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During a fire, organic fuels are burned, such as wood, coal and oil. Due to the incomplete combustion of these fossil fuels, soot is produced and spreads throughout a property. It can be identified through black residue left on surfaces. It is difficult to clean and can have a very unpleasant smell.
Soot can also be present without a fire. It can be produced through candles, fireplaces, and furnaces, especially when there is not enough ventilation or when used excessively.
Soot is mostly made from carbon, however, can also contain metal, dust, carcinogens and other chemicals that are harmful to be exposed to. Additionally, carbon creates carbon monoxide, ammonia, hydrogen and tar, all of which are toxic to be exposed to.
Exposure to soot can be through inhalation, ingestion, or just by touching it. Once entered into your body, it can cause a harmful reaction in your body, increasing the risks of health issues.
Significant health issues associated with exposure include cancer, asthma attacks, bronchitis, strokes, heart attacks, coronary heart disease and premature death.
If not cleaned properly or remains untreated, the risks of exposure increases. It’s always best to hire professionals. They are experienced and have the right tools and knowledge to get your property back to its original state and back to being a safe environment live and work in.
Soot sticks on to surfaces well and can be very hard to remove yourself. Removing it yourself may also cause the soot to spread further across the surfaces.
A common way in which we (CPL t/a Rainbow International) remove soot is through the use of our DOFF system.
A DOFF cleaning system heats water up to 150°C creating high temperature steam. It is easily adjustable to ensure the most difficult of marks are removed. It’s a system that is designed to be easy and quick.
DOFF is a form of media blasting and does not use high pressure. This is to ensure that the surfaces being cleaned remain undamaged. This means it can be ideal to be used on bricks and also softer materials like wood and soapstone. The high temperatures of the DOFF system helps not only remove soot, but also remove algae, paint, graffiti, limescale, as well as oil and grease.
Additionally, the water and steam of high temperatures means that often no chemicals or cleaning products need be used for this process reducing the number of harmful chemicals going into the environment.
At CPL t/a Rainbow International we are experts in dealing with soot, odour removal and a wide range of fire restoration related issues, with nearly 20 years of experience. To find out how we can help, give us a call on 0800 0304360.