How to Clean Soot From Your Walls With Trisodium Phosphate

A popular cleaner for soot and smoke on your walls is a trisodium phosphate solution. Trisodium phosphate, or TSP, is a powerful solution – but it still takes quite a bit of time and effort to clean your walls with it.

For most people, rather than attempting a heavy-duty cleanup, it’s best to call a soot and smoke damage repair company to tackle the task for you. However, if you do decide to do it yourself, follow these steps – and make sure you read the container of the solution you choose and follow the directions to a T.

How to Clean Soot From Your Walls With Trisodium Phosphate

First things first: Your safety is the most important thing. Make sure you’re wearing personal protective equipment, including rubber gloves and a particulate mask to protect your airways.

In most cases, these are the steps you need to take:

  • Fill a plastic bucket with 1 gallon of warm water. Add 1 tablespoon of TSP and mix.
  • Wet a sponge with the solution from the bucket.
  • Wipe one small section of your wall vigorously. Work in small sections so you can see your progress.
  • Dip your rag in clean water frequently to remove soot.
  • Continue until you’ve cleaned the entire damaged space. You may need to wash, rinse and repeat several times.

Pro Tip: Be very careful not to oversaturate your walls. If you do so, the water could do irreparable damage to your drywall.

If the smoke and soot is still visible after you’ve cleaned as best you can, you probably need to talk to a smoke and soot damage repair specialist who can restore your home to its normal state.

Please be aware that TSP is a very harsh chemical and it can be irritating to your skin and eyes.

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