
Soft cloth or sponge
Fan, to help with ventilation
Ladder or step stool
Drop cloth

The Cleaning Process:

Start by properly ventilating the area. With harsh fumes from smoke and cleaning products, you will need ample air circulation with a fresh air source readily available.
Use safety goggles, especially when working overhead. Rubber gloves will protect your hands from cleaning chemicals.
To avoid transferring the stain to the floor, lay a drop cloth on the floor under the area to be cleaned.
Use a ladder or step stool to reach high areas, and work from side to side and top to bottom.
A Chemical Dry Cleaning Sponge is the ideal way to remove soot from walls. To use, wipe the stain with the completely dry sponge – no moisture is necessary. When the sponge becomes saturated with soot, wash it out and allow to air dry. (If you can not find one of these sponges, skip to the next step) .
After removing as much residue as possible, wet a soft cloth or sponge with paint thinner or rubbing alcohol. (Do NOT use water based cleaners!) Gently wipe the remaining stain until gone.
Allow to air dry.

Removing Odors from Walls:

Because smoke will quickly spread and penetrate multiple surfaces, odors can be particularly hard to find and remove. Even without obvious smoke damage, walls can absorb smoke odor and leach it back into the room. Therefore, it is a good idea to clean walls after exposure to smoke, even if they don’t appear smoky or dirty.

What You Will Need:

Plastic drop cloths
Mild detergent
Warm water
Bucket
Sponge or soft cloth
Dry towel
Ladder or step stool

The Cleaning Process:

Begin by placing plastic sheeting around the base of the walls to avoid accidental water damage to flooring.
Use a ladder or step stool to reach the upper wall. Start at the top and move from side to side and top to bottom as you work.
Fill the bucket with warm water and add just enough detergent to create a few bubbles (using too much detergent will leave residue on walls).
Wipe down the walls with soapy water using a soft cloth or sponge. (Do NOT use water on a soot-stained wall. Complete the soot and char removal process before moving on to this step).
Soak up extra moisture with the towel to prevent water damage.
Allow walls to air dry in a well ventilated room.

Additional Tips and Advice:

Avoid using water-based cleaners to remove soot from plaster. This causes the stain to bleed into the wall.
Open windows and use fans for ventilation in smoke damaged areas or any time that you work with harsh chemical fumes.
Always use safety glasses and gloves when working with chemicals.
Spot clean a small section of wall when you are using chemicals to test for damage.
Replace air filters for the heating and cooling system. Even if the fire was in another room, smoke particles can continue to circulate through contaminated filters and air systems.
If you plan to make an insurance claim, contact your insurance company before beginning the cleaning process. If you cannot wait, be sure to document the damage as thoroughly as possible with photographs.
If the smoke damage is adjacent to an area with structural damage, wait for a safety inspection before re-entering the building.
For extensive smoke damage, it’s best to call a professional fire restoration service.