Help me with your soot cleaning tips!!

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

We had a wood heater malfunction! OK we had a husband malfunction but we're not casting stones.

The house was filled with smoke for about 3 hours. We are very lucky the animals in the house all lived. The dog was a little the worse for wear, but with remedial first aid seems much perkier today.

But, the house stinks and there is a fine layer of soot. Everywhere.




It looks fine then you wipe your hand across something and get soot.

Any tips for getting the stink out???? Any tips for dealing with the soot? I have to wash every article of bedding and clothing don't I?

And, it looks like I need to throw out alot of food! And, every dish needs to be washed again.

I have 15 people coming in two days.

Help!

 

[peepacheep]

Oh what a mess! So glad your animals are ok! Our wood stove generates a lot of dust leaving a fine layer through the house. Damp cloths wipe up most of that. If it is a messier creosote type of soot rubbing alcohol and dish detergent will cut that. When heavy fog rolls into our valley the pressure often does not allow the smoke to keep going up the chimney. The house fills with smoke. Only thing that works at that point is to open windows and turn on every exhaust fan for an hour. Airing smoky bedding outdoors for a few hours has saved a ton of laundry. Hopefully giving your house a good airing will help clear much if the smoky smell. Also because our windows are closed most of the winter we have a free standing air filter that can be rolled room to room. That helps a lot. Building supplies like Home Depot have some large and fairly quiet models. Good luck with everything! I am sure your guest will understand. Wood stoves can be cantankerous.

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

Thanks peep! I spent the time after work doing laundry (it was raining so while windows were still open putting stuff on the line was out....

The soot clings to odd stuff! Like every plastic bag in the house has black marks all over it. Fiberglass/plastic stuff like tubs, toilet seats, the frame around the washer and dryer - soot. Most other stuff I was able to just wipe down. We have a guy coming from one of those restoration companies to give us a whole house filter. Our HVAC system has a whole house filter, but DH does not think it moves enough fast enough to clear the smell. After you're in the house for a while you don't smell it.

This is a we're gonna need to paint size issue, not an air it out and it will be OK issue.....

I took every dish out of the kitchen cabinets and have been washing them. I had just taken all of my good china out and washed it all and laid it out on the dining room table to prepare for Thursday!

Well, we're eating off of plastic now! It will all need to be rewashed, the silver needs to be polished, every bit of clothing, linens and bedding, curtains etc etc all need to be cleaned or washed. All of our closet full of winter coats......

He loaded the fire box for a fire so that his mother would not have to do it when she brought the kids home. But, he fogot to shovel out the ash from the last fire. "The last fire was 8 hours ago!""

He knows better than that. A good bed of coals can last days. It ignited after he left. Three hours later the kids and MIL came home to heavy smoke damage and a nearly dead dog.

Dog lived. Hubby is questionable. SIGH no I haven't even yelled at him. It was an accident and he is very upset about it. I am mad. I am just not taking it out on him.

 

[goldenluver]

TSB, it is sold at hardware store in the cleaning supplies. it will cut through soot. we used it to clean my inlaws place, they were chain smokers who never aired their place out for 30 years.

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

Gulden what is TSB??

We got ServPro to come out last night.

They really helped.

Today I am working on the food for tomorrow and every single plate and pan I take down to use has to be washed first.

So I am behind schedule but still making time. I am also cheating far more than I usually do.

The house still smells of smoke when you first walk in. I was worried about that until I called my sister and told her.




My sister said, "Those who matter, won't care
Those who care, don't matter!"

 

[SallyF]

Possibly the poster meant TSP, which is trisodium phosphate. It's a good cleaner, but use rubber gloves; if you don't it will suck the oil right out of your skin, and you'll be able to sand wood floors barehanded!

 

[goldenluver]

oops, I meant TSP.

it's TRISODIUM PHOSPHATE
here's a web site about it http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infxtra/inftsp.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trisodium_phosphate

 

[Sootsie]

im so sorry i not got any tips that i know work but your sister is right those who matter wont care and will more than likely complement you on how well you managed to get everything together for there visit. i smoke i know its not the same but i use anti smoke candles they take away the smell of cigarette smoke and for that are quite effective can look pretty too as a last minite thing to perhaps take the edge of any residual smell. I guess like a lot of folk here if you lived down the road i'd pop in to help you get cleaned up. hope everything goes well and you can relax with your visitors.

 

[peepacheep]

A paint size issue and not an air out issue? Oh my, oh dear, that is a much bigger mess. Excellent move to call in a professional company. Your sister has very wise words on the matter of what matters. As for not smelling it after awhile I can say the same goes for when a spotted skunk spray in our kitchen years ago. After a few hours we stopped smelling it. The skunk that sprayed under the house during Thanksgiving dinner was another story.

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

My sister is right, but this year I invited a friend who asked to bring both her mother and her sister. Not that I am not sure that they are nice enough people, but I really don't know them well, except to know that the sister is an interior designer!

I was a little nervous about her coming anyway!

I know it should not matter, but......



As far as I am concerned I have a great deal to be grateful for this year.