Soot stains surfaces with difficult-to-remove discolorations.
When a flame does not completely combust, soot will occur and cover all surfaces it encounters with a black, oily residue. All-purpose cleaners do little to remove soot from indoor paint. Furthermore, the soot can leave permanent stains and unpleasant odors on the painted surface. Fortunately, several home remedies will remove the soot from indoor paint.
White Vinegar
White vinegar has a wide array of cleaning uses, both inside and outside of your home. Not only will vinegar cut through grease and soot without damaging the indoor paint, but it will also remove any odors caused by the soot. Clean the soot off of the indoor paint with a mixture of equal parts lukewarm water and white vinegar. You can use full-strength white vinegar for thick or difficult-to-remove soot. After you have removed the soot from the paint, wipe away the white vinegar with a damp cloth.
Ammonia
Available as a clear liquid, often used in commercial cleaners, ammonia will remove soot and its oily residue from paint. Mix 1 cup of ammonia with 1 gallon of cold water in a bucket. The colder the water, the less fumes the ammonia will produce. Use a clean sponge, dampened in the ammonia mixture, to gently scrub the soot off of the painted surface. Once you have removed all of the soot from the paint, wipe the ammonia mixture off with cool water. Never mix ammonia with bleach or any product that contains ammonia. When combined, ammonia and bleach create dangerous fumes.
Lemon Juice
The scent of lemons is a common aroma in commercial cleaning products, and the natural acids found in the citrus fruit will help dissolve the soot from paint. Dilute 1 cup of lemon juice with 1 cup of cool water to clean soot off of indoor paint. For easier application, pour the lemon juice mixture into a spray bottle.
TSP
If -- after using the more natural methods -- the soot remains, use the concentrated cleaning powder known as trisodium phosphate. When dissolved in water, TSP will remove layers of soot from indoor paint. A ratio of 3 tbsp. of trisodium phosphate to 1 gallon of lukewarm water will safely clean soot from painted surfaces. After you have washed the soot off, rinse the surface clean with cool water.
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