If you love candles and incense, but not their sooty stains, this DIY is for you
Candlelight brings ambiance to a room, whether you're entertaining guests or just cozying up on a cold day. As much as you love incense and scented candles, they can muss up your good time if the soot stains your walls or ceiling. Don’t worry; if yours burned too close and left a mark, you can clean it up in 15 to 30 minutes.
Cleaning a small soot stain from a precariously placed candle or burning incense usually isn’t a problem. But if your soot damage is extensive, like from a kitchen fire, you should consider hiring a local cleaning pro or smoke remediation professional near you. They have the expertise and superior tools, like industrial-grade vacuums with powerful HEPA filters and cleaning supplies—these are expensive to buy on your own.
The best way to clean the soot stains depends on the surface. You’re not only cleaning the sticky soot, but you’re also trying to preserve the surface finish. So, plan to use wet methods to clean tile, glass, and other waterproof finishes. Use dry methods for drywall, wood, and other porous materials to avoid water damage.
After you choose the right solution, but before you begin cleaning, test a small spot to make sure the paint, wood, or tile finish isn’t damaged. Keep in mind, depending on the size and location of the stain; sometimes, you could use a combination of dry and wet solutions if you’re not damaging the surface.
If the area that needs cleaning is several square feet or more, you should use protective gear to avoid breathing soot particles. Don a mask, safety glasses, and gloves (if you use chemicals) for the ultimate protection. You may also want to cover nearby furniture, decorative items, and rugs so the soot doesn’t spread. And, finally, open a few windows for extra ventilation.
Vacuuming is the best first step for cleaning—but tread lightly. Smearing the soot makes cleanup harder. Use the brush attachment or keep the nozzle about a half-inch to an inch away from the soot to suck it away without rubbing it into the wall or ceiling. Don’t forget to start vacuuming from the top down to avoid re-cleaning the same space if the soot transfers downward.
If the soot stain is on a porous surface, like drywall, you’ll want to start the dry method cleaning process with a soot sponge, also known as a dry cleaning or chemical sponge. You can also try dry melamine sponges—you might know them as eraser sponges.
These sponges grab soot particles quickly and efficiently but don’t wet them. Water ruins their cleaning ability and spreads the mess. Use quick wiping, not rubbing, strokes to lift the soot away. As the sponge darkens from the soot, turn it to a clean side or slice away some of the sponge to reveal a fresh surface.
"If a homeowner is unsure whether the surface is hard or porous, it is a good rule of thumb to try a dry method of soot removal before adding a cleaning solution that may spread or deepen the soot stain," says Asya Biddle, Angi Expert Review Board member and manager of The Dustbusters, a family-owned and operated janitorial company in Williamsport, PA.
Try cleaning your nonporous surfaces (glass, tile, some wood) with dry methods first if the sponges don’t scratch the surface. Then, if you need more power, move to wet soot cleaning products. Dish detergent with degreaser fights oily soot stains, but you should avoid soap with granules to prevent scratches. Carefully sponge (you can use a wet melamine eraser sponge, just keep the water clean) or wipe on the cleaning solution.
Oil-based wood cleaners work magic on finished wood surfaces.
White vinegar and water (one part warm water to three parts vinegar) break down soot stains. Use caution and test a small spot on wood surfaces. Vinegar stains some finishes.
Trisodium phosphate solutions (follow the manufacturer's instructions) require protective gloves, but it’s the most effective soot remover product. It's most useful for large soot stains, like on your fireplace. It's a good option if you don’t want to call a fireplace cleaner near you.
After cleaning the soot, you might need to rinse, dry, or re-vacuum the area again to finish the job. If you use a wet method, use soot-free water and clean microfiber cloths to avoid adding soot back to the surface.
Wall cleaning costs start around $300, but expect to pay more if the damage is significant. A pro will use different processes to remove soot depending on the size, type, and severity of the damage, as well as the wall material. After removing the stain, they will remove any lingering odors. In some cases, a pro will seal the wall surface to help trap the odors so they can’t keep entering your home.
There’s no reason to call a professional cleaning service for candle flame or incense soot that spread over a small to medium area. You can use one or two cleaning techniques to wipe out the stain.
However, even small household fires from kitchen accidents or fireplace mishaps produce a lot of smoke and soot damage. Contact a remediation professional for the best and safest results. If the soot issue is minor, hire a professional house cleaner.
Dish soap will be the most effective against removing soot without damaging the paint underneath. Still test with a small area and if you find you can’t remove the soot without removing some paint, you may need to be prepared to repaint the area once all the soot is removed.
No, you cannot paint over soot. Soot is a type of contaminant and if not properly removed can cause further damage to your paint and walls. Adding paint directly over soot can result in your paint color changing in appearance and potentially peeling over time.
The best cleaner to remove soot depends on the surface material and the type of fire, but consider dish soaps or degreasers, baking soda, rubbing alcohol, and hydrogen. Low-oxygen fires often leave behind greasy soot, which is best removed with dish soaps or degreasers. Baking soda can be useful for absorbing soot deposits from carpets, followed by rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to clean the set-in stains.
Soot can be harder to remove compared to other types of stains given its acidic nature. It can also cause underlying paint to peel off during the cleaning process. If your soot issue is a result of smoke damage, it’s recommended you call a pro to help remove it versus doing it yourself.
