The Southland Firestorm: A Special Report : The Recovery : CLEANING UP : Erasing the Soot and Smell of Disaster

Your clothes stink, your books are covered with soot and your car is topped with ashes. Here is a list of things that can be done to rid your home and yourself of the fire and its aftermath. The suggestions are taken from “After the Fire,” a pamphlet produced by the Costa Mesa Fire Department.

CLOTHING

* Smoke odor and soot can sometimes be washed from clothing. The following formula will often work for clothing that can be bleached: 4-6 teaspoons trisodium phosphate, 1 cup Lysol or any household chlorine bleach, 1 gallon warm water.

* Take wool, silk or rayon garments to a dry cleaner as soon as possible.

LEATHER & BOOKS

* Wipe leather goods with a damp cloth, then wipe with a dry cloth. Rinse leather and suede jackets in cold water and dry away from heat and sun.

* Books can be dried by placing them on end with the pages separated. Then they should be piled and pressed to prevent crinkling of pages.

FOOD

When in doubt, throw it out:

* Wash your canned goods in detergent and water. Do the same for food in jars. If the label comes off, mark the contents with a grease pencil. Do not use canned goods when the cans have bulged or are dented or rusted.

WALLS

Also, furniture and carpeting:

* Vacuum all surfaces.

* Change and clean air-conditioner heater/filters.

* Seal off the room you are cleaning with plastic wrap to keep soot from moving from one location to another.

* Do not use chemicals on furniture. A very inexpensive product called FLAX Soap is available in most hardware and paint stores for cleaning wood, including kitchen cabinets.

* For carpeting--steam-clean, shampoo and repeat steam-cleaning.

* It is almost impossible to get smoke odor out of pillows. Throw them out.

* Locks, especially iron ones, should be taken apart, wiped with kerosene and oiled. If locks cannot be removed, squirt machine oil through a bolt opening or keyhole and work the knob to distribute the oil.

SOOT

* Soot embedded in walls is a tricky problem, and household products can just make matters worse. Professionals use special chemicals to neutralize soot and smoke smell but at a price that can run into several hundred dollars per treatment. Annie Wilder of the Swelldom cleanup company in Sun Valley says such treatments are covered by most household insurance policies.

For those not directly affected by fire, but who are still feeling the effects of smoke and ash, problems are more easily solved:

SMOKY SMELLS

* Houses that have that smoky smell need a good airing out--but don’t do it until the smoke clears or you will just bring more inside.

* Try a good washing. If that doesn’t work, dry cleaners have special solvents. Be sure your dry cleaner is familiar with treating smoke-damaged items, said Shaida Hobian of Frame Quality Cleaners in West Hills.