How to Remove Smoke and Soot from Your Store

4/29/2021 (Permalink)

Unless you sell candles and sometimes light one to provide an extra level of ambiance to your retail store, you don’t expect to see any form of fire in your store. Unfortunately, retail store fires do happen, with the majority occurring due to electricity malfunctions or faulty wiring, but they can also occur due to a candle that’s left unattended or a faulty phone charger.  

Here are some tips for dealing with store fire damage in Massachusetts, specifically for smoke and soot remnants that remain after the fire trucks have left and you’ve called your insurance company: 

Assess the damage. Was the fire damage to your retail store contained to one spot, like the front entrance; your back office; or did it impact your whole store? If it was a small, contained fire, then you may be able to clean it up yourself. If the fire was a larger scale, you may want to contact fire damage restoration pros like us. 

Clean up the soot and smoke in your retail store. We don’t recommend that you do so yourself, as we offer “magic sponges” that remove soot and smoke damage, but if you want to give it a try, consider one of these home remedies. 

• You can use white vinegar or bleach (separately! Do not mix these two items together) to work on removing soot damage to your retail store. Even disinfecting wipes could do the trick depending on the amount of damage. 
• One other option is to use the skunk remover for dogs: a mix of ¼ cup of baking soda, 1-2 teaspoons of a mild dishwashing detergent, and 1 quart of Hydrogen Peroxide solution. This bubbles up and works to remove smoke stains.

If you need help with your store fire damage restoration, contact us here at SERVPRO of Danvers / Ipswich for an assessment of your fire damage in Massachusetts. We have the training, experience, and equipment to handle large and small commercial fire damage emergencies, including removing smoke and soot residue from your retail store.