Best soot removal method.

kcopp

In your experience what is the most effective way to remove from the side of a home. Cement/ Hardie type siding. I have a house where the appliance got fouled thereby sooting up the outside of the siding. I would not want to just start spraying water, detergent etc. w/o a solid plan. TIA

Mad Dog_2

You want to remove the soot, right?  I'd try warm water and MEX first. Mad Dog

kcopp

Thanks

clammy

Have your tried spray 9 ,I ve had good luck cleaning all sorts of soot and dirt and nasty boiler mud works pretty well and a great tough grease cutter also a disinfectant .

kcopp

hmmm. Never heard of Spray 9. I will look into it...

Mad Dog_2

Me neither. You guys ever heard of ZEP-45? Used it 35 years ago. It was MUCH better than WD-40, but had all kinds of warnings on the can..."banned in California...blah blah." Probably banned now or watered down version. Mad Dog

Solid_Fuel_Man

TSP with warm water. 

EdTheHeaterMan

Sometimes there is just no way to get it perfectly clean again. The next best thing is to paint over it. BUT THAT DON'T ALWAYS WORK. If you do need to go that way, use KILZ oil based paint to seal the surface otherwise the carbon will migrate thru the paint.

Ask me how I know!