How To Clean Soot From The Ceiling

  CONTENTS

• What is soot?
• The dangers of soot
• How to clean soot off the ceiling
• Why you should bring in fire damage cleaning professionals
• Contact us today

Grimy, black soot stains on your ceiling are a dangerous, unsightly feature of a property. Whether they are small marks caused by a candle or cigarette, or more serious fire damage from a house fire, all traces of the soot must be removed as soon as you spot them. 

Here at ICE Cleaning, we offer our fire damage cleaning services nationwide. Our fully trained technicians can remove all the soot and ash from your home, as well as collect waste, and neutralise lingering odours. They have many years of experience restoring fire damaged properties.

Continue reading to find out what soot is and how to clean it from your ceiling. 

What is soot?

Soot is a flaky, powdery, black substance that is made up of mainly amorphous carbon particles. It is caused by materials like wood and coal burning incompletely. It also contains acids from chemicals, metals, and dust. 

This greasy substance can cling to surfaces, like the ceiling, and is very difficult to remove. It usually appears in our homes following a fire, but when we cosy up near an open fire or light candles around our homes, we can also invite it into our living spaces. Faulty furnaces and boilers also contribute to the build-up of these stubborn dark marks on your ceiling.

The dangers of soot

Soot might seem like a mere nuisance, but it's far more than just an unsightly stain on your ceiling. Should you inhale, ingest, or absorb the soot particles via your skin and eyes, it could cause health problems including eye irritation, coughing, headaches, and asthma attacks.

Prolonged exposure to soot can cause more serious issues, like bronchitis, heart disease, and even cancer. You can find out more about what soot is and its links to cancer here. 

Beyond personal health concerns, soot can also wreak havoc on your home’s structure and decor. Over time, the acidic properties of these small particles will begin corroding surfaces. This could result in furniture pieces losing their shine, structural damage, and walls and ceilings being discoloured. Unless removed immediately, you could be facing expensive repairs down the line.

How to clean soot off the ceiling

You might be tempted to wipe soot stains off ceilings and walls with a soot sponge or damp cloth, but you must leave fire damage cleaning to the professionals. Soot is particularly challenging to clean because it's such a stubborn, greasy substance. This could smear the stain further across your ceiling and push it into the surface, making it more challenging to remove.

Even if you did manage to remove some of the soot, small traces left behind can put people's health at risk and damage your property. A thorough clean is essential to restore your property to a safe environment. This can be especially difficult when cleaning a ceiling as the soot stains will be hard to reach. 

Soot removal is dangerous, as well. As you clean it, you will be much more likely to touch or inhale the particles. Full personal protective equipment (PPE) is required when cleaning up soot and fire damage. 

Cleaning soot off the ceiling in particular can be hazardous as you will need to work at height and could be at risk of falling and getting injured. You can find out more about why you should consider hiring a professional for fire restoration in this blog. 

Why you should bring in fire damage cleaning professionals

Professional cleaners, like our technicians, have the tools, cleaning solutions, and cleaning methods to tackle fire and smoke damage safely and effectively. They also ensure your safety by using proper protective gear during the entire process. They will know the best way to clean soot off the ceiling and can give you peace of mind that no toxic residue has been left behind.

They can provide any other services you may require, too. A common problem following a house fire is mould growth and water damage due to the extinguishing methods the firefighters use. Our technicians can also offer mould removal services to ensure the entire aftermath of a fire is taken care of. 

They will also have the specialist equipment required to remove soot without damaging the surface underneath, no matter how delicate it is. 

Contact us today

Our technicians are available to provide our comprehensive fire damage cleaning service 24/7, 365 days a year. They have been accredited by several organisations including IPAF, BICSc, and SafeContractor. If it's an emergency, they can be on site within several hours. 

To find out more about our fire restoration and smoke damage cleaning services, get in touch with our team on 0208 066 0360 or send an email to enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk.