Cleaning Up Smoke Damage

Fire is a veritable nightmare for any property owner, whether it is an apartment complex, a house, a business, or even just a piece of land. It can be devastating, but the most danger and expense usually comes from fires that affect the inside of a home or other building. These can wreak havoc on the lives of those who live in the home or even just the person renting it out, depending on whose fault the fire was, if it was anyone’s fault. There are a few things that you should do and not do if your house is the victim of a fire in order to clean up, especially if you cannot hire a restoration company to help you do so.

First, let us talk about the things that you really should do.

If you have pets in the home, you should remove them and get them to a safe environment as quickly as possible after the fire is out. You should not allow your pets, especially birds, to re-enter the home until the damage is taken care of. Birds are especially sensitive to smoke and other gases, so getting them removed from the home is very important to prevent the loss of life.

Open the windows and allow the air from outside to circulate. This will help get rid of the smell of smoke in the home. If your vacuum cleaner made it out of the fire or preferably if you have access to someone else’s, then using this to collect soot and other particles from your carpets, curtains, and upholstery should be the next thing that you do.

If you have plants, wash them completely in water and make sure that soot and other particles are not allowed to stay on them for long.

The things that you should not do should start with not using any electrical appliances (including your vacuum cleaner) until they have been checked and cleaned.

Do not attempt to clean porous surfaces like your ceilings and walls.

Sitting down on any furniture in your home that is upholstered (i.e. porous) is not recommended until they have been vacuumed and covered with plastic.

Any food items that were in the home at the time of the fire should be thrown away. This includes canned goods.

These tips are designed with your safety and your home’s restoration in mind. There may be other things that a restoration company could do to help you and in some cases, hiring a professional is the best thing that you can do. Weigh the pros and cons of hiring a professional and then decide what is best for you. Dealing with a home that has been water damaged due to the water from fire trucks is also another matter to contend with. Always consider hiring a professional to deal with extensive damage.




Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration and
mold remediation companies across the united states.