It is not intended for use with fumes or vapors. These masks don't filter well enough, fail to form an adequate seal, and deteriorate too quickly under jobsite conditions. The print on a typical package containing the comfort masks will you that they are NOT a respirator, are NOT certified in any way, and should NOT be used for protection. Be careful in your choice at work or at home. Often when we conduct an initial assessment at the scene of a fire or smoke damage, the owner of the property will meet us at the door professing their meticulous housekeeping abilities and the embarrassment of discovering unsightly cobwebs in practically every room in the structure.
Smoke is the product of incomplete combustion.
The resulting soot particles are ionized, or electrically charged, by the energy created by the source of the smoke or fire. These charged particles are drawn to materials with an opposing charge, usually in the upper corners of rooms, and closely resemble the cobwebs with which they are confused. Soot tags usually contain a very oily residue and care should be taken not to brush anything against them or bring them into contact with the structure. Removal is usually accomplished with a light duty vacuum. A grease fire in the kitchen resulted in these soot tags being evident throughout the structure of a recently completed job.