How to Clean Soot From Work Clothes

Separate clothing based on color and fabric as you would normally for washing clothing. Separate severely affected clothing, those items with heavy amounts of soot, from more lightly affected items.

Take the heavily affected clothing outside and shake the loose soot from the clothing. Avoid rubbing the items so as to not force the soot deeper into the fabric.

Gather clothing of similar color and fabric from the heavily affected work clothes to be washed first. Set the washing machine to the highest water setting and warm or hot temperature, depending on the fabric and color of the clothing.

Add non-chlorine bleach and water conditioner to the washer as well as the recommended amount of laundry detergent for a full load of clothing. Place the clothes into the washing machine, close the lid and allow the cycles to complete.

Remove the laundered clothing from the washer after the final spin cycle has expired. Visually inspect the clothing for signs of remaining soot. If no soot is visible, hang the items on a clothesline to air-dry. Smell the clothing after a few hours to detect any remaining soot. If soot is still visible on the clothing or a soot odor remains after air-drying, repeat Steps 3 and 4.

Wash the clothing with heavier amounts of soot the same way described in Steps 3 through 5. Expect to repeat washing the clothes to finally rid them of soot and the smell of smoke.