If you burn a candle too close to your wall, you might start noticing that there is a soot mark on your wall. This can be incredibly frustrating, especially if you have wallpaper covering your walls. You might think that you need to replace the wallpaper to get rid of the mark, but luckily this isn’t the case.
You can easily and safely remove candle soot marks from wallpaper with the help of a few tools. You can always try to hire a professional, but you can take care of the problem yourself. There are a few different methods you can use to clean candle soot off your wallpaper, and the one you use will depend on the type of wallpaper you have.
When you are cleaning soot off your walls, you will need to be careful. Protect yourself with gloves and a mask if possible. While you are working, soot particles will be moving through the air, and you don’t want to inhale them. So, how exactly do you clean candle soot off your walls? Keep reading to find out.
How Do You Remove Candle Soot from Wallpaper?
Before you can start removing candle soot from wallpaper, you need to know which kind of wallpaper you have. This will determine which cleaning method is best for you to use to prevent any damage to your walls.
There are five types of wallpaper that will be in your home. These types include vinyl, paper, foil, flocked, and grasscloth. Most of these wallpapers can use the same cleaning method, but others require a specific type.
Vinyl can use wet or dry-cleaning methods. Paper can use wet or dry methods if it is coated and only the dry method if it is uncoated. foil can use wet or dry but doesn’t typically respond to wet. Flocked can be cleaned with wet or dry methods. Grasscloth can only be cleaned using the dry method.
Dry-Cleaning Method
First, you are going to want to vacuum the wallpaper to remove any soot that is sitting on the surface. If you notice the soot doesn’t smear, that means it is non-oily. You will then clean the area using a lambswool duster. It is not recommended to use a synthetic or feather duster for this.
Next, you are going to want to clean the wallpaper with a wallpaper cleaner. Absorene Wall Cleaner is a great choice. It works do absorb smoke film like soot from your candle. Use the product like an eraser and rub it against the soot mark on your wall.
After you have efficiently cleaned the spot with the wall cleaner, you will need to grab an upholstery brush. Very lightly brush and remaining wall cleaner off the wall and vacuum both the wall and floor thoroughly.
After you are finished, there should be no trace of the soot mark from your candle any longer.
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Wet Cleaning Method
The first four steps of the wet cleaning method are the same as the dry-cleaning method. After the second vacuuming, you will prepare three buckets. Your first bucket will have your cleaning solution, the second bucket will be your waste bucket, and your third bucket will be the rinse bucket.
To make the cleaning solution bucket, grab your wallpaper cleaning agent and dilute it based on the instructions on the label. Your second bucket will just need to be filled about halfway with clean water, and your rinse bucket can be full of clean water.
You will take a clean towel or rag and dip it into your cleaning solution. Lightly wring it out and clean the soot mark on your wall. Start at the bottom of the mark and work your way up toward the top.
When you are finished cleaning the spot, dip the towel into the waste bucket and wring it out completely. You will then dip a clean towel into your rinse bucket and wipe off the area that you cleaned. You should no longer see the soot mark on your wallpaper after you rinse.
How to Prevent Candle Soot
Once you have your candle soot removed from your wallpaper, you will need to make sure you don’t recreate the problem. There are a few different ways you can prevent this problem from happening again.
One of the best things you can do is trim the wicks of your candle down to just a quarter of an inch. This will prevent any drafts from catching the candle. A candle that flickers will create more soot than a candle with a steady flame, so preventing drafts will greatly help.
If you happen to have a fireplace, consider burning your candles in the fireplace. This will pull the soot and smoke up and out instead of being blown into your wall. Burning a candle in your fireplace will also prevent drafts, creating less soot.
The type of candle you burn can also have an impact on the amount of soot produced. Cheap candles will generate more soot than pricier candles. For a candle that burns cleanly, you will want one that has hard wax and a thin wick. These candles will generally be more expensive, but worth the price.
Final Thoughts
Seeing candle soot marks can be annoying and frustrating to deal with. Luckily, you should have a pretty easy time dealing with them if you know what you are doing. When it comes to wallpaper, you need to use the right method to clean the soot marks off to avoid ruining it.
There are two main methods for cleaning wallpaper from soot marks and the type of wallpaper you have will determine whether you should use the dry or wet cleaning method. The dry method is quick and only uses dry products to clean the marks and the wet method uses cleaning solution and water.
After you deal with the soot mark on your wall, you will want to make sure you don’t recreate the same problem. Cutting the wick can be helpful, and if you have a fireplace you can burn your candles in there instead.