If smoke or soot reached your home, keep people out of the worst rooms and don’t wipe the residue. Call (855) 727-0147 and we’ll connect you with an independent restoration company that serves your area to assess the smoke, soot and odor.
What is smoke damage, and why is it hard to clean?
Smoke carries fine particles and oily residue far from the fire. It settles on walls, ceilings, inside cabinets and closets, and in the heating and cooling system. Even a small kitchen fire can leave residue and odor throughout a house.
The residue is oily and stains, so the right method matters. Cleaning it the wrong way can push it deeper into surfaces (UF/IFAS Disaster Handbook).
What kinds of smoke residue are there?
Restorers usually sort residue by how the fire burned, because each kind needs a different approach.
| Residue | Where it comes from | What it is like |
|---|---|---|
| Dry soot | Fast, hot fires burning paper, wood or similar materials. | Powdery and loose. Often removed with vacuuming and dry cleaning methods. |
| Wet or protein residue | Slow, smoldering fires, including burned food on a stove. | Sticky, strong-smelling and sometimes hard to see. Odor is often the main problem. |
| Fuel or oil residue | Burned fuel, oil or furnace puff-backs. | Thick and greasy. Usually needs specialized cleaners. |
Why does speed matter?
- Soot is easier to remove before it sets into paint, grout and fabric (UF/IFAS).
- Odor spreads into soft furnishings the longer it sits.
- If firefighting water is present, drying within 24 to 48 hours helps prevent mold (EPA).
How do professionals clean smoke damage?
| Stage | What happens | Typical timing |
|---|---|---|
| Assess | Identify residue types, test surfaces and check the heating and cooling system. | First visit |
| Remove loose soot | Vacuuming with the nozzle held above the surface, then dry chemical sponges on walls and ceilings. | Early in the job |
| Wash and degrease | Cleaners matched to the residue and surface. | Days, depending on the number of rooms |
| Clean the HVAC system | Inspecting and cleaning ducts and equipment so they don’t spread residue again. | Before the system runs full time |
| Deodorize | Removing the source first, then treatments such as thermal fogging or ozone in an empty building. | Often more than one round |
| Seal and repaint | Sealing stained surfaces so odor and stains don’t bleed through new paint. | Near the end |
The IICRC publishes the industry standard for this work, the ANSI/IICRC S700 Standard for Professional Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration. A separate IICRC standard, S590, covers assessing HVAC systems after water, fire or mold damage.
What is safe to do yourself?
Generally safe
- Open windows and run fans if the weather allows (UF/IFAS).
- Replace the furnace or air conditioning filter, and keep checking it until it comes out clean.
- Vacuum loose soot with the nozzle held just above the surface. Don’t use brush attachments or an upright vacuum, which push soot into fabric.
Leave to a professional
- Washing walls and ceilings. Water-based cleaners can damage plaster and smear soot.
- Ozone treatments. The EPA warns ozone can damage the lungs. High levels should only be used in an unoccupied space, with no people or pets exposed, and ozone can also harm plants (EPA).
- Cleaning electronics, ductwork or anything with a burned smell inside it.
What drives the cost?
- How far the smoke traveled and how many rooms need cleaning.
- The type of residue. Protein and fuel residue take more labor than dry soot.
- Whether the heating and cooling system needs cleaning.
- How many belongings need cleaning or deodorizing.
- Whether surfaces need sealing and repainting.
Ask for a written, itemized estimate before work starts.
How does homeowners insurance handle smoke damage in Texas?
Your policy and your adjuster decide what is covered. The restoration company’s job is to document the damage and write an estimate the adjuster can review.
- Report the claim early. Texas insurers have 15 business days to acknowledge a claim, then 15 business days to accept or deny it once they have what they need. They can extend that by 45 days if they explain why (Texas Department of Insurance).
- Photograph and film everything before it is moved or cleaned, and keep every receipt (TDI claim tips).
- Stop the damage from getting worse, for example with a tarp or a temporary repair. TDI lists this as a step for policyholders.
- Your deductible is yours to pay. Texas law bars contractors from offering to waive, rebate or absorb it (TDI: know the law).
- A contractor can’t act as your public adjuster. A company that does the repair work can’t negotiate your claim for you or advertise that it will.
- If you can’t live at home after covered damage, additional living expenses coverage may pay for a hotel, meals and laundry. Keep the receipts (TDI on living expenses).
Stuck on a claim? Call the Texas Department of Insurance consumer help line at 800-252-3439 or file a complaint online.
How getting help works
When you call or send the form, we connect you with an independent restoration company that serves your area. They inspect, document the damage and give you a written scope — you decide whether to hire them.
Questions to ask the company that comes out
- Which IICRC certifications does the lead technician hold (for example WRT, FSRT, OCT or AMRT)?
- Do you carry general liability and workers’ comp insurance, and can I see the certificate?
- Will I get a written scope of work before anything starts?
- Who will talk with my insurance adjuster, and what will you send them?
- If mold is involved: what is your TDLR mold remediation license number, and who did the independent mold assessment?
Frequently asked questions
Often, yes. Smoke from a covered fire can be part of the claim even if the flames stayed in one room. Your policy and adjuster decide what is covered, so document the residue and odor in every affected room.
Usually not. Odor and stains tend to bleed through unless the residue is cleaned and the surface is sealed first.
Not around people. The EPA says ozone can damage the lungs, so high-level ozone treatments should only happen in an empty building, with people and pets kept out.
Often. Smoke and soot get pulled into the heating and cooling system. Ask the restoration company to check it before you run it for long periods.
Find help in your area
Elsewhere in Texas? See all the areas we cover.
Get connected with a local restoration company
Free. No obligation. Prefer to talk? Call (855) 727-0147.