Soot Damage Removal Techniques

4/1/2021 (Permalink)

Chemical Sponge

Soot is the residue left behind after a solid material is consumed by fire. It can be powdery or flakey, depending on the contents of the burned materials.

The acidic nature of soot makes it challenging to remove. It cannot simply be wiped away with a regular rag or sponge. In fact, this may push it further into the surface you are attempting to clean. Removing soot requires specific tools and techniques. 

Our crew members employ several specially designed tools and chemicals to carefully remove soot. If smoke and soot lingers in the air, we place a HEPA500 air scrubber, which removes 99.97% of airborne particles. After vacuuming up dust residue, we use chemical sponges to gently wipe the soot from large surfaces. Contents and furniture require further detailed cleaning procedures.

This photo shows a chemical sponge, which is specially designed to be used in conjunction with SERVPRO chemicals to remove soot.