If you've had a small fire in your kitchen, you're going to be dealing with the clean-up for quite some time. Even a small grease fire on the stove can generate enough smoke to cause serious damage. Once the fire department clears your home for re-entry, you'll be able to assess the damage and begin the clean-up.

If the fire didn't do any real structural damage, you may be able to clean the smoke damage up and begin living in your home again. Before you move back in, it's important that you thoroughly remove any smoke that might be lingering in your home. Here are some step-by-step instructions for cleaning smoke off your walls and windows.

Scrub the Walls

When cleaning up smoke damage in your home, it's important that you begin by ensuring proper ventilation. Open all the windows in the room and bring in a small fan. The fan will help circulate the air so that you can breathe easier during the clean-up. Now you're ready to begin the clean-up.

Supplies You'll Need

  • Face mask
  • Gloves
  • Safety goggles
  • Bucket
  • Trisodium phosphate cleaner
  • Warm water
  • Sponge

Directions

  1. Put your protective gear on.
  2. Fill a bucket with warm water.
  3. Add 4 tablespoons of trisodium phosphate cleaner.
  4. Place a sponge in the water to get it wet.
  5. Scrub an area of the wall with the cleaning solution.
  6. Continue scrubbing the wall until all the smoke has been removed.
  7. Be sure to rinse the sponge often to remove smoke.
  8. Allow the room to air dry for several hours.
  9. Repeat the process if necessary.

Clean the Windows

Windows can also get covered in smoke during a kitchen fire. Luckily, smoke can be removed from glass fairly easily. For the initial clean-up, you can use the same trisodium phosphate solution that you used to clean your walls. However, you'll want to add a second phase to the clean-up to bring back the shine to your glass. This cleaning solution will remove the residue and restore the shine.

Supplies You'll Need

  • Plastic spray bottle
  • Water
  • Vinegar
  • Lemon juice
  • Soft cloth

Directions

  1. Fill your spray bottle with two cups each of water and vinegar.
  2. Add ½ cup of lemon juice.
  3. Spray your windows and allow the solution to sit for about 5 minutes.
  4. Wipe your windows clean with a soft cloth.
  5. Repeat the process if necessary.

If you've had a grease fire in your kitchen, you'll need to clean up the smoke damage. Once the fire department has cleared your home for re-entry, you can use the instructions provided above to clean your walls and windows. For extensive smoke damage, be sure to contact a professional smoke damage restoration contractor, such as one from Serclean Inc.

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