So the other week, one of my roommates accidentally started a grease fire in the kitchen. No permanent damage, but there is now a layer of smoke crud on a couple walls and the ceiling in the kitchen. I have tried water, water with soap, Formula 409, some kind of Clorox spray, and something called TSP that my other roommate said was great at removing smoke (it even said so on the jar (it’s a powder you mix with water.) All of them worked the same, which is to say, they removed most of the smoke residue, but there is still a layer of grey-ish smears across everything that will not come up. I figure no matter what, we’ll have to paint over it, since the Formula 409 actually took off some of the paint, but I’m worried that the paint won’t stick well if there is still some smoke residue, so I’m wondering if there’s anything else i can try, or if I should just get one of those ultra-duty all-purpose primers and use that first. (Then the hard part comes in guessing the color…I’m fairly sure it’s all just plain white, and probably eggshell, but I know it won’t match perfectly no matter what.)
I’ve heard that a vinegar and water solution would help. Don’t just go out and try it though. But I’ve never tried it
I was going to mention the Mr Clean erasers (a lot of them); there is other advice here which mentions them and Clorox wipes.
This also mentions TSP for cleaning:
<<Tri-sodium phosphate, or TSP. This is a caustic chemical commonly used as an all-purpose cleaning agent. It’s a powerful degreaser and cleaner and makes short work of things like grease and soot. You can use TSP to clean clothing, walls, floors, and some furniture. Pine cleaners will work, too, and are typically less caustic. As such, using them will take a little longer.>>
For cigarette smoke, we find at our house that Windex works great.
This has been tested multiple times on the white walls of a 4x5 room in which someone smoked 10+ hours a day.
Simple Green. Dilute to 10-1 strength.
Simple Green removes everything! And sanitizes your surfaces while you’re at it!
-Butler
(who doesn’t work for anyone related to the Simple Green product, but buys it in gallon containers)
Kilz or BIN stain-blocking primer will stick to the smoke - wash off the big lumps (you’ve already done this), patch as needed, prime and paint.
I came in here to mention Simple Green too. I had a weird greasy, sooty residue all over the walls in a couple rooms of an old apartment that my landlords claimed I caused, but I definitely didn’t. Simple Green took it right off, left no trace and didn’t even disturb the finish of the paint, and I got every penny of my deposit back. Plus you can drink it!
Even better if you add some more ammonia to it. That’s what I use for equipment coated in a bar or (once upon a time) office.
You can drink Simple Green? What’s in it, then?
I would suggest Magic Erasers. They cleaned bat blood off my bedroom walls in a second. It was amazing.
I was just searching on the same thing and I never would have though about the TSP. it is an extremely good solvent and not really that harmful, my family was in chemical manufacturing and I remember using it as an ingredient in our brands of degreaser, similar to purple power or whatever your local purple degreaser is (cant remember the names) they usually have butyl in them also which helps. I’m not sure if it is “listed as harmful” but I don’t remember the TSP hurting me at all. I am going to try to do a few things and see what works for me. My girlfriend and I are both smokers and smoke in one room in our house and I have noticed yellowing and would like to find a solution. Windex may work as suggested above, I will probably try that first since it evaporates easy. Degreasers tend to be hard to rinse off. I will see what works and get back… lol
What in the name of Og goes on in your bedroom? :eek:
I don’t know but if his name is Osborn then maybe something drinkable is worth looking into.
I usually use TSP but if it’s a large area then give windex and simply green a shot. I just cleaned a rental bathroom tub and the only thing that worked was straight TSP. I dumped it dry on the surface and scrubbed with a wet brush. It was many many magnitudes better than the tub cleaner I was using. NEVER use those little pre-soaped steel wool pads. It immediately transferred the blue coloring to the tub.