Bruce Hamilton writes:

 

Dear Groopsters,

 

I need some help with the attached pictured items. They all have

smoke damage and I need to find the correct approach to

removing the smoke or soot without damaging the underling surfaces.

 

The spice container has printing on the lid, similar to the small

container also pictured, under the soot residue. I don't know

what the condition of the printing  was before the fire. I would

surmise that the finish is shellac based on the age of the container

and the color. I believe most soot participles can be raised off

with water but there may also have an oily component as well.

 

In my initial testing I used vinegar and it seemed to be effective in

removing most of the shoot.

 

The carved statute also has soot layer. The accent coloring is very

sensitive to water so vinegar is the wrong choice for cleaning this item.

 

Before I proceeded with the treatment I would appreciate some

other opinions.
 

Thanks,
BruceH
MA