How to Clean Up After a Fire: The Step-by-Step Safety Guide

If you are reading this standing in a smoke-filled room, stop.

Take a deep breath (outside). Fire damage is traumatic, and the urge to immediately grab a wet rag and start scrubbing is overwhelming.

Do not do that.

Cleaning fire damage is not like cleaning a dirty kitchen. It involves toxic carcinogens, acidic residues, and microscopic particles that hide in wall cavities. If you clean it wrong—specifically, if you use water on soot before removing it dry—you will permanently set the stain and the smell into your walls.

This guide is your triage manual. It will help you decide what you can save, what you must toss, and how to clean up safely without making the damage worse.

Phase 1: The “Do Not Touch” Rules (Safety First)

Before you pick up a sponge, you need to secure the scene.

1. Don’t touch soot with bare hands.

The natural oils in your skin will react with the soot and “set” it into walls or upholstery. Once this happens, it is nearly impossible to remove. Always wear gloves.

2. Turn OFF your HVAC immediately.

If you run your A/C or heater, you are sucking soot and smoke particles into your ductwork and blowing them into rooms that weren’t even damaged. Keep the system off until a professional inspects it.

3. Don’t wash your clothes in your home machine.

Smoke-damaged clothes can contaminate your washing machine, making your next ten loads smell like a campfire. Take them to a dry cleaner or a laundromat dedicated to heavy-duty cleaning.

Phase 2: The Assessment (DIY vs. Professional)

Not all fires are the same. Use this checklist to decide if you can handle this yourself.

You can likely DIY if:

• The fire was small and contained (e.g., a stovetop flare-up).

• The soot is “dry” (dusty) and covers a small area.

• There is no structural damage (charred studs, weak floors).

Call a Professional immediately if:

• The “Protein” Fire: You burned meat, fish, or beans. This leaves an invisible, sticky, pungent residue that is incredibly difficult to remove without chemical sealers.

• Water Damage: If firefighters used hoses, you have 24-48 hours before mold begins. This is a complex restoration job.

• Plastics/Chemicals: If you burned plastic, the soot is highly acidic and toxic. Do not breathe this.

Phase 3: The Toolkit (What You Need)

Do not use standard household cleaners yet. You need specific tools to break the chemical bond of the soot.

• N95 Masks: Soot particles are microscopic and carcinogenic. Protect your lungs.

• Dry Chemical Sponges: (Also known as “Soot Erasers”). This is the most important tool. They look like a brick of yellow rubber. Do not use a regular kitchen sponge.

• TSP (Tri-Sodium Phosphate): A heavy-duty degreaser found at hardware stores.

• HEPA Vacuum: A standard shop vac will just blow the fine soot particles back into the air. You need a sealed HEPA filter.

Phase 4: The Cleaning Process (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: The “Hover” Vacuum

Use your HEPA vacuum with the upholstery attachment. Hold the nozzle slightly above the soot (do not press it into the surface). You want to suck up the loose particles before you touch them.

Step 2: The Dry Sponge (The Critical Step)

Do not use water yet.

Take your Dry Chemical Sponge and press it firmly against the wall. Pull it down in a straight line.

• Do not scrub. Scrubbing grinds the soot into the pores of the drywall.

• Flip often. As the sponge turns black, slice off the dirty layer with a razor blade or flip it to a clean side.

• Do not rinse the sponge. These sponges are meant to be used dry.

Step 3: The Wet Clean

Once the visible soot is gone, you can wash the surface.

1. Mix TSP with warm water (wear gloves, TSP is strong).

2. Wash walls from the bottom up. (If you wash top-down, dirty water trickles over dry soot, creating streaks that are hard to fix).

3. Rinse with clear water and dry immediately with a clean towel.

Phase 5: The “Hidden” Spots (Where the Smell Hides)

You cleaned the walls, but the smell is still there. Why? Because smoke travels where your sponge didn’t. Here are the spots most people miss:

• The Outlets: Smoke travels through wall cavities and settles behind your light switches and outlet covers. Unscrew the faceplates (carefully)—you will likely see a black ring of soot on the back.

• Lightbulbs: Soot settles on bulbs. When you turn the light on later, the heat “bakes” the soot, releasing the odor all over again. Throw away your old lightbulbs.

• Top of Door Frames: Get on a ladder. Smoke rises, so the tops of your door frames and the inside lips of your upper kitchen cabinets are likely covered in soot.

Phase 6: Save or Toss? (The Cheat Sheet)

Fire damage is harsh. Sometimes, the cost of cleaning an item is higher than replacing it.

A Final Note on Insurance

Before you clean a single inch, take photos.

If you clean the soot perfectly, the insurance adjuster won’t see the extent of the damage. Document everything first.

Still smelling smoke?

If you have scrubbed everything and the odor persists, the smoke particles have likely penetrated the insulation or the pores of the wood framing. This requires Thermal Fogging or Ozone Treatment to neutralize.