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Home » Cleaning Guides » Clothing & Fabrics » Fabrics » How to Clean Soot from Clothing

How to Clean Soot from Clothing

Table of Contents:
  1. You Will Need
  2. Steps to Remove the Stain
  3. Additional Tips and Advice
  4. Sources

Heather asked, “How do you clean black soot from a kerosene heater from a white coat? I was running a kerosene heater last winter while I left for a short period of time. My pit bull bumped the heater and black soot filled my kitchen and my daughter’s coat turned black from the soot. How do I clean it; please help!”

Soot contains carbon, dirt and oil, which can leave a serious stain on clothes.¹ If there is any loose soot on the garment, begin by using a vacuum hose to remove as much soot as possible, then select one of the methods below to remove the stain.

You Will Need:

  • Salt
  • Formula 409
  • Washing soda
  • Borax
  • Ammonia
  • Soapless shampoo

Steps to Remove the Stain:

  1. Cover the stain with a pile of salt. Allow the salt to soak up the soot for several hours, then launder the garment as usual.²
  2. Soak the stain with Formula 409, then launder the garment as usual.²
  3. Adding a half-cup of borax² and/or washing soda to the wash with your regular detergent can be enough to remove the oily stain.³
  4. Dilute ammonia to 10%. Dab the stain with a soapless shampoo and add several drops of the ammonia solution to the stain. Use a scrub brush to work the cleaners into the stain and rinse the stain with water.¹

Additional Tips and Advice

  • If any stain remains, try dabbing the stain with alcohol.³
  • Do not apply ammonia to wool, as it can damage the fibers.
  • Wear gloves and ventilate the area well when using ammonia. For more ammonia safety information, see Wikipedia.

Sources

  1. Removing Spots and Stains by Ibert and Eleanor Mellan
  2. Joey Green’s Cleaning Magic
  3. Don Aslett’s Stainbuster’s Bible

Filed Under: Cleaning Guides, Fabrics Tagged With: clothing, soot

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